How to Potty Train a 2 Year Old Boy?

Updated on April 19, 2018
R.D. asks from Burlington, NC
13 answers

I need to know how to potty train my son. He will be 2 years old in May! Or is it still too early??

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

Featured Answers

D.D.

answers from Boston on

Let him take the lead. Give it a try and if he doesn't sit and use the potty then stop, go back to diapers, and try again in a few months.

My youngest granddaughter is almost 3 and they are on the 3rd round of trying. This time she's doing well and going to the potty without being asked.

The thing to remember is not to be upset or frustrated by accidents. They are to be expected. Too many accidents means he isn't ready yet.

2 moms found this helpful

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

F.B.

answers from New York on

My Chinese neighbor had all three kids potty trained at around 1 years old. Two are special needs. With my own children the older one knew what to do but was inconsistent until he was ready at just shy of three. The younger one now 27 months has yet to actually use the potty, but has a great time of pulling off his clothes sitting on it and pretending it is a ride on toy as he tries to scoot it around the house while making beeping noises.

Check your temperament, that of your kid and go with god. No kid goes to college in diapers.

Best
F. B.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.M.

answers from Boston on

We bought our son his potty when he was 18 months old....his 2nd potty for downstairs about a year later....he showed signs but didn't want to stop whatever he was doing....it wasnt until he was like 3 and a half, or 3 and 3/4 when he finally decided to potty trainand then he got it right away, daytime at least....nighttime took a little longer.....Moral of this story: give it a try...and if it works, great! and if he's not ready try again in a few months. Dont worry, he won't go to kindergarten in pull-ups.
Good luck

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

❤.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

Yes, it seems early. I would wait another year then try it. I did the stay at home for 3 days and don't go anywhere method. It worked in those 3 days. You take them to the bathroom 30 minutes after they drink something and say something like "let's try to go potty". Then you take them to the toilet and say "ok let's try to potty". We didn't go anywhere for those 3 days. I will say this......I did have to run to the bank on the first day so I had him use the potty at home before we left then again at the bank before we got in line. After I transacted my business, we immediately went home. After each time he went pee in the potty, I would give him praise such as "Oh you went potty in the toilet like a big boy. Great job!" That night we made a big fuss & gave him a tiny toy as reinforcement. The 2nd day same exact thing: didn't go anywhere, take the potty several times a day, positive words at the end of the day and a tiny toy. At the end of the 3rd day of not going anywhere, taking to the potty several times that day at home, we again had a little party that was bigger: I blew up balloons, a small treat & a small toy. We told him it was to celebrate going to the potty to pee like a big boy ( and they will) you do not scold, just quietly say "it okay" and change them. When he had an accident We used pull ups during those 3 days in the event of an accident and a diaper for sleeping at night. And that was it. The idea is to stay home, take to the potty often, use encouraging words, don't get mad if they have an accident and celebrate their achievement.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

N.Z.

answers from Los Angeles on

Yes, too early. If you wait until your son is closer to 3 or when he begins to show readiness, the whole process will go A LOT smoother.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.G.

answers from Portland on

If he's showing signs and you're up for the challenge and whoever else cares for him is ready - then go for it. I personally feel all three things have to be in place.

For us, we were closer to age three. Otherwise it would have dragged on for much longer than it did.

In the end, ours was pretty much done within a couple of weeks from start to finish and that included night time too. That was one long weekend, where we had a couple of accidents (no poop - just pee), a couple wet pants came home from the daycare, and we just stayed close to home that week or two. We used pull ups at night but they stayed dry. I just used them for a while because I wasn't up for changing sheets - but we could have used underwear.

During that time, we kept a potty near them at all times - we just had them in underwear (no pants). After the initial accident - where they realized they let go and got wet, they seemed to put two and two together. I just had to stay close to them and make sure to say "Potty!" so they had time to sit on it. But they quickly got hang of it. Number two was easier. More warning.

I didn't do the big reward chart or any of that. We do a few candies and that was just for day one. They didn't even request them by day 2.

I would just get a simple ergonomic potty. We had fancy ones for our first born. By my last, we had this really nice shaped easy peasy potty that had the most simple design and easy to clean. Wish I'd had it for all of them.

Your toddler may seem interested because he'll go sit on the potty. Mine did too. That's a far cry from being able to go pee on it when he needs to go. It really depends how willing you are to spend a lot of time saying "do you want to go pee?" countless times a day. I just wasn't that patient. I am in some regards, but not that way. It made more sense to wait until they had all these signs and I didn't have to wonder if they were ready. When it was obvious and the daycare said "He's ready!" I thought ok! Time to get underwear!

