potty training

Dayna - posted on 08/30/2010

You may want to trying turning it into a game by putting a cherrio in the potty and telling him to try to shoot it with his pee. Just a thought.

Ugwunwa - posted on 08/30/2010

Have him sit on the potty, i tell you potty training needs all the dedication you can give to it, cos some mothers are so lazy when it comes to thatt aspect. so if you dnt want him messing everywhere, u've got to help him sit in there...

Margy - posted on 08/29/2010

Another thing we must remember is that the feeling to go to the bathroom is developmental and has nothing to do with intellegence. When your little guy is ready and feels that he has to go you will know.

Angela - posted on 08/29/2010

generally, it does take longer to potty train boys than girls. parenting mag noted little boys don't feel the urge as quickly as girls. but i have a little boy in my daycare who just turned 2 and after 2 weeks he is almost completely potty trained. then again, i have a little girl, who will be 3 in dec. and we have been training her since she turned 2 and she still is not potty trained. and there is nothing wrong with her mentally or physically, she simply is afraid if she goes to the bathroom she is going to miss something the other kids are doing or tragically miss something on tv. it is very discouraging.

Natalie - posted on 08/29/2010

hes not ready, i have 2 boys and it takes a lot longer to potty train them than it does girls!

Rose - posted on 08/29/2010

Try to catch it in the potty and then make a big party out of it, lots of praise and hands clapping and enthusiasm. he will repeat it next time to see you do it again, and after a while it will become a habit. But always reward him/her with a lot of positive input and excitement.
Another think that works is to sit him down at the potty while having another activity, looking at a book, a good cartoon, etc. You can turn the water faucet on close by, as the noise of running water usually stimulates urination. (they did that to me, and even now, when i hear a faucet running i have to run to the toile!)

Sabrina - posted on 08/29/2010

the children are different as my daughter was 20 mounths old , she was finished with training.. but my son is now 24 mounths old he has still dipper we started with pee is not worked, now i started with big.. and its worked he sitt on his seat ( not pot ) on toillet and he give me always a sighn....
our W.C. is now a kids play room.. we have many toys and books.. he seats on wc and i read a book or we play a song..
always 10-15 minutes after drinking or eating we take a trip to W.C. !!!!!!

Bernadette Anne - posted on 08/28/2010

you may know this, so please forgive me it I'm repeating your knowledge..if he is only wearing his diaper, I'd put clothes on him that HE can't get off without your help..positive rewards for going IN the potty or big potty (m&m's worked for my son AND daughter) have you ready any books about going potty? there are many at your local library that are great and are written for girls AND/OR boys...Peeing on the floor is just FUN!! sounds and sight...you know..FUN!! for an 18-month-old..good luck to ya :)

Michele - posted on 08/28/2010

Have you tried rewards? Give him a chart and put a sticker on it for each time he goes in the potty. I used www.3daypottytraining.com and had my daughter trained in 2 1/2 days.

Mary - posted on 08/28/2010

did ya try a stepping stool to the big potty

Angela - posted on 08/28/2010

i disagree. i have raised two children and am a daycare provider. praising a child for using the floor, etc. as a potty will only reinforce the idea that they are doing something wonderful and correct and therefore should continue doing so. simply tell him no, we don't do that then take him to a potty and show him what he should have done. if he is taking his diaper off and going into the bathroom he is most assuredly ready to potty train. try to find out if he's scared of the potty chair and why or if it's simply a way in which he feels he's in control and getting attention. i once had a child in daycare who was absolutely terrified of the big potty. his parents and i were baffled. one day i finally got out of him that he was scared of the monster in there. so, one day i casually asked him if he thought he could fit down the hole in the potty. 'no', he said. 'that's silly. i'm too big'. so i asked how then could a great big monster fit in that hole if a little bitty boy like him couldn't. voila, problem solved. i have learned all children are different and you can't necessarily go by any advice you have received. it's simply trial and error. good luck

Gayle - posted on 08/28/2010

hi i av a 2n a half yr old girl n she is at the stage wen she will take her nappy off regardless of where she is n will pee n sometimes number 2s wot iv learnt is not 2 shout or get angry just praise them n then i still ask her if she wants 2 go n sit on the potty n if she does then she still gets cheers n loads of praise even if she hasnt done anythin in the potty as it gives her the incentive 2 try the potty next time but it does take a while n if theyre not ready then theyre not ready just av loads of patience 8 ) hope everythin works out in the end x

