Potty Training a boy - when to start???

Jeri - posted on 03/06/2009

Kristi, Angelic, and Sarha,
Thank you all so much for your responses. I know all kids are different and I really like having so many options/opinions and ideas. He'll be two in April so I think I'm just going to keep talking to him about it and wait until he's ready.
Thanks again!

Sarah - posted on 03/06/2009

Whatever method you choose, just make sure to keep it LOW KEY AND LOW STRESS. My 3 1/2 yr. old son is currenty being treated for a stretched colon because he didn't want to poop on the potty, and he picked up on mommy's stress when he pooped in his pants. So he would just hold it until his whole system was full and there was nowhere else for it to go but out. He spent 7 months complaining of stomach pain, having little appetite, and gaining about 1 lb. before we convinced the dr. to order an x-ray. SO, yeah, don't stress him out about it. I think there are plenty of ideas on here to choose from! Good luck!

Angelic - posted on 03/03/2009

I just trained my grandbaby and she was trained in three days! I also trained my children the same way, three days. I didn't use the pull ups! I went and bought several packs of the regular panties for the girls, and underware for the boys. and believe you me they went through quite a lot the first day, and on the second day, we did a lot better, by the third day, we were almost done and I bought potty treats, something that I had never given to her. It was a special treat that she really liked and every time she went to the bathroom or just sat on the potty she got one. Well if I can help you with anything else just let me know and good luck! May you have a Blessed Week! Oh and btw, during these three days, you need to not go anywhere or schedule any other activities.....

Kristi - posted on 03/03/2009

Our son didn't potty train until he was 3 1/2!  I just waited until he was ready to go on the big boy potty...I figured that if I rushed him, or put pressure on him to do it...he would just resent me and refuse.  Then, we found out that we were expecting another baby...and I did not want to deal with 2 in diapers! 

So, we went to the store, and he got to pick out his very own big boy underwear...and {I know this sounds crazy} we actually bought him a urinal!  It's called a Peter Potty, and he loves it since he can go like Daddy.  So, that same day he put on his new big boy underwear, and he went in his new urinal...and I have to say that's all it took.  He was trained in one day!!  Unbelievable, I know...but it worked for him.  He's never had an accident either, I suggest trying the urinal...we had tried the regular potty {and sitting down} and the actual toilet {standing up}, but the urinal seemed to do the trick.  It even has a flush button on top!

Sorry this turned out so long...but I try to get my urinal epiphany to as many moms of boys that I can! :o)  GOOD LUCK!!

Jeri - posted on 03/03/2009

Thank you all for your input. Rebekah, I will for sure let you know.

User - posted on 03/03/2009

My son is 2 1/2 and is completely uninterested even though I bought him a really cool potty and cool car underwear. I bribed him with marshmellows and put him on a schedule of going on the potty every couple hours nothing worked!! If you figure out something that works PLEASE let me know!!

Randi - posted on 03/03/2009

My son didn't potty train until he was 3 and half. He refused to for me. So I had to get his dad over there and he is the one that had to do it. It worked lilke a charm :)

Erica - posted on 03/03/2009

My son was 3 when he was potty trained, I did try earlier but for some reason boys aren't anything like girls my 2 girls were trained at 15 months not him he did it when he was ready and had two accidents and that was it. He will let you know don't pressure him or they will hold it in. Some are different but good luck .

Jeri - posted on 03/03/2009

Thanks Marci, Yes for sure let me know how it goes. I think I am going to do the same. Actually I just went to give him dinner and he said "change diaper." He says pee pee and poo but it's not always accurate. Seems to me if he can say change diaper he should be able to use the potty? Maybe he only knows when he's wet and not when he is "going" to go...... We were recently in Puerto Vallerta and he did get out of the pool to squat and go. I guess that's a start? When he has gone poo because I can smell it and I ask him if he's gone, he says no. Anyway, I have the pull ups so I think we'll start next week too. My son has never gone in his potty though... I too will keep you posted. Thanks for your post.

Marci - posted on 03/03/2009

Your story sounds so much like mine.  My little boy is 25 months and I got him a potty at 18 onths too.  He always wants to sit on it, when I am going potty.  He will usually go pee before he gets in the tub or shower and sometimes even before bedtime.  I am going on vacation next week so I haven't tried to hard but when we get back I am going to try and do it with in a couple days. (I hope)  I just bought some pull-ups and some underwear.  I am planning on trying the pull-ups first to see if that works and then moving up to the underwear after a few days.  Everyone tells me to just plan on not going anywhere for a couple days!  So that is my plan I will let you know how it went if you would like.  I hope this helps.

