How to Potty Train a Toddler Boy

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, parents should wait until the child is 2 years old before they begin potty training, but this is an individual decision. Boys have the reputation of being a little harder to potty train than girls, but that need not be the case if you follow these tried and true tips derived from the experts.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Potty chair
• Doll that wets
• Big boy underwear
• Lots of fluids for the child to drink

1. Use the doll that wets as a model for your child. Have your baby boy teach the doll how to go potty.

2. Go through the whole 'bathroom process' by pulling down the doll's pants, sitting it on the potty chair and waiting for it to pee in the potty.

3. Throw a party for the doll when it goes potty. Make a big deal about the doll being a big boy because he peed in the potty. Cheer, clap, hug and praise the doll.

4. Tell your child that when he goes potty like a big boy he can have a 'potty party' as well.

5. Put underwear on your baby boy and ask him often if he needs to go to the potty.

6. Give your child lots of liquids in order to make it easier for him to go to the potty.

7. Take him to the bathroom and point out the potty chair and let them know it is right there ready for him to use when he needs it.

8. Give the your baby boy lots of encouragement. If he has an accident, do not get upset; just change his pants and take him to the bathroom 10 times in a row. Go through the process of removing the underwear and sitting on the potty for a minute or two, then repeat.

9. Jump up and down and praise the boy excessively when he goes on the potty. Have a 'potty party' as promised each time he goes successfully.

10. Keep up the routine and the celebration until the boy successfully goes to the potty on his own

11. Teach your boy how to urinate standing up only after he has mastered the potty sitting down

Tips & Warnings

• It is important for boys to potty train sitting down first because when having a bowel movement you tend to urinate as well. It is easier to learn it all at once and then master standing up later.
• Use your child's favorite things as a motivator. For example, if he likes Elmo, then let him watch Elmo or tell Elmo when he successfully uses the potty.
• Get rid of diapers completely. Once a child starts potty training, underwear should be the only thing they wear.
• Never make the potty training process a negative experience; even if the child has accidents just keep praising him when he uses the potty.
• Have your baby boy sit on the potty until he is trained, then working on standing up to urinate
• Contrary to popular belief when shopping for a boy's potty chair you should look for one without a urine guard because it may cause injury to your son or he may bump his
• on it which could turn the 'potty experience' into an unpleasant one.

Resources

• Dr. Phil
• Baby Center