LaJuan - posted on 08/28/2010

Seems like boys are harder to potty train. Eighteen months is really young to expect him to use the potty when he feels like it. He may know what he's supposed to do, but he really has very little control over his bladder and otherwise at this age. He will train himself. Continue the potty training by putting him on his personal little potty at certain times of the day, don't scold him, put a diaper on him and let him go. My grandson was three years old before he finally agreed to use the potty. My daughter was 8 months old - so the training time depends on the child. Both children turned out to be brilliant, well adjusted kids, so don't be uptight about it. He'll be OK unless he has a real medical problem. Keep your eyes open if you think he might have a medical problem. Otherwise, he'll be fine.

Lynn - posted on 08/28/2010

Defo go for the sitting him down at first to have a pee on either the toilet or the potty. I have 2 boys 9 & 4 and they both started this way and often still sit now. Sit him on the potty for a few minutes every hour and buy training pants instead of nappies to get him used to the pulling up and down of pants. He is young and it takes lots of patience and dedication on your side to get them trained that young. Good luck!

Maurita - posted on 08/28/2010

I would say that people should not be rewarded for what they will naturally do. The schools use to give stickers to kids for saying thank you. I told them to stop giving rewards what they should be doing.regardless People are not dogs they are people and should be treated with more respect. Expect your child to be courteous and learn to use the bathroom. Thanks, Maurita

Victoria - posted on 08/28/2010

OMG! I am a grandmother and have a story to tell you. My cousin and I were talking about my grandson one day and getting him to go to use the toilet. Their son would stand in the middle of the Livingroom floor and go #2. UNTIL they went to Home Depot and purchased a new seat for children. It is a regular seat but has a small child seat that fits inside the lid. He thought it was the coolest thing and some new toy. He has been going ever since! The cost is 30.00 and worth ever penny. Children have a fear of falling in and that is why so many will not go. BELIEVE me it works!!!!!!

Viktorija - posted on 08/28/2010

try sitting him on the toilet seat, let him pee sitting down, that's just fine, he will learn later to pee standing up. if he pees standing up into the potty he might pee all over the floor an across his legs. praise is good, and occasional treat. let him flush. offcourse, you husband/boyfriend/male figure in the house should show him how he does it.

Kathy - posted on 08/28/2010

This is so frustrating I know, a few things I did was the cheerios in the bowl, a special box I recommend you fill with special toys and snacks and he will get it when he uses the toilet, I recommend this to new Moms for the sibling. He is young as you know and usually it takes awhile, but they never go to school in diapers. Good Luck!

Maurita - posted on 08/28/2010

One thing people always learn to do is walk, eat and go to the bathroom let go of any kind of control of it. Boys usually are much later than that. My kids are 19 and 17 now. But I remember when I stopped worrying about their basic bodily functions they took over. Take care, Maurita

Rachel - posted on 08/28/2010

Check out this website www.peespeak.com
You may need some "alternative" methods, but it can be done. If you really want to potty train, I'd try easy up/down cloth diapers or training undies. Pull ups are expensive and just mask the wetness like a diaper. Don't turn it into a power struggle though, because you can't control your child's bowels. Mostly, be patient potty training takes months not weeks, and definitely have him sit on the toilet backwards-that works great for boys!

Angela - posted on 08/28/2010

I have to agree with the post below, if he doesn't know what to do, then he isn't ready, maybe pulling his nappy off for fun, wait til summer, and leave his nappy off at home and gently encourage him to use the potty...he will get the idea eventually but only when he is ready.

Gail - posted on 08/28/2010

just try taking him with you when you or hubby goes so he can see what he is supposed to do. kids like to copy other people

Kaycee - posted on 08/28/2010

Try a European potty for potty training, instead of sitting like a chair they sit like they are squatting like they tend to do anyway;) I think you can get this at Toys R Us in the states...

Manuela - posted on 08/28/2010

oh and what I do with my boy too and we did with my Brother that is over 10 years yunger then I am. We put them down on the toilet and had the water running beside him, and mostly they will pee then. My kids all started like that, but sometimes I had to take a cup and put warm water in it, and poor it over there privat parts. The warm water makes them feel like they have to pee now and it works wounders. I did that with my kids, my mom did that with us and even my grandma did that will all her 12 kids back in the days.

