Difficulties in Potty Training Boys
Potty training is a frustrating, but rewarding, phase in the life of a child. Identifying some of the difficulties that boys may have during the potty training process can help prevent a problem before it happens. Knowing when to start toilet training for boys, how to approach the process, setting a routine and when to be concerned can bring successful results.
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Age
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A study of children who started potty training between 22 and 30 months of age showed boys were fully potty trained at about 38 months, according to WebMD. The longer time it takes to potty train boys could cause some parents to be concerned. It's normal that boys tend to stay in diapers longer than girls before they're emotionally and physically ready to tackle potty training. In her book "Toilet Training," Alison Mack says the longer it takes to potty train a boy may be partially due to mothers being the primary potty trainers and the lack of a male role model might take boys longer to learn how to use the bathroom.
Potty Chair
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Many potty chairs come with a removable urine guard, but a guard could actually cause more difficulties for boys during the potty training process. According to the BabyCenter, the urine guards often bump and scrap a boy's penis when he sits down. Because boys have a two-step process to learning to use the potty chair, it may be difficult to teach to use the potty standing up and sitting down. The BabyCenter recommends having him use the potty chair sitting down first before standing up.
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Standing Up
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After a boy has learned how to use the potty chair sitting down, he could be apprehensive and have difficulties learning how to stand up to urinate. The BabyCenter recommends having the boy accompany a male role model, such as a father, older brother or uncle, to the bathroom to see how to use the toilet standing up. Boys can use o-shaped cereal or other flushable items targets in the potty chair to perfect aim. Most boys usually miss and have accidents during this stage.
Accidents
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When a boy has an accident during potty training, it can worry some to parents that he's having difficulty learning the concept. Even though accidents may be embarrassing and difficult to deal with in public, it is a common part of potty training. The Mayo Clinic suggests reminding him to slow down and relax when using the potty. For parents, offer reminders for him to use the potty, stay calm when he has an accident and be prepared with extra clothes.
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