Moms of boys, How did you do it? Tell my how you pottytrained them and what age they finally got it right?

Question

I just want to know different ideas and get a general consensus. My boys are two and one and very stubborn.

Answer 1

I have one son, 3, just pottytrained. He took awhile with the "number 2" but he came along. I think the most important thing to remember is that it will happen... I rank having pottytrained him as highly as I regard my Bachelor's degree, etc. He started when he was about one and has come through for us. I know that you didn't ask for advice, but I have read some of the other answers, and I would not do all of those things in hopes of potty training my child. Figure out for yourself what you are comfortable with (ie, do I take off nappies and say no more, do I let them continue wearing nappies at night, etc) and in my parenting experience, I try and weigh what I am comfortable with alongside my sanity. (after all, calm rational people deal with toddlers better.. :) If you get really stressed out trying to force something on the kids that they aren't ready for, alot of the times they get really stressed with the experience.. Good luck, hang in there, I have two girls 14 months, and 3 months, so potty training them is going to be a doozy! wish me luck back... :)

Answer 2

Boys usually potty train around 2 and a half to three years old. Your boys are still quite young and probably aren't ready yet. Try talking to them about the potty and what it is for. Let them see other members in the family like dad using the toilet. When they show some interest in it, let them sit on their own little potty. Don't try to have them stand to pee. Don't ever force them to use the potty. You'll put yourself right into a power struggle. Again, they probably are not old enough to really understand the whole idea, but you can start talking to them about it.

Answer 3

well, all i can say is have alot of patience:) get a potty if u havent already, show it to ur boys, i have a 31/2 yr.old and he's progressing well after almost 9 months or so... but let him sit on the potty everyday so, he gets used to it, and see if he wants to try using the potty:),(if my son went to the potty i would reward him with a sticker of his choice) but dont push the matter. your son(s) will be ready when they want to do it. i also have a very stubborn child lol. well, good luck, happy potty trails to you :)

Answer 4

take them every 1/2 to sit for 10 mins, they should at some point during that time go......then praise, praise, praise. i kept books and doodle toys etc by thier potty to keep them entertained while they sat. maybe sing a few songs? once they do get the hang of it, remind them by asking every 15 or so mins if they have to go. if they are more into standing up...trying having them aim at some fruit loops...it'll make it more fun and exciting. try whatever you can to keep them in there as long as possible, and not make it torture for them. pay attention to when they drank last...you'll know it'll be time soon and try to catch it at that time.
perhaps they just aren't ready? whatever you do, just try to remain calm, and not force the issue or you could be in for a real battle.
good luck, and hang in there...it'll happen in time!

Answer 5

i had i very hard time i started when he could tell me he needed to go we tryed everything. spanking him( witch i knoe was bad), making him walk around the house with nothing on. sitting him on potty chair after he ate after he played almost like every 20 mins but still it did not work so finally we kinda gave up and pu him in underwere and told him if he pees in it he is going to sit in it for a while welll he did pee in it and we made him go to the coner and after that he told us he had to go. i think the best thing i can say is try everything till one works everykid is diff. i got my sone trained finally after he was 3. good luck

Answer 6

I'm not a mother but as soon as they are able to walk start taking them to the potty and then when they can talk they will start to say potty and if they are a little bit older then you buy them special underwear and tell him that big boys don't pee in like ex. spiderman underwear and then they will feel a sense of responsibility and they won't want to pee in them ~~~good luck

Answer 7

My wife would float a cheerio in the toilet and have the boy try to sink it, also float some shaving cream and have the sink the iceberg.
She told me it helped and improved their aim.

Answer 8

2 1/2 still no potty training what so ever.... he will not get near the "grown up" toilet....and will only sit on his with his clothes on and the lid down.

Answer 9

Give them a target, and give them a reward for hitting it! Toilet paper with a smiley face. Etc. And you can have dad show them how too.