Manuela - posted on 08/27/2010

I dont know if you have other kids that a bit older, but I have 2 girls 11month apart. I potty trained the oldes, but she trained her sister. What she did is take her sister on the hand when she was about 20 month old and went to the bathroom togeather. So my oldes one peed in the toilet and then she pulled her pants up and pulled her sisters pants of and took her diaper off and said, you go pee now, it is your turn. I still have some pics of her helping her little sister. But my son is 22 month now, and he started potty training 2 month ago, but then I had a baby in June and he fell back, totally. Now he start again, he will go and pee on to the toilett if he can't find the kids steping stool. But Boys are mostly harder to train then girls. My son looked at his cousin how he did it when he went to the bathroom and that boy is always standing, so he wants to stand too, sitting is just not for him. I hope one day soon he is gone be fully traind, cause it is no fun having 2 diaperbabys in the house. Good luck and hope you get it done and over with.

Ashley - posted on 08/27/2010

My son is almost 18 months and almost fully potty trained we just take him in there sat him down after naps or lil bit after meals if he didn't go we would turn the water on to stimulate him he now runs to the potty wen he has to go and does great we encourage him and reward wen he does it alone it takes time but they can definitely start when u think they are

Evelyn - posted on 08/27/2010

I just suggest that you do NOT use pull ups except at night. They will only hinder the potty training process. Another thing is that if you are taking him to the bathroom every 30 minutes the person that is getting trained here is you and not your child. He needs to understand the signals that his body is giving him and if you are taking him every 30 minutes than you aren't giving him a chance to learn this. If you are serious about potty training him then you need to put him in underwear. You also need to always have an extra change of clothing so that if he does have an accident you can change him right away. peeing and pooping in his pants needs to be a very uncomfortable event.

Trisha - posted on 08/27/2010

I have a suggestion or two. First of all, check out a book called Toilet Training in less than a day. Second consider that an 18 month old is not ready. Children sometimes pull off their diapers because they like to be naked or it's simply just fun. Maybe they sense that they are wet. I encourage you to wait until atleast your child is 28-30 months old. The reason why is when they are really ready, it won't be a daily struggle with lots of accidents which makes them even more self conscience on upset. It will only take a day ot two and they will be successful at it right away. A mother putting her child on the potty every hour is only trainig herself. A trained child should be able to remove their own pants, sit on and use the potty, wipe themselves, pull up their own pants, and wash their own hands. That's true training. An 18 month old isn't capable of all that yet. It may be fun to let him/her use the potty when it's suits you and that's is a good introduction for them. but to activly train at that age may get frustration and discouraging to you BOTN. That's just my two cents. Check out that book ! Good luck!

Martha - posted on 08/27/2010

Girls are easier to train than boys....

Martha - posted on 08/27/2010

18 months???? too young

LaTisha - posted on 08/27/2010

Looks like he doesn't like to feel wet, if he's always taking his diaper off. I potty trained my daughter when she was 17 months, and this is what worked for me. SInce I knew that she hated being wet, I bought a pack of underwear. No more diapers or pull-ups. And I said to her. "If you feel a tingle down there, you need to get on the potty." After about a week of having an accident here and there, she hated being wet so much that she went to the bathroom everytime she felt a tingle. It didn't matter if she actually used it or not, but it put her into a routine and she was completely trained within that time period. Of course, they will have accidents after they are trained, but that is to be expected. I hope this works for you, if you decide to try it.
P.S. If you do put him in underwear, be sure to bring extra changes of clothes. Good Luck!!!

LaTisha Shavers

Vickie - posted on 08/27/2010

He might not be ready to potty train yet. Kids sometimes just like to take off their diapers, because they can. Try pull ups and see if he tries to take them off. If he gets frustrated and quits he just wants to take off his diaper. If he gets frustrated and continues to try to take off the pull up on several occasions, try potty training with pull ups. Most kids will potty train when they are ready. they don't follow any of adult expectations. The good news is that when they turn 21 it won't matter whether they were 18 months or 3 years when they potty trained. Good luck and relax, this too shall pass!

