Potty Training Little Boys: It’s pretty common to read or hear that it’s more difficult to potty train boys. While I’ve heard this contradicted, I expect it depends on your perspective, method, and preparation. I suppose the biggest argument is whether to train them sitting or standing.
Sit vs. Stand: There is no right answer to this debate. However, experts say that teaching your boy to potty train by sitting down to pee is the best method because it helps to eliminate confusion. Simplify. I suppose they think learning both ways is too much to handle at one time or perhaps he may get backwards which time he needs to sit and which time he needs to stand. Regardless, I imagine you will be dealing with fewer messes if he tinkles sitting down (most adult men still have difficulty with this; sorry, just had to say it). One other argument for the sit-down method is that, most of the time, urine and bowel movements happen at the same time, so it’s best, at least in the beginning, to have him seated just in case #2 comes out while he’s focusing on #1.
On the other hand, standing has the advantage of being more “fun.” I’ve heard many parents say they will put a Cheerio (because they are small and they float) in the toilet and have the boy try to hit it with his stream. Makes it kind of a game and encourages him to want to go to the potty more because it becomes entertainment. Potty chair, urinal, or toilet? Potty chairs are nice in that they’re just the right size for a little tyke, but it does make extra work for the parent because you have to clean it out (urine may not be so bad, but poopie would be the pits). If you plan to let your little boy pee standing up, a potty chair will be too low to the ground.
I didn’t even know training urinals existed until I started researching potty training. They’re a little plastic “cup” that hangs on the edge of your toilet seat so that it’s lower and easier to reach for a potty training boy. Personally, I don’t see the point-but they wouldn’t make them if they didn’t sell, so there ya go. And like the potty chair, it has to be cleaned out (although it will only be wee).
Potty training regression. It’s best too take a look at this link to see what to do in case of potty training regression. It’s detailed and well written, and very useful and informative potty training regression article.
Toilet. Well, you’ve already got one, so that’s a plus. And it’s pretty fun for a child to press the lever and watch the water flush down the hole (plus flushing is a good habit to learn from the get-go). However, many children at potty training age cannot get on the porcelain throne without help, so you may have to invest in a small step-stool so they can get up there. Then there’s the other issue of the ring being too large for their tiny behinds, so if they lose their balance *SPLASH* in the toilet they go. I’m not one of these super-safety-conscious types that baby-proofs every square inch of my house, so the idea of my child climbing a ladder to reach the toilet and then running the risk of plopping in the water does not bother me in the least, but it might horrify you. They do make “toilet seat reducers” which is a toddler-sized ring that nests inside the regular ring so the hole isn’t so big and their little behinds fit just right. This is actually the method most parents I know use (step-stool with toilet ring reducer on regular toilet). However, if you have a one bathroom house, you may get annoyed with this setup pretty quickly because you have to find a place to put the toilet reducer every time an adult needs to use the bathroom. I always just toss it in the tub, but it can make visitors uncomfortable. Cutting Down Training Time: While there’s vehement debate on whether boys take longer than girls to potty train, most parents with children of each gender will usually tell you it took longer for them to train their boy than it did their girl. Here are some tips, ideas, and theories on why it takes boys longer and how to remedy that:
Mommies are usually the ones who do the potty training, so boys do not have a role model to emulate. The theory is that if daddy, older brother, granddad, or uncle is involved and can be an example by showing him what to do, this may help.
Boys have a tendency to be very mobile and high-energy, and the theory is that perhaps they are simply too busy playing to want to stop and use the potty.
He may want privacy. I still know many adult men who have a hard time using public restrooms because they don’t like an “audience.” Especially if you’re the mommy who is watching, this may be something to think about.Grin and Bare It: I’ve seen a lot of moms post in forums that they’ve tried the “naked method.” I’ve read some really funny stories about how big of a mess their son (or daughter- because this method seems to cross gender lines) made while running around the house all day for several days buck naked. I must admit I would never be brave enough to try this.
pottytrainingregressionblog 