Answer 10

I'm the mom of six, three boys and three girls- so I have lots of practice on this topic. First, I didn't even start to potty train until they were at least 2. They have to be old enough to tell you they have to go, and to understand what all they need to do. They also have to have developed suffiecient control to master the skill, and that is not determined by age. The first clue they are getting ready is when they get curious about what's going on at the toilet. If they see you and their father going- and I'm talking no modesty here, not going into the bathroom, but actually going- it helps give them the idea what the toilet is for. I would set them on the potty chair or toilet usually after a meal, or while waiting for a bath to run. Eventually, you'll get lucky and they will tinkle. Recognize the event with cheers for the big boy. During the day and evening, get practiced at watching for the potty dance- the squiggle around movement that usually signals they are full and ready to go. Any time you see that, take him to the potty and have him sit down for a while. It may also help at this point to have Dad demonstrate, but in the seated position. It's a lot easier I found to start training seated and then after they get that skill down you can always have Dad take them for "target practice" For that you toss in a few cherios or other small cereal, and well- you get the picture. At that point, you'll want a small step stool to assist the young man increase the height and odds of hitting the target. Otherwise, you end up with puddles and a wet seat- or worse. Don't let dad do the demo if they are tired or just up from a nap, cause full bladders don't improve aim at all.
When you think he's got the general idea of what you want him to do- switch from diapers to pull ups. Cheapies work just fine, as most of the first few packs are going to go fast. Make the occasion of leaving diapers a celebration of sorts- "yeah the big boy training pants!" Don't get all wrapped up over accidents- the last thing you want to do is make it stressful or a battle ground. As you have already noticed, you can't make them go on command anyway, and they are quite capable of going to get back at you. It's okay to look disappointed, but that's about all you want to do.
After a while, the "accidents" get more and more infrequent, and that's when you switch to the old fasioned ugly white thick trainer pants. At the same time, get a pack of real honest to goodness shorts, preferably the one's with Superman or whoever he likes best. When he gets dressed in the morning, let him put on a pair of the fancy pants, and remind him that they are for really big boys who don't go in their pants. If there's an accident, it means the thick ugly drawers. Depending on the boy, and how ready he is, and how quickly he catches on- this may take a few weeks or a few months. Just stay cool about it all, and don't be tempted to punish for accidents. It also helps the process along if they are the ones who have to handle the wet pants- to clean themselves up (with supervision of course!), and dispose of the wet pants. Or carry them to the washer, as required.

That's for the wet stuff. Stool training may or may not happen at the same time as the other. I had one boy who trained all at once, and we were done within about two months. I had one who caught on to the wet, but was real reluctant to be stool trained. The trouble there is you don't go poo as often as you urinate, so theres not as much practice. And you can ignore that call longer. There I was patient for the first bit, but after we were dry trained, I'd refuse to clean up messy pants. While they cleaned themselves up (baby wipes are essential here!), I'd fill a bucket with nice warm soapy water, and put it in the tub. Then I'd tell the child that as the mess was theirs, it was also theirs to clean up. I couldn't wash the pants in that condition, until the "material" had been removed completely. They don't find that real pleasant to do- and it doesn't hurt them a bit to do it. Once the pants were clean, they carried them to the washer and put them in. Then we returned to the bathroom for the final washup of hands and to pour out the bucket into the toilet. Usually a few times of that and they were pretty good about making the toilet.
Be sure you keep the baby wipes near the toilet and teach them to use them after the "paperwork" is done. That makes it all a little cleaner and pleasant for them, and easier to do. Also be sure to teach the handwashing afterwards. It's your chance to make the habits they carry through life here. If they learn it that way from the beginning, it's no problem later, they just think it's part of the process.
Even when they are pretty dependably dry and clean during the day, night dry is a whole different subject. It may happen at the same time, and it may not. That one is out of the childs control completely, and there's nothing you can do to influence it. That's brain growth and maturation, and it is controled by the genetics alone. For the bed, just get a waterproof mattress cover, and keep them in pull ups or Good-nights until it does.
Accidents will happen. They will get outside playing, or be watching tv, or even get too excited- and flood the place. They will wait just a little too long. No big deal to get excited over. Just reinforce and remind them not to wait so long next time.
As far as the age they finally got it all right- wow. They were all potty trained by 3, maybe 3 1/2 dependably. One didn't get night dry until almost 4. Then, when the oldest boy turned about 9, the paperwork got a little shoddy, if you get the drift. Aim can become an issue on occasion as well- especially if there's something exciting going on elsewhere. So be prepared to find it happen to you from time to time. Again, just reminders- though with the 9 year old, I wasn't nearly so diplomatic. He got to clean the bathroom under supervision, as well as hand scrub the streaks.
Don't listen to folks who get all excited about them being 1, 2, or even 3 and not quite dry. Do it when you can make the point clear, when they can tell you what's going on, and when they are ready. Your boys probably aren't stubborn at all- the one year old definitely isn't ready, and the two year old probably isn't either. Relax and go at it slow, stay patient, and don't let it get to you. There aren't any potty training awards for parents anyway, and most kids get it down well by the time they are 4. Some are quick and some are slow, but they all get there. I also don't recomment the candy or toy rewards, as if the rewards stop quite often the potty training ends too.