Seeking Moms About Potty Training Little Boys

He's not ready. Can't you just let him wear diapers for a while until he's ready? He's a little tiny boy. He only has a couple more years of being little. Let him be little, please.

Is he constipated (or has he been recently?). If it is or was painful for him to go, he could now be afraid of it. Help him get lots of fluids. It may be good to rule out a UTI too. Make sure he's comfortable about the whole thing. Other than that, I agree with everyone else to wait till he's ready.

G.,
My mom pressured me to get my son potty trained for 2 years telling me that I was out of diapers by 10 months and all that. HAHA. Boys are harder to train that girls. My doctor was NOT worried about him not being interested in the potty at all. At our 3 year check up my doctor asked if Kris is interested int he potty yet. I told him a little bit. He told me that's normal. That was just before Christmas. He told me to let it be at his pace. Not to get angry if he wants to hide and poop in a pull up or diaper. Well it was his idea and as of last Saturday he has not been in a pull up. It serious took 4 days and he was completely potty trained. He did it by himself. I work full time and his daycare lady even said he will come to her and let her know. So my advice would be, dont stress it. Let it be his idea. And get some more pull ups. (and by the way, I did attempt to train him earlier and it was nothing but battle after battle, this was much easier)
Good luck,
J.

3 sons and 2 grandsons later : ). They will do it when THEY want to and not a second before! Go back to diapers/pull ups. Plan a really cool field trip, talk about it, show him pictures ,tell him how you will get there, what you might get to eat etc....make him want to go so bad that he can taste it : ) and then let him know that you will be able to go only when he is totally potty trained because it will just be too hard for you to worry about wet or poopy clothes there. Tell him to let you know when he is ready to start practicing for the trip and let it go. Mention the trip again in a few days, put a picture of it up on your fridge and see what happens.....

He will let you know when it is time. Wait a few months, and it will be easy!!

I'm starting to sound like a broken record.... Walk away from the potty. Just walk away.

Fussing, cajoling, punishing (shudder!!), pressuring, forcing will all backfire on you. He's only 2 for goodness sake. Give him room!

Its takes months for our bodies to learn a new activity to the point of being proficient. Think of a kid learning how to ride a bike: they learn how to pedal on a trike, they learn how to balance when they learn to walk. They take a few spins on a bike with mom holding on, or with training wheels, they figure it out and practice. Then and only then do the learn how to "ride a bike overnight". One day it just clicks and they get it. Potty training is the same way.

You would never, ever push a child to ride a bike without training wheels because you want them to be comfortable and competent enough not to hurt themselves. Potty training is no different. You can't control his bowels. Just give him the room to learn at his own pace. GL!

He may not be ready for potty training. Give him time, let him do it as it is comfortable for him. Putting him on the potty while he is fighting you is not going to do anyone any good. Research shows that it is not unusual for boys to not be ready to even start potty training until they are 3. Obviously, lots of kids potty train before that, but don't force it because of an "idea" that he should be potty training or for convenience.

A suggestion that did work for us, was getting the royal potty and putting it in the living room. That way, the potty was in the line of sight for both of my kids. They didn't feel like they had to stop doing what they were doing to go potty, AND it was fun, child-sized and made music, so it felt like they were playing when they used it. Once they went on it all of the time, I moved it into the bathroom, and then onto the toilet. In no time, both of my kids were potty trained with this method.

Good luck.

I have 3 1/2 year old twins and I thought for sure I would have them potty trained early like I had done with their older brother. I tried in June 2 months before their 3 b-day---NOT HAPPENING!!! I was so frustrated and they were even more frustrated--crying etc.. it was terrible. I decided to wait. For their 3rd b-day they were given underpants from their aunt. After the party one of the boys said---I want to wear my underpants---he pretty much trained himself with going pee--poop on the other hand was a little bit scary for him for some reason---he would hold it and just be so afraid to go. One day I knew he had to go but was just scared and then a thought popped into my head---I had these glycerine suppositories, I told him to bend over and I stuck one up his bum---within seconds he says "I have to go" Once he could really feel the sensation he GOT IT!!! after that it was no problem at all---BUT HE HAD TO BE READY--his brother on the other hand---I would ask him when are you going to be a big boy and use the toilet--he's response----mom, I just love my diaper---in December I tried again--and he was ready---it took him 4 months to be ready---but it is TOTALLY worth the wait. When they are ready it will JUST HAPPEN!!!! and everyone has their own timeline!! :0 Good Luck!!!

The big problem here, is you are "asking" him to go on the potty. When training it isn't a choice. You pick him up and simply say "I need you to try and go potty, if you do great, if not that is fine too". Not being mean but don't give him a choice. If you ask twenty kids "do you have to go to the bathroom" while playing 90% of them are going to say "NO!". If you tell them it is time to try then that is different.

He is still young. A lot of boys have little interest and it takes time and patience. But giving him a choice to get up and go or keep playing what do you think he is going to choose? Once I left my son alone about it, I put him on the potty every hour to hour and a half when we were at home and just didn't make a big deal out of it, it got easier. Then he saw a Transformer he really wanted. I simply said it was a big boy toy and he had to earn it. With stickers. Boom, it was done. 100% during the day and three weeks later at night. He was 38 months when he was done, but when it was done it was completely done. So it was more then worth the wait.

Put up a chart, show him "for every time you at least try you get a sticker, when you actually go, you get two and if you get 20 stickers you get to have a fun big boy surprise"..that way you are giving him some decision in the process but making it fun instead of a chore. Sometimes when we ask kids and then end up being tough on them it is mixed up for them. Taking the choice out of at least trying helps or not asking them helps.

You can request he does it, not ask but tell him it is time. Get a timer and that will let him know when it is time to try. Be very fun, upbeat about trying. If he fights you then all you can do is say "well no stickers today then", when you are ready to be a big boy you let me know. That is all you can do.
One day out of the blue when it isn't a big deal the power struggle will cease and he will go.
It is either a right of passage becoming a big boy or it needs to be left alone. You cannot force him. Him holding his poop can cause serious medical issues, so please take the stress out of it and let him be until he is ready.

G.,
Sounds like something has scared him from using the potty correctly. You need to turn it into a game. Try using cheerios ( I always bought a box of the cheap version) Tell him to try and hit the cheerios to sink them, then say good job everytime he hits one. I always put about 6 cheerios in the potty chair with just enough water so they would float. Then moved him to the big potty. I'm not sure that will work for poopin, but it really works great just for the peeing. But you can try it for the other too.
Good Luck
E.