Jeri - posted on 03/03/2009

Thanks for sharing Richelle, that helps a lot.
Take care!

Richelle - posted on 03/03/2009

My son started going in the big boy toilet at almost 3 years old. I did not push him to do it. I figured he would tell me when he was interested. And at about 2 1/2 he told me mommy I have to go potty. So that is when he started. I just kept him in a pull up. When the pull up would be wet I would just tell him when you feel the pee pee coming just go to the toilet. So he did. It did not take very long. I had my son start sitting first and he would push his wii wii down. He liked that because he got to watch it come out. After he mastered going potty sitting down he got to stand up with daddy and he got to shoot his pee at cherrios. I hope my story helps you. Just remember when your son is ready he will let you know. Just keep everything a routine. 

Richelle - posted on 03/03/2009

My son started going in the big boy toilet at almost 3 years old. I did not push him to do it. I figured he would tell me when he was interested. And at about 2 1/2 he told me mommy I have to go potty. So that is when he started. I just kept him in a pull up. When the pull up would be wet I would just tell him when you feel the pee pee coming just go to the toilet. So he did. It did not take very long. I had my son start sitting first and he would push his wii wii down. He liked that because he got to watch it come out. After he mastered going potty sitting down he got to stand up with daddy and he got to shoot his pee at cherrios. I hope my story helps you. Just remember when your son is ready he will let you know. Just keep everything a routine. 

Jeri - posted on 03/03/2009

Thanks for sharing Kristi! We'll see, I think we're going to start next week.

Kristi - posted on 03/03/2009

I'm interested in this too...my son is 2 and a half and aboyt 5-6 months ago he was peeing on the potty 1-2 times a day then once he went poo and we were all excited.  We did a casual approch as we've heard horror stories of children feeling too much pressure. After he pooped on the toilet then...nothing...he won't even sit on his potty seat or he freaks!!  It was weird so we dropped it for a bit and just gave him a free standing potty last night (which I said I'd never do lol) He thought it was cool and sat on it...later that night after an epic long on again off again at his choosing he did poop...wow...then today he sat on it once.  So I don't know if it's a novelty thing with my son or if he thinks he's done what he needed to do by pooping once lol...I don't know!!!

Jeri - posted on 03/03/2009

Thank you for your responses.

Jeri - posted on 03/03/2009

Really, just a week? I know all kids are different but I was thinking it would take WAY longer than that. Thanks for the advice Danielle!

Jacqui - posted on 03/03/2009

Quoting Jeri:

Potty Training a boy - when to start???
my youngest was almost three it was amazing it took one day he asked for a see and even though we were walking along a busy road i put his potty down to him and he weed. After another 20 mins or so he asked again and i did the same, he did also.  Success I thought he asked once more before we got home , when we did he just started using the toilet, had to be the easiest training ever, never had a wet bed off him either hope you can be so lucky
Hello,
Our son Jordan is 22 months old. He is showing a lot of interest in the potty and has been since he was about 18 months old. Mostly copying me, squatting, asking for toilet paper, wiping and sitting on the potty with his pants on.....

We got him the potty at 18 months, i figured this was it would not be completely foreign to him when he was ready. We are fortunate to travel a lot, or maybe not so fortunate, because I feel we need to be at home to get the training done. When we return from traveling, it takes a little while to get his interest back into the potty thing. So I am wondering....

If I can ask:
How old was your child when you went though this?
Are you referring to a girl or boy?

When did you start potty training?
What worked for you?
What failed?
How long did it take?
Do boys start sitting or standing? Do you think it matters?
Should I use pull ups? I've heard using just underwear works well but more so for girls, they just don't like being wet. I don't think my son would care.... not sure......
Do you know of any good books?
Anything else that I may have missed? I know you are the experts out there.
Thank you in advance for your input.
Jeri

Danielle - posted on 03/03/2009

choose a week where you can spend the time concentrating on potty training,

wait maybe until warm weather and dont put your little one in a nappy at all during the day even when going out, try taking a potty everywhere you go and lots of spare pants,

reward him every time he goes on the potty, my son was potty trained very quickly

good luck

Danielle - posted on 03/03/2009

choose a week where you can spend the time concentrating on potty training,

wait maybe until warm weather and dont put your little one in a nappy at all during the day even when going out, try taking a potty everywhere you go and lots of spare pants,

reward him every time he goes on the potty, my son was potty trained very quickly

good luck