Starting to potty train my 28 month old son and have questions for experienced parents?

Question

My son has no problem going pee pee or poop on the potty if we put him on there, but he does not tell us when he has to go or if he already has gone. I'm starting to 2nd guess myself on the way we started this. He started out on a portable potty chair but then I decided why teach him twice so now the seat is on the toilet. Was that a bad idea? Also, should we be teaching him to stand to go pee pee or are we right with having him sit down to pee until he actually tells us when he has to go.......suggestions?

Thank you all! It helps so much to be reassured!

Answer 1

I've gone through this with both my sons (currently in the process of this with one of them!) - no, first of all, you were right to start right on the toilet - you don't want to have to teach it twice. My thought was always if I have to clean out a portable potty bowl, I might as well be changing a diaper still! I just want to flush and go!! He's young, so right now have him sit down to pee. My older son was 4 before he started standing - if you do it younger, they have to stand on a stool to be able to reach and they have horrid aim (well, I guess they always do but thats another story). For now, keep putting him on the potty at regular intervals as you've been doing. It may take a while, but he will eventually make the connection and start telling you when he has to go. It took my older son about 6 months (he was 2 1/2 when I trained him) to start telling me when he had to go. My second son I'm still training him - I put him on the potty every hour and he will always pee/poop, but he never tells me when he has to go so far. I figure we're makign progress because he's now holdilng his urine until he's on the potty, even though he's not telling me he has to go. I know it'll come in time. Boys take a while to learn all their sensations for having to go. hang in there!!!

Answer 2

Lem him guide you, he will let you know when he's ready. If you push them to much they can actually take five steps backwards. Keep it calm, relaxing and never punish him for accidents, just tell him it's ok and to try again next time and change his clothes and get on with the day. Sometimes it takes children I while to feel comfortable with telling someone they have use the bathroom, he will tell you when he's ready. Having a seat on the toilet is great that way he is used to big potty for out in public potty breaks. I have a daycare and have helped train many boys and girls and found that teaching a boy to sit first is best because most boy can't reach over the toilet seat and using a stepstool isnt always practical. Keep up the good work and remember boys tend to take longer to train. He still has a good year yet to experiment to perfect it. Good luck!!!

Answer 3

We started my son on the potty too and we started him out sitting down first. After he got the hang of that we moved him to standing but it was several months later. I started with him by taking him every 30 minutes to go potty whether he had to or not. After a few days of that I would ask him every 30 minutes and then take him every hour. He's 4 now and BY FAR he was the easiest to train. My 26 month old daughter thinks the potty is play time so we are waiting on her for a little while longer. You are going about it the right way, just start taking him every so often on a schedule and he will get the hang of it.

Answer 4

I am an experienced toddler teacher. At 28 months it is a good time to start potty training. Pretty soon he will learn the feeling when he has to go potty. Teaching him to stand to go potty is easier then sitting him down. Also poopy in the potty always takes longer for any child to learn how to control themselves and do it in the potty. You can also try the cheerios trick in the toilet so he can aim at the cheerios to go pee pee. Don't get frustrated, just be calm and patient. Lots of praise and repitition telling him "You can go pee pee and poopy on the potty cause your a big boy! If you start going pee pee and poopy on the potty you can wear big boy underwear!!"

Answer 5

You are totally doing it right. Having him sit on the potty seat ON the potty is much better than the potty chairs that are on the floor. I completely skipped that step. And yes, he should sit down for now until he's going on his own, it really shouldn't be a problem to switch to standing up later on. Just keep taking him on a regular schedule, and eventually he'll start telling you when he has to go. Good luck, you're going great!

Answer 6

He's still a little young it get the hang of the potty especially being a boy but you are doing the right thing. Don't start the second guess yourself. You did the right thing and you are still doing the right thing. Just keep asking him if he has to go and keep taking him until he tells you that he has to go. You guys are right by having him sit to pee as apposed to standing. Once he starts telling you consistantly that he has to go to the bathroom then you should start teaching him to pee standing up. As long as he is under four years old it's perfectly fine that he sits to pee.

Answer 7

your doing the right thing. my neighbor potty trained her daughter the day she turned two. soon enough he will learn the feeling of when he needs to go. every hour ask him if he has to go potty. Every two hours put them on the potty even if he says he doesn't have to because hes really not sure. soon he will get the hang of it and know the routine.

Email me if you need any thing else!

Answer 8

your doing fine try rewards stickers for when he lets you know, every child is different, the more you relax the more he will, don't worry, may i suggest if you are using pullups or the like to stop, use underwear and have plenty on hand you will have success within a week, a lot of laundry for that first few days but it works