Virginia - posted on 08/27/2010

My son started potty training at 12 months. My boy is now pretty good at telling me when he has to go. I started him on pull ups and took him to the potty first thing after waking up in the mornings and after waking up from naps. Try having a timed schedule and if you know what time he usually poops then put him on same time each day. I had books and flash cards and magazines with stickers for him to play with. His first experience with a child potty and he went poop. He wouldn't pp for a few weeks. We didn't use the child potty because he liked the big toilet. I recommend baby bjorn for the set cover. The cheap plastic cushioned ones don't last.

Jasimine - posted on 08/27/2010

After he drinks something within 30 min seat him on the pot. Or put some cheeros in the toilet and tell him to aim at the cheeros.

Heather - posted on 08/27/2010

When I read your request I happen to see Dawn's suggestion. She put down exactly what I was going to say! My son stands but, only once has he missed and it was because we woke him out of a dead sleep when we got home and sent him to the bathroom before he went to bed. He wasn't fully awake. :0] He's 7 and does a great job aiming and I think it is because he was already used to aiming at the back of the toilet. Any boys or girls in the future will be taught the same way. My son does face forward now to do number 2.

Molly - posted on 08/27/2010

Most children around the world are potty trained much younger than they are here in the US. There are many books and techniques you can try...

Julie Fellom's "Diaper Free Toddlers" - technique for 15 to 28 month (easier the younger they are). Uses 3 intensive days of training followed up with 3 months of no diapers (or underwear - theory is that it feels too much like a diaper). Many daycare providers swear by this technique in the comments section.

I am going to use this book: Jill M. Lekovic, MD: "Diaper-Free Before 3" After doing some research, it fits the approach we've already been doing. Our LO has been sitting on the toilet and going since one year old, but not consistently. We sit her on it usually during each diaper change, but she doesn't always go. She loves to flush and "give her hands a bath." She is ready, but her language is very unclear yet so we may use sign language.

Here's more on it:
http://www.babycenter.com/0_potty-traini...

Carla - posted on 08/27/2010

Potty training is over rated for 18 months. Pulling off the diaper just means he is coordinated enough. I would wait a while..My son didn't like the potty, but preferred the "big potty". If I remember my child development, 18 months is a transitional age..when children are starting to realize they are separate, just re-evaluate his readiness and understanding. I am sure he is entranced with body functions,just wait until he connect the urge to pee with what comes out of his body, and if he has the control and veral skills to potty

Crystal - posted on 08/27/2010

put it on him backwards and if u want to know if he is ready for potty training see if he can take a nap for 2-4 hrs without pottying if he can he is ready but most boys arent ready for potty training until 2 1/2 or 3 sometimes even older my daughter took her daiper off all i did was put it on backwards and i tried potty training her at 18 months didnt work so i tried again whe she was 2 we did treats and we did a calander but she got bored with it so we just put a potty seat in her bedroom an din the livingroom and one in the bathroom and it took abt a 6 months with her back sliding nad everythign but she was potty trained before christmas and 3 months before her 3 rd birthday so good luck

Jennifer - posted on 08/27/2010

What I did with my 20 month was put the potty in the front room (or where you are most the time) so he can see it and get to it easily. I also let him run around with no diaper on. I tried putting him in underwear but he would forget it wasnt a diaper and pee in them, so naked was our best option. He really only started to pee on himself once before he realized something was wrong. Throughout the day he would go and sit on his potty (and I even gave him his morning milk on the potty as he watched his one cartoon) sometimes he would sit for 10 min and not pee, other times he would sit for a min and have pee in it. Either way, he was getting used to the potty and understanding his body's reactions when he had the urge. By 22 months of age he was using the potty most the time. He preferred the diaper when he knew he had to poop, but eventually he started using the potty for that also. Try not to push it and make them feel bad for not making it on the potty, but reinforce the importance of using the potty. If he doesnt make it to the potty, let him help with the cleanup. When he goes on the potty regularly and can vocalize when he has to go the potty can be moved back to the restroom. My son is now 25 months old and uses the potty all the time. Even naps are dry, and most nights are dry too. Give it time and try not stress! HE may be ready to potty train, but he is so used to going in a diaper... we have to "retrain" our kids how to go potty, and they get confused. Great job on recognizing and encourage his attempts! Hope this helps!

