Easy Potty Training Tips For Boys
Does the thought of night time potty training scare you? Why does potty training have to be a stressful milestone? I definitely felt the pressure from outside sources to potty train before the age of 3 but we knew that we didn’t want to stress our child (or ourselves). With moving, constant travel and life events; we decided to wait until a month before Gozie’s 3rd birthday to potty train. I don’t regret potty training “late”. I’m glad we did because he’s been so open and eager to use the potty from day one. We did not need to bribe or reward. Just coach and congratulate. I hope you find support in knowing that you just have to take it one day at a time when you’re ready. Although I am writing easy potty training tips for boys, they can easily apply to a girl.
We set aside a time when my husband was off from work so that we would have all hands on deck for the initial potty reminders. Day 1 of potty training went smoothly for us, we reminded Gozie to go to the potty every 30 minutes and he actually took a poop in the potty at the end of the day. I’ve heard this can be one of the most challenging accomplishments when it comes to potty training so I count that as a point on the late potty training side.
Potty training takes the time it takes. When they say “wait until they’re ready” it can mean after 3 years old or before 2 years old. There is no prize for getting it done early because there will be accidents. In the same breathe, we will attempt too start potty training Kezie at 2 years old but will pull back if he isnt showing signs of potty training readiness.
Signs Of Potty Training Readiness
- Communicating whether they need to go to the potty
- Seeking privacy to do number 2
- Waking up with dry diapers every once in a while
Our Favorite Potty Training Products
Tips For Potty Training Boys
Start by talking about the potty
Grabbing a couple of potty focused books kicked off our potty training adventures. After discussing potty time through stories we took a trip to the store to grab a pair of big boy underwear.
Get your child accustomed to sitting on the potty
While boys will eventually stand up while peeing, when they’re still learning how to use the potty, it is best to have them sit for number one and number two. Joining mom or Dad in the bathroom or videos demonstrating the sounds they should expect when using the bathroom can help them connect them to their body and help them to understand what they’re doing. When children wear a diaper, in most cases they don’t hear any noises that indicate to them that they’ve successfully used the bathroom. Having them observe ahead of time the sounds they should expect can help them to prepare for what their body will eventually do, as well as alert them to the fact that they’ve been successful.
Consistency is key when potty training
It’s important that as a parent we are completely dev t to getting our child potty trained–and that requires patience and consistency. As a busy working mom, this took alot of planning ahead. So, if you’re heading out to visit family for the day, bring the potty along with you. Don’t ,resort to training pants while you’re out. Simply, bring an extra pair of clothing (or more), wipes, and your child’s new best friend, the potty. Making sure the potty is always around is a great way to help your child to establish a routine of using the potty each time.
Set “potty goals” with your child
Reward them when they meet their goals. I use this primarily for night time potty training. I must admit, that was/is the part in potty training so I added additional night time potty training tips below. Show your excitement when they successfully use the potty and let them know how proud you are of them. Your excitement fuels their own and can help make an often challenging experience one that is fun and rewarding for you and your child.
Also, Make sure that the potty is easily accessible for your child and that they know how to get to it. Nothing is more rewarding than to hear your child yellow out, “I’m finished” after they’ve successfully gone to the potty by themselves.
Potty Training Tips From Other Moms
“ began by introducing the concept of using the potty instead of diapers. Goose had just turned two, but some kids are ready way sooner and others much later. I bought her several books about the potty and wearing big girl panties, we watched videos of kids and cartoon characters using the potty, and we talked about the potty constantly. You will say “pee pee”, “poo poo”, and “potty” more times in those few days than you have in your whole life”
“I put my daughters’ feet in warm water while they sat in the potty, they peed right away, and I gave them an M&M. A few times of doing this, i no longer needed the warm water, and they were pretty much potty trained! They just needed to know the sensation of peeing without a diaper, and it was smooth sailing from there. No pull-ups…straight from diapers to underwear in a day!”
“Bring a portable potty with you everywhere.”
Tips For Improving Toddler Swim Lessons
Tips For Bedtime/Nap Time
- Beginning a routine of having your child use the potty BEFORE they go to bed is a great way to reduce accidents overnight. Also, eliminating drinks at least one hour prior to bedtime is another way to ensure that your child won’t go to sleep with a full bladder.
- Once your child is ready for bed, don’t put training pants on them. Let your child sleep with their big kid underwear on so that they can get used to wearing them at all times. This will be beneficial to your child by setting the expectation that they are expected to do number 1 and 2 in the potty and not in their training pants. It will also save you money in the long run because you’ll no longer have to purchase disposable training pants.
- There will be accidents so you’ll get pretty accustomed too washing sheets. We opted to use a waterproof mattress along with a washable pad places between him and the sheets. For the first 2 weeks we carried Gozie to the potty before we went to bed to help him remember to get out of bed to use the potty. If you go this route, make sure to keep it limited because children do most of their growing in their sleep.
- Once your child develops the instinct to use the potty in the middle of the night, installing night lights in the bathroom that your child uses can help them to feel confident about using the potty alone at nighttime.
- Finally, your reaction is everything. While it can be frustrating to have to change wet sheets and clothing when your child awakes, your reaction will ultimately dictate how your child reacts. Reassuring your child that it is okay and accidents happen will help to give them the confidence to continue potty training, and let them know that you support them no matter what.
“When you are ready to train them to go through sleep time without a diaper, you’ll want to have a waterproof mattress cover over your mattress, a fitted sheet, then put down a large square disposable mattress pad (ours is 3 ft by 2 ft) and another clean fitted sheet. The brilliance of this is if your child has an accident in the middle of the night, you can just stripe the wet sheet, toss the disposable mattress pad, and then the bed is ready for them to get right back to sleep. Let’s just say my mind was blown when she shared this with me…and it makes things so much easier!”
The most important lesson of all “Don’t stress about your child being potty trained, it will eventually click.”
What potty training tips would you add to this list?
