Why are Girls easier to Potty Train than Boys?

Question

I keep hearing this all over the place. I know this
one little boy who is almost 4 and pooping his diaper.
My mom said she had us all potty trained at 2 and my
friends mom says the same thing.

are girls more intellecually advanced at this age?

Also, why does it seem our generation cant seem to
potty train thier kids and yet our parents were able
to at really young ages?


Thanks!

Answer 1

I'll answer your last question first because of the 3, it's the easiest..

Parents of our generation are being increasingly taught to let our children train when they are ready. Let them show all the signs of readiness, and then gradually ease them into training.. it's easier on the mother, and it's easier for the child... You'll notice that I said 'easier'.. that's why our generation of children are being trained later and later. It's easier to let them sit around in a diaper until they're 3.. than fight with them to potty train. It's easier to let them wait until they don't like sitting in a wet diaper anymore.. and let them train. I was trained ( as were my 3 sisters) by the time I was 17 months old. No messes, no accidents.. totally trained. Potty Training takes time and attention.. and there are many parents who just don't have that.

I think the little boy that you know who is 4, and still wearing a diaper may be one of a few isolated incidents. I have 2 sons.. who were both trained by the time they were 2. With my mother at my side, she did mention that it seemed harder to train them than it was with us girls. Boys are a little different biologically.. and while my sons's were both 'poop' trained at 18 months, they still had a little trouble with pee accidents. It has nothing to do with intellectual ability, but more the fact that they're made up a little different biologically.. it's harder to feel the pee coming. It makes it a little bit tougher with boys, and they do train (on average) 6 months later than girls.

Are girls more intelectually advanced at that age? No, not really. Once again.. they're different sexes and their different biologically. Little girls are thinking about themselves, their bodies and what happens.. little boys are thinking about toy cars and trucks.. and being independent ( for the majority ) Girls are more interested in the process.. boys don't want to do anything that takes time away from their jumping off the furniture..

Answer 2

My friend has a 3 year old that pees in the potty but refuses to poop there. The pediatrician told her to tell him to indicate when he had to poop to give him a diaper so he could do it there. The doc said that boys have a really hard time letting their poop go down the toilet. It seems bizarre, but I know a lot of people who can potty train boys to pee on the potty, but with poops it's the same story.

I'm not sure, I think this pediatrician may have a point based on their experience. I think it might have to do with parenting also, and when each individual kiddo is ready.

I read that other cultures potty train way earlier than the U.S. I find that interesting. I heard that it's because the diapers here are so good at wicking away moisture that kids can't feel when they're wet.

Also, I think it is a convenience thing. I also think that some (I said SOME) people in this generation are kind of lazy about it.

BTW, the little boy that I spoke of initially, when his family went on vacation to Martha's Vineyard this summer his mom told him that they didn't have diapers on the island and so he started pooping on the toilet just like that! Ha! It's such a mind game sometimes!

Answer 3

It seems to be a genetic thing that girls are easier to train than boys.

Although some good points were made like, the boy sees mommy sitting and he's standing, why? And the ability to aim in the right direction also.

Why is it harder now? It isn't. It's just that parents now have more going on in their lives and they just are too lazy to take the time to potty train properly. You will find that those who have moms that can stay at home and take the time to train properly don't take any longer, it's those moms that work and the baby is in child care so he/she gets inconsistent training.

A mom or dad or both could take a week's vacation to stay home and in that week's time if both are there they could have their baby potty trained and it would be all over. I know, I've done it that way, but it takes dedication and the parents' full attention to the baby to do that, two things a lot of parents today lack.

Answer 4

I have three girls and three boys. Yes all my girls were potty trained sooner. My boys all got the pee thing down, that was fun. It was the pooping that was longer. But by 2 1/2 they were potty trained. I don't believe in keeping "pull-ups" on them. By putting underwear on them it seemed to change everything. I had to wash out underwear a few times, but I didn't want to confuse them by putting the pull ups back on so they could take a dump.My youngest girl was 21 months. If your a stay at home Mom you have the advantage of training them all day. Remember, accidents do happen. So don't put them on the nice furniture to watch TV.........

Answer 5

It's a myth that girls potty train quicker.
Yes boys learn to pee standing up and down while girls only learn sitting down so it's easier for girls because they only need to sit down.
If boys were only learning to pee sitting down then the process would be quicker.
Because boys have to learn both ways that's why statistics say girl's learn quicker because girls Have Lesser Skills To learn.

Answer 6

I know all kids are very different and alot has to do with the parents consistency. My son had the pooping thing down before the peeing. By 1yr 10 1/2 months my son had accomplished the art of pooping and by 2nd birthday he was fully potty trained.

Answer 7

I think it is weird for them (boys) to have to aim their little weiners and realize that they stand up when they might see mommy sit down.which is why it may be easier for girls.As far as people training their kids latter on than our parents it just might be less stressfull and time consuming to change a diaper and go back to whatever it was you were doing.plus back in the day they had cloth diapers not disposable so im sure that made my mom want to train us ASAP,what a mess that must have been.

Answer 8

You will see many conflicting stories about this. Personally, my son who is 7, was potty trained by 2. My daughter was 3 before she was potty trained. I'd say gender has no role in potty training.

Answer 9

I have five boys and all of my boys were toilet trained before they turned 2. I don't think it has anything to do with what sex the child is I think it is all to do with the parent. My eldest is 17 and my youngest turned 2 last month Good luck.

Answer 10

3 yr old and 2 year old twins all boys, all potty trained. They do not sleep in pull-ups, never used pull-ups in the house, only to go out. They stand to pee, and sit to poop. I think it's our approach on training.