Beate - posted on 08/27/2010

Take a save step stool, like with rubber on the bottom, and have him step up to pee in the toilet. Tell him to aim in the middle, or else take an old little ball and float it in the toilet to aim at.
He wants to be big, which is a blessing. Mothers need to pray and seek God, what the little one is trying to accomplish in all their ways. God bless you!

Kristina - posted on 08/27/2010

you need to do what is right for your family, and as a mother you know what is right for your son....... Good luck

Margy - posted on 08/27/2010

18 months is young to have expectations of potty training. Each child is different but it is possible you little guy is at the beginning of this process. And it is a process. Be gentle and easy about potty training as it is one of those stages in their lives that can change them forever. mf

Jean - posted on 08/27/2010

Potty training is not about how smart the child is! It is about being able to control the muscles. The best advice will come from the pediatrician!

BETTY - posted on 08/27/2010

I have done the potty thing first thing in the morning and she has done something. I have also demostrated by going with her to the loo and sat on loo while she sees so she is getting used to potty.

Tracy - posted on 08/27/2010

I think it's a perfect time to try potty-training. I potty-trained my son at 16 months and my daughter at 18 months. I started the first day just reading books on the potty to make it less scary. Next, schedule how much and when he drinks, watch him to see the timing of his accidents (which means, put him in underwear), and take him every 20 minutes or so. By the third day, both my kids went on the potty with me taking them every half hour. I also had my son sit backwards on the potty. For us, underwear was key. Neither kid liked the feeling of pee running down their legs.

Julia - posted on 08/27/2010

My son did the same at around 18months, we started by gently introducing the potty without formally potty training. It was kept in the bathroom and brought out at bedtime, he would sit on it without his nappy whilst winding down before bed. Sometimes he would have a drink, sometimes we would read a story. He started having wee's on it and we would positively reinforce that. We waited til he was about 23months before formally potty training by which time he knew exactly what the potty was for. He was trained at night and day within 6 weeks. All kids are individual, don't let anyone tell you what yours can or can't do.



Peeing standing up came later, my son was around 2 and 1/2 before he mastered it. Think about it, theres alot going on, pointing it in the right direction, knowing whether he need to wee or poo, missing his pants and then theres the performance pressure.....



You know when your son is ready, 18months is young but not by any means impossible, in fact i believe that it is the average age in most of europe. I found it took longer to potty train when my son was young by comparison to friends who waited til their kids were nearer 2 1/2 or 3, who did it in a week! But for us it was the right time and i'm glad i did it then.



Hope that helps x

Pat - posted on 08/27/2010

Why not have a large bucket to catch anything in, and once he gets used to it , move it nearer and nearer to the toilet. Praise goes a long way to encourage him, maybe make it in to a game hit the bucket and win a biscuit. Good luck!

Emma - posted on 08/26/2010

At least the wee is going on the floor in the bathroom, which is a lot better than having to clean it up off the carpet! :) If he's gotten that far, it sounds like he's ready to get on with it. Try him sitting down to help with the aim as I think 18m might be too young to understand about pointing his doodle right. I have girls but all my friends kids are boys and from what they've said boys seem to need a little longer to perfect their aim. My daughters were both fully trained by 27months but early attempts with them at 18mths were disasters, hence knowledge of wee and carpet! The aim thing seems to be the hard bit to overcome but if you keep setting a timer and taking him regularly he'll get the hang of it! Wee goes IN the potty! :) Good luck!

Jeanie - posted on 08/26/2010

My neighbor (who has four sons and three daughters) says boys aren't ready for potty training until they are three. My grandson is a great example. He was not the least bit interested until three weeks ago. He turned three on June 7th and is now completely trained - by himself. He just decided. Don't worry so much about it at 18 months - its probably just too early for a boy. There are exceptions, but relax, please.

Melinda - posted on 08/26/2010

My son is doing the same thing. Does he have an older sibling? You can also ask your husband to show him when he goes to the bathroom. And what I do when my son does go to the bathroom, I ask my oldest son to help me cheer him on and then give him a treat after he does it. He every once in awhile pees on the floor but is getting better. I am so very excited. Soon NO MORE DIAPERS. Yippee for me.