best way to potty train a 26 mth old boy?

Question

we have bought him a potty, and he will sit on it, but he doesnt pee in it. He tells me "farted" or "stinky" when he has soiled his diaper, he so far doesnt tell me when he has peed. Should I wait until he tells me he has peed, or are there other techniques to try? I have never done this before so I dont know what I am doing. Thanks.

***Serious replies only!!***

Answer 1

Pick a day when you can devote all your attention to your son. You'll need to spend all day at home, with no company over and nothing important that needs to be done. Let him go without pants for the day and keep the potty handy! Follow him everywhere with rags and a spray bottle for cleaning up any missed messes, but don't be too surprised if there are none. Trust me, this worked for my son. I never thought I'd get him out of diapers, but it worked in just one day!

Not just without pants, by the way, but no diaper or pullups either. Totally bare-bottomed!

Answer 2

Is he showing the signs that he's ready? Boys typically potty-train later than girls, and many are not fully potty-trained until 4 years of age or even after! It may be too soon. Does he seem at all uncomfortable when his diaper is soiled or wet? Is he able to pull his pants up and down by himself? Does he have a word for potty/peepee? Has he shown any interest in what you or others are up to when they are on the pot doing their business? Does he ever stop what he's doing and just stand there a minute like maybe he's pottying right then? (That shows he knows when he's doing it) Stand him up in the tub at bathtime, most boys will 'spray' then. If he pees, ask him if he can make it stop and then start again, that shows he's starting to control it. If he doesn't do any of these things, he's likely not ready, and pushing the issue now will only frustrate you both. You can't make him go until he's ready. Leave the potty out where he can see it every day and wait till he shows signs of readiness.

If he's showing some signs, here's a good way to get him started: remember that in the beginning, he won't tell you he needs to potty, nor will he tell you when he already has. It will be completely up to you to ask him if he needs to go, and one of those times it'll happen when he's sitting there. My best trick is always having my son sit on the potty before his bath, while I'm running his bathwater. Inevitably, both the cold sensation of losing the diaper AND hearing the running water make him have to go. When he does go, make a HUGE deal out of it. I'll even admit to handing out candy when my son does it, or stickers, or something special, plus lots of praise. Pick a potty video/DVD out for him to see, or a book. Let him pick out his own training pants, using the thick cotton ones at home when possible, b/c pull-ups don't let them feel the discomfort of being wet.

All in all, give it time! Don't cave to pressure to train him aSAP. When some mom/grandmom touts how her kid was traned by 2 years old, what she's really saying is she followed him/her around all day sitting them on the potty and 'catching' it, the mom was trained, not the kid!

Answer 3

First of all, I would buy a toilet ring that he can use to sit on the adult toilet. As someone else already mentioned, you'll have to retrain him to use the adult toilet eventually and who wants more grief.
My oldest son wanted to learn how to potty when he was 2 1/2 yrs on the dot and now my youngest is the same age and has decided, on his own, that he wants to learn. So, maybe you should give your boy a few more months till he's ready.
Pay attention to when he wets and soils his diapers and what parts of the day this happens. You may notice a pattern. If he poops every day around the same time, then be prepared to get him on the toilet beforehand. Then when he has to go, he can do it in the toilet and of course you can clap and make a big deal out of it. Try things like that.
Letting him run about naked is also a good idea along with the other methods I've mentioned.
Good luck Mommy!

Answer 4

Hi,

I think 26 months is too young to begin potty training. Having the potty and having him sit on it is fine, but don't expect much from your son at this point in the way of actually using the potty. Kids will do it when they're ready -- it's not something you can force. Believe me, I've been there! I tried everything -- buying my son a special toy he could only play with after he went pee in the potty, etc. -- and nothing worked until HE made up his mind to be potty trained. Once he did it (age 3 and 3 months), he was 100% accident-free, including overnight! Don't rush things. He'll be fine. It's not like he's going to go to college in a Pull Up!

:)

Answer 5

Boys are always more difficult than girls to potty train. We stay in the country and we found the best way is to let them run around without their nappies on - Just a longer shirt with no pants. They do mess a little bit a time or twice but the minute they have a nappy on again and they want to go, they get irritated with the nappy being in the way and will quickly tell you they want the nappy off.

Answer 6

You can just wait it out. I know for a fact that you honestly can't "Make" him go pee-pee in his potty. When he's interested (hopefully soon for you) try and make it fun. Make a game of it, make a chart..when you draw his bathwater , place him on his potty (seat or chair) and see if he goes.. when he does put a sticker on the chart and at the end of so many- like 10 or so- get him a small treat for going potty. It worked for 2 of my 3 kids. My 3rd one is 30 months and so far not interested, but I'm hoping he'll want to soon. LOL God Bless

Answer 7

Make sure it's fun and you praise every attempt. My first son started off sitting down to pee because it's what he seen me do and felt more comfortable doing it that way. My second son saw my husband as a bigger role model and rather ed to stand up. I don't think there is a right or wrong way to begin. Even if you try and they can't go just say "maybe next time" so it's not a chore to go in there.
Giving them something to target at if they're standing is a great idea as it enhances the fun of it.

Answer 8

Kids don't really understand the word you tell him.
I often show him how it should be done and they will imitate what you do.
Like some one above suggest don;t put on the diaper and constanly ask him if he want to pee.
If he say yes, carry him to the toilet.
Though I still trying to train him not to pee in bed and he is going to 5 this year.

Answer 9

Try to train him on a 'big person's' toilet, I say this because if you train him on a potty once he's got the hang of that,you then have to train him to go on a big toilet that can be hard if he's finally comfortable with what he's doing.
Try putting ping pong balls in the toilet -they wont flush-and getting him to 'shoot' them.
A really good way of training a child to use a toilet is to let them know when YOU are going. or send him in with his dad if he's comfortable to do so, kids learn by example.

Answer 10

Try making it into a game. One thing that works well on young boys is putting cheerio's, or fruit loops in the toilet bowl, and letting them "target shoot" for example.

Also, I don't know if you live in the city, or country, but living in the country like I do, alot of the times, we would let them go outside to pee, for some reason they thought that was cool, and they'd always let us know when they needed to go. And eventually we worked out way to the toilet.