T.D.

answers from New York on

after my son was 2 he went thru a phase where he refused to wear a diaper (or any kind of pants for that matter) so i put a potty in the main room of the house, and when i saw him start to go i quick put him on the potty to finish, he then got the hint and just started using it. i gradually moved the potty into the bathroom and then put the little potty topper on the big potty. he was no trouble to train. all in all i think i worked with him for 2 weeks. (used pullups for any kind of out of the house trip just in case and after that was dry every trip i had him pick out underwear and never looked back!
dd was s different story. she was nearly 3 when she stopped having accidents and was trained fully. i used the same method for her. shes 6 and still occasionally fails to make it in time. but only at home when playing outside.

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

Wait till he's 3 1/2.
At that age - our son potty trained effortlessly - and I let day care take the lead on it.
One day he came home and showed me what he could do!
Then we only had pullups for over night until he woke up dry for 2 weeks in a row.
He was about 7 1/2 when he didn't need pullups over night anymore.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.C.

answers from Anchorage on

Has he shown interest in potty training? If not hold off until he does. 2 is young but not too young IF he has shown interest. My older son was 18 months when he began to show interest so I put him in pull-ups and began to encourage him to use the potty when he thought about it. I waited until he was peeing on the potty most of the time and pooping on the potty all of the time before going to underwear, never putting pressure on him to hurry up or meet any kind of time frame. He wore the pull ups for about 6/7 months. My younger son showed no real interest until he was 3, so we waited until then and did the same thing with the pullups. Both boys where dry consistency once we switched to underwear in about a week.

S.T.

answers from Washington DC on

i read ahead on this one because i remembered having a red flag go up on your last question, and it's pinging me again. glad to see you have lots of advice on how to potty train.

i'm more concerned that your child is almost 2 and you don't seem to have much of a grasp on how to deal with toddlers, what their needs and quirks and challenges are. it's good that you're reaching out for help, but parenting doesn't happen on advice boards alone.

because you're a good mom who IS looking for help and advice, i hope that you will take it further than MP or google, and get some good solid resources. you're entering a challenging stage of parenting, and some good books and parenting classes will go an awfully long way to help you be ready for the moodiness, challenges, fears and frustrations that are awaiting you.

khairete
S.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.G.

answers from Chicago on

All three of my kids were trained before their 2nd bday, including night. When they started waking dry from naps, I would just put them on a potty seat. Eventually they learned how to recognize the need and take themselves. They all did this at different points.

If he knows he has a dirty diaper, wakes dry from naps, and is aware of it all, then just start taking him to the potty when you go and having him sit on the seat. Make it a fun game. I let one of my kids play on my phone when I went potty -they were hesitant to sit down without undies on, but were happy too if they could play on the phone for 5 minutes.

It takes 10-12 hits in the potty for kids to learn how to release and control peeing in the potty. It takes some time, but if you just go about it as if it's nothing special, and just say, pee and poop go in the potty, they quickly learn without a whole lot of effort and frustration on your part. When accidenst happen, you just say, "oops, pee goes in the potty. when you feel pressure here (touch lower abs), say, mommy potty, and we will try."

If you make it a difficult, challenging thing, it is a difficult, challenging thing. If you see it just like you see teaching them to use a spoon, then it can literally be that simple.

Get a few age appropriate books on using a potty seat, and just gently, and slowly, help your child learn how to use a toilet.

D.B.

answers from Boston on

Does he tell you he has to go? Does he express interest in the potty? Does he ask to sit there? If so, get a couple of good books from the children's library (ask the librarian for recommendations). There's a classic called "Everyone Poops." Get a small potty and also a ring that fits on an adult toilet seat. A folding one is great for when you're out and about. Be sure you have the little shield for boys so they don't spray the room when they sit down.

Or is this your desire for a child who has not reached that developmental milestone? Are you tired of diapers? Are you trying to avoid that expense? My child was well past the age of 3. You'll hear people say they trained their kids at 11 months or 18 months, but that's so ridiculously rare, it's not worth focusing on.

Here's what is important to remember: You don't train a child to do anything he's not capable of. Toilet use is not a taught skill. It is a developmental stage, like walking or talking or having teeth come in. If he doesn't "feel" that he has to go (and the bladder-to-brain signal isn't yet working), you will turn this into a battle of wills and an exercise in frustration.

And of course, being dry at night is an entirely different thing and it comes much later on.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

P.K.

answers from New York on

Too early unless he is asking. Doesn’t sound like he is.

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions