Attention Mothers of Boys!!!

[DebIreland]

He would just as well like to go in the tub if he had is preference!

Hey, don't knock it 'til you've tried it

And speaking of 'trying' it I would give the potty training a *gentle* attempt. As many previous posters have said, don't push it, but you know that already anyway! No pressure, no stress, no deadlines. Pick a quiet (relatively!!) few days. Buy a couple of big boy underpants or better still, re-usable cloth training pants (they're GREAT!) and put one on him. This will give you a good gauge of whether he's truly reaching the 'ready' stage or not. I agree 100% with previous posts saying that modern nappies (as we call diapers here) are sooooo comfortable and effective the child really isn't all that aware of urine. In fact, it probably feels quite cozy! lol And pampers pull-ups are just as cozy! Where's the incentive??!!!

When he's wearing the underpants or re-usable training pants if he's upset or uncomfortable, stop and leave it for a good couple of months or until you're/he's ready. If he doesn't give a rat's a*s and just pees and poops all the live long day in the pants, you might as well stop too. lol!!!

Bottom line (pun intended!) don't sweat it. Give it a shot, it'll probably be a fun experience cause you're not stressing and you're not thinking he has to be trained by x date (nightmare scenario). If it doesn't work, you'll have your answer and off you go to WDW, diapers a plenty. Good luck!

Just for the record, my two sons were 3.5 and 2.5 respectively. Two brothers, same parents, same habits and a year between their ages when they were trained. Just goes to show, you can't push it but it won't last forever either - although at times I had mental pictures of my eldest boy going to college in nappies Good luck!!

Oh here's is a link to a pic of a snazzy cloth training pants....
http://www.thebuzzness.co.uk/shop.html Click on 'Bummis Trainers' on the left column.

 

[rt2dz]

I read something on the EC training when I was pregnant with #2, on how it was *THE* way children were trained 100 years ago. And that it is starting to make a comeback. I, obviously, elected not to try it, but I did find it very intriguing. Glad to hear it is working for someone and I wouldn't put the method down, I don't think, from what I read about it, that it is going to do any child any harm. Just different strokes for different folks.

 

[txgirl]

deb-your posts always crack me up! I know that EC method sounds really strange, but i too have heard of it. I found this website that explained it and showed photos of these tiny babydoll potties and these mommas putting their wee little ones on these potties. I laughed until I had to potty myself!!!!

I suppose there are benefits , but I am waaaaaaaay too busy with my older two (but wouldn't they find that a barrel of fun ) to find a decent potty in the middle of a softball game or gymnastics meet. Definitely must be something mom and dad are dedicated to make work.

My little guy is going to wait until summer, when we are home more and not on the run as much but he has progressed to taking secret poops in the pantry or behind the tv (while wearing his diaper), so at least we know "when he goes"

 

[mdmbfly]

Yet another vote for waiting. All of mine were close to 3 yrs old and it was relatively effortless with them. No fights, pleading, etc. With my 2nd one, I bought him a new pack of really cool underpants and would ask him if he wanted to try them out and explained all that went along with wearing them... He would try them on and then change his mind and then one day, poof, he was ready. A few accidents later and POTTY TRAINED.

The main key is don't stress and it'll all work out. Good luck!!

 

[JoyG]

I have twin boys (4 1/2) and a third son who's two now. At 2 1/2 I tried potty training the twins. It didn't work at all. It was an awful mess. Accidents all over the place. One of my boys would take off his underwear and crouch behind a chair to pee on the floor rather than use the potty. Uggh. I said forget it and put them back in diapers. After their 3rd birthday we tried again. It was a whole different story. They did pee on the potty right away. They got the hang of poop on the potty as soon as I started offering skittles as a reward. Almost immediately, one son was dry overnights too, but the other twin is still wet at nights. I think he's going to take some time to grow out of that. He puts his own pull-up on at night and he's responsible for throwing it away in the morning (never poop, always pee). His bladder is just not mature yet.

My youngest just turned 2 and i'm not even going to start trying to train him until he turns 3.

 

[bengalbelle]

I have some potty training questions for all pro's who have trained boys. My girls (now 10 & 8) were a breeze and were in the process of being trained by the time they were the age my ds is now (2yrs4mths). By 2 1/2 my girls were in panties with little to no accidents. I don't plan on trying with my son until beginning of summer which would make him a solid 2 1/2. Is this too early or too late (opinions welcome). We will be making our trip to DW in August by car (12 hours) and I'm not convinced I should try this training business before we go. Will it be more trouble than it's worth trying to find him a potty in a flash or should I just wait until we return in September? That seems SO old to be potty training, but he has no interest right now. He would just as well like to go in the tub if he had is preference!

DS was trained before we went to WDW last year, but wasn't a pro yet. We also had a 12 hour drive.
We considered not putting him in a Pull Up for the drive (didn't want to regress) but were afraid we may not be able to find a bathroom quickly enough. Even if he didn't ask to stop we did at at least every welcome center in each new state and took him in. It was also good for him to get out of the carseat and stretch his legs. We'd let him run around for a few minutes and get back in the car and go. One time in the roughly 24 hours we were in the car (round trip) he did have to go in the Pull Up. We were in the middle of nowhere at night and couldn't find a safe place to pull over. We told him to go in the pull up and that it was ok.

