February 23, 2022

Toilet training boys will take more time and commitment than toilet training girls.  

Suggestions on toilet training boys. 

Don’t give up.

It may take longer than you think, but don’t give up. Transition to cotton underwear after one week of success using the potty. Holidays and outings will throw off your schedule, but don’t return to diapers once you see some progress.

 

Know your options.

We had potty-trained our girls with the mini potty chair–you know the fancy little toilet chair that has a flush handle that sings when you turn it but does nothing to throw the pee or poop away—the chair is considered easier to use than the over-the-toilet-seat we used for the boys, but we knew the chair wouldn’t work for two boys. You still will have to empty and clean up the seats afterward, and that was unnecessary double work. Once children have mastered using the potty chair, they can switch to the regular toilet with an over-the-toilet seat and step stool. 

 

Reward and praise every effort.

Hype every successful toilet pee as if you were going to the bank to cash a check with it. A sticker or star chart may also be used as positive reinforcement for successful attempts. 

 

Accidents will happen.

Prepare for this, especially the major shite accidents: get gloves, get towels ready and close by, get a bucket filled with soap and water on standby 24/7.

Don’t be too hard on your child when accidents occur, but don’t praise accidents either. Show your child that you are upset, and let the child learn the consequence of the accident by making him help with cleaning up the floor with you.  

 

Treat constipation.

Painful constipation may cause your child to hold on to poop, which then causes a vicious cycle of painful constipation and stool holding. Keep stools soft by increasing dietary fiber. Reduce dairy products such as cheese and milk. I’ll dare to say that if he’s more than two years old, your child doesn’t have to drink milk more than once a day, and even then, it should be less than 24 oz. Children can get their calcium and vitamins from many other sources. When it comes to constipation, apple juice is underrated and milk is overrated. (I’ll leave this at that) 

 

Get help from others.

You can’t do it all by yourself. Older siblings can be trained to take their younger siblings too. Get the daycare involved as well. You will be surprised that many daycares have toilet/diaper changing time, and they might offer to use this as potty-training time as well. Encourage imitation by allowing your child to see you and older siblings using the toilet.

 

More Potty-training tips:

 

• Get your child going to the toilet first thing every morning. 
• Boys should learn to pee sitting down first; teach them to stand only when you’re sure they can hold their poop successfully.
• Transition from diaper to training pull-ups before using cotton underwear. 
• Night-time dryness takes longer and should only be attempted only after a child is consistently dry during the day.
• Bedwetting will continue for a while.

Your Baby’s Comfort is Our Mission. 

 

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