How to Potty Train Boys – Is It Time For a Change ?

Your son may be a bit surprised to make a drastic change such as potty training. But, when he is ready, he would surely enjoy it and will feel proud about it.

Before potty training your little boy, make sure that he is ready to do it or the process of training would be much longer than necessary. While some boys can be ready as early as 18 months, most of them aren’t until the age 3 or 4. Girls, on the other hand, are a little earlier learners compared to them when it comes to potty training.

How to Tell If He is Ready?

Your son may be ready for potty training if he shows these following signs:

• Gains interest in the toilet or the potty chair
• Feels uncomfortable wearing diapers
• Expresses interest in wearing a real underwear
• Can be able to tell that he is about to go (could be through facial expression, words, or posture)
• Starts complaining when his diaper is dirty
• Stays dry for a couple of hours or longer
• Able to pull his pants down and wear them back on again

Motivating Your Child to Start Potty Training

There are several things that you can do to motivate your child to start his potty training. You can take him shopping for a potty chair or seat and you can also let him choose his own underwear. A popular choice of underwear are the ones with superhero logos and pictures. He will be very motivated to keep Spider-Man dry. Let him choose his own undies to make him feel independent and more able to do “grown-up” things like toilet training.

You can also motivate him by planning a family outing and telling him (without giving him him an obligation) that it would be really nice if he can come with you totally potty-trained. Tell him it would be nice to go on a trip wearing real underwear just like Daddy or big bro do.

Learning the Mechanics

Since wees and poos usually arrive at the same time, especially for young children, you should start by letting your son to sit for both. This way, he will learn that both activities involve a potty. In addition, letting him wee while sitting avoid the distraction of learning to aim because he is just beginning to master the basics.
Make sure to reward him for each milestone so he will know that you appreciate his accomplishments. You can let him watch a short DVD or take him to the park if that’s his thing. On the other hand, do not make every potty trip a great deal because it would make him very conscious.

Once he have learned to do both on the potty, it is time to let him try standing up while peeing. You may need a footstool for this. Don’t expect a perfect aim during the first tries. Keep your calm and gather a lot of patience because you’ll definitely need it. Nevertheless, once your son has mastered the task, both of you will surely feel proud and you’ll know that it is worth the time and effort.