We basically did the same thing while at WDW. We used the pull ups in case we couldn't find a bathroom quickly enough or if there was a long line. I don't think he ever went in the pull up. We tried to be proactive and brought him to the bathroom every 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

I hate to tell anyone what to do, but I don't see any reason you shouldn't go ahead and train him as you've planned. It's not that hard to find a bathroom at WDW and if it's really hot he probably won't need to go that much anyway. We went in April and a cool front came through. It wasn't hot, but we still drank a lot and DS didn't have to go all that often. Like I said we took him to the bathroom whenever one was close by and the pull up was there in case of an accident.
Good luck with the training! I loved the posters comment about painting the walls yellow and investing in Clorox wipes. Sometimes I wonder if we're ever going to master the "aim"!

 

[TinkerbellMama]

Deb, I PM'ed you about the EC stuff. I didn't want to get in trouble for being off-topic or starting a debate!

Since it is a "boys potty training" thread, has anyone else seen the Peter Potty? I think we might get one or something similar for ds...as soon as he can walk!!

http://www.productivity.net/Visionaire/PRPeterPottyConsumer.htm

 

[txgirl]

I LOVE THAT PETER POTTY! I think that is a great idea. Sorry I didn't think of it first.

 

[erinch]

I checked out of this discussion and didn't go back to read it all, but wanted to make sure that anyone with "training' or unsure kids who attempts to use the "potties' at WDW would be well-advised to follow this "best trick":

All the toilets are "autoflush" and often flush even while a child is still sitting on them. This scared my DD to death and caused her to be horribly phobic about going to the bathroom. I read a tip somewhere on the dis to bring small bandaids and put one across the auto-sensor. Remember to take it off again

Nothing worse for a child than the fear of being sucked down.

 

[DebIreland]

I read something on the EC training when I was pregnant with #2, on how it was *THE* way children were trained 100 years ago. And that it is starting to make a comeback. I, obviously, elected not to try it, but I did find it very intriguing. Glad to hear it is working for someone and I wouldn't put the method down, I don't think, from what I read about it, that it is going to do any child any harm. Just different strokes for different folks.

Absolutely! TinkerbellMama kindly told me more about it (in a PM) and it is truly fascinating. I'm no longer in shock and am actually intrigued!!

 

[txgirl]

I checked out of this discussion and didn't go back to read it all, but wanted to make sure that anyone with "training' or unsure kids who attempts to use the "potties' at WDW would be well-advised to follow this "best trick":

All the toilets are "autoflush" and often flush even while a child is still sitting on them. This scared my DD to death and caused her to be horribly phobic about going to the bathroom. I read a tip somewhere on the dis to bring small bandaids and put one across the auto-sensor. Remember to take it off again

Nothing worse for a child than the fear of being sucked down.

What great advice (the bandaids)! My oldest two are still scared of automatic flush toilets and I sometimes put my foot in front of them!

 

[eeyore45]

I know I dont have any new information to post, as my boys are older now - but I am in the wait for ready camp, turns out my first born son is hard of hearing,he had so many issues with trying to communicate, that potty training wasnt a priority!

BUT as I read some of the other posters, I light bulb moment, I REMEMBER taking DS #2 to Sea World of Ohio when he was potty training, towards the end I think... anyways it never failed, we'd take him to the potty, go in find our seats (oh it was just the boys and me!) and sure enough, not even 5 minutes, he'd want to go AGAIN _ and he always had some 'in' him to do it again!! It became a joke, frustration probably, but I chose to LOL and I was grateful for the kindness of strangers that held our seats when I'd run him (and his brother) back to the potties!!

 

[crazymomof4]

I REMEMBER taking DS #2 to Sea World of Ohio when he was potty training, towards the end I think... anyways it never failed, we'd take him to the potty, go in find our seats (oh it was just the boys and me!) and sure enough, not even 5 minutes, he'd want to go AGAIN _ and he always had some 'in' him to do it again!! It became a joke, frustration probably, but I chose to LOL and I was grateful for the kindness of strangers that held our seats when I'd run him (and his brother) back to the potties!!

Maybe it was seeing all that water and hearing the splashing. My kids always get the urge when I begin to run the bath for them or while washing their hands.

 

[Iansmom]

When my DS was 2, we found an excellent day care for him. I could go on and on about this place. But one of the great perks of this daycare was that, in a separate building, they had an indoor pool. When the toddlers were potty trained, they were eligible to take group swimming lessons.

Now, the lessons were to start when my son was about 27-30 months old. He was not yet completely potty trained. We weren't even really trying to train; however, he had been introduced to the potty and knew what he was supposed to do with it. He knew when he had to go, and could go when told, but he was just as happy in his pull-ups and would rather not take the time to go to the potty if he was busy at play.

We were given special attention for swimming lessons since he was somewhat potty trained. It was determined that we would make sure he went potty before the lesson and he was to ask to be removed from the pool if he felt he needed to go during the lesson. DS understood that it was a very bad thing to go in the pool and the lessons went well.

DS turned 3 in September that year. We had planned a trip to Disney in December. Out of convenience, I decided that I was not going to fully train him until January when we returned from Disney. I was a little panicked about having to know the exact location of every potty in DisneyWorld for a spur of the moment, "Mommy, I have to go!"

My plans didn't go as expected. Shortly after swimming lessons were complete, DS was just over 3 years old and decided on his own that he was ready for "Big Boy pants" And that was that. I asked him if he didn't want to wait a couple of months, but he was sure he was ready. And he's been potty trained since that day.

My advice, from my experience: Don't push the issue! Don't stress yourself out over it. When he's ready, he'll be ready! And it will be like an overnight discovery.

Enjoy!

 

[NvrBnToWDW]

Both my sons (ages 9 & 11) were trained around their 3rd birthday. The pediatrician told me that boys don't even develop the muscle to hold it till around age 3. So I didn't worry too much about it until they started telling me that they felt "yucky" and wanted to be changed. I also had gotten a video and book called "Potty Time" that really helped. They would sing the song when they had to go.