Attention Mothers of Boys!!!

[SylviaL]

My DS was pretty much trained during the day by the time we went to WDW at age 3 1/2. But, I didn't want to deal with public restrooms (yuck!) and possible accidents so I kept him in pull-ups. He didn't mind and he kept them dry. As soon as we got home, he wore underwear and has had very few accidents.

We started having him sit on the potty before his bath at around age 2 1/2. He always pooped after lunch so I just stuck him on the potty then and he mastered that right away. We save all those toy catalogs (he loves the Disney catalog) for him to look at while he sits. Sometimes, he just wants to sit on the potty so he can look at them (what is it with boys and reading in the bathroom?). We did not pressure him and I think that made it much less stressful for all of us.

Good luck!

 

[newtowdw1]

I am the mom of 4 boys. I made the mistake of waiting to train my first because I had sooooo many people tell me it was too early--don't start until he is at least 3. Boys are just ready later. PHOOY!!!!!

My pedi. finally told me, rarely do boys show the signs typical of readiness. And some aren't ready, but most are. He also said 25 years ago almost all children were trained by 18-24 months. Kids haven't changed. Diapers have. The diapers these days are just too good. He told me to put him in cotton training pants or let him run around naked from the waist down when we were at home, outside so messes wouldn't be a problem/as much as a hassle.

That advice was invaulable. Within 2 days, we were done with poopy diapers (he just needed to be showed how) and within 3 weeks he was trained. I did not push. I didn't really trust the dr., thinking he was old-school, but I wanted to give it a try because he was an excellent Dr. I was simply trying it to say I did when he asked next, but he was right.

It was right advice (I started at 18 months each) for the rest of my boys too. One took way longer, the other two didn't. Each kid is different. Will it work for you? Maybe yes, maybe no. But my mantra to life is "It might not help, but it can't hurt". So, I say try it now. If it's not working, set it aside and try again in a month or two. You can even get the feel wet pull ups now.

ITA!!! DS was trained at about 18 ms. No accidents. We found that naked didn't work as well as briefs, simply because he could pee away from himself when he was naked. Put him in big boy underpants and put him in charge. Let HIM pick the unders. Let HIM pick the potty.

We did not try to teach him to stand up until he was 4. Instead we set him on the toilet backward at home, and frontward away.

Oh, yeah. Teach him to hold it down. Messy, messy, messy


And make sure everyone involved is totally invested. If DH thinks a Disney vacation will be easier with DS in diapers, don't try now. However, that means DH changes DS the majority of the time. Just think, one potty stop and you're done for awhile!!

And in the car, bring his potty chair and grocery bags. Let him pee/poop there. We're the crazies stopped on the edge of the road. If you wondered what we were doing, now you know!

 

[TNKBELL]

I have 3 boys and I say " WAIT"!! We went to Disney 3 years ago, My DS was just over 3 and I had tried when he was 2 1/2 but he wasn't ready yet, so I waited until after our trip.( a month after) He caught on in just a few days, he was about 3 1/2 at the time. I really deliberated about training him before we went, but I fiqured we would all be less stressed if we delayed the training. It was a great trip with no potty worries! : Have a great trip!!

 

[Minerva]

I never "trained" either of mine, I let them lead the way and tell me when they were ready. My son did it 3 months before he turned 3 which was a godsend since I was pregnant and got 6 months of no diapers and my daughter was ready when she was about 3 1/2.

 

[KimWDW]

My son will be 3 in May and we're going to WDW in October. Two weeks ago, he wanted to start using the potty so we did and he was potty trained in a day. He had several days of no accidents during the day (in pullups at night). I thought, wow, this is great! He's going to be a pro by the time we get to WDW in October! Spoke too soon. After a few days of dryness, he started peeing all over the house and pooping in his underwear. He refuses to go on the potty except maybe a couple times a day. I can't force him, so I don't know what to do. It's like it was a novelty to him and he just decided he didn't want to do it anymore.

So, in light of my current experience, I wouldn't start training until you come back if I were you.

 

[Sheaboys]

Our first 2 ds's were 33 months when trained. It took 3 days for the first and 1 week for the second. I think waiting until they are ready is the fastest and best approach. But each child and parent is different. I have a friend who potty trained her daughter at the age of 2, but she would poop in the pool, in the yard, naked constantly wherever whenever, She is trained during the day, but at night still in diaper. The boys were fully trained even at night after 1 month of pull ups. Good luck

 

[kdtwiss]

honestly I don't thik we TRAIN them at all. I would like to think so.... but I thinkn when they are ready they do it. Themselves. I think we can make them more aware of when they are going to the bathroom by having them wear undies - or going naked, but if they are not ready - you are wasting your time. I have 4, none of them were remotely like each other. My first son who is autistic was 3.5, my second ds was 20 months, my third (a girl who supposedly train faster...) was almost 3.5, my last ds just started- yay at 2.5. I thibk when you push them is when you have accidents. When you let them lead the way - accidents are few and far between and usually when mom forgets to have little ones pee before going somewhere. None of my children has had a nightime accident once they were done with diapers. I didn't do it - they did.

Don't stress out. Even if your ds is fully potty trained before WDW, you will most likely feel it necessary to have him wear pull ups just in case. When you get to ds you will be afraid to have him not wear pull ups, lest he have an accident in the parks, and in the pool you will have him wear a swimmie diaper, so just let what happens happen. If he is ready he will let you know. If it is before the trip - I have seen little potties for the road - sounds pretty yucky, but hey whatever you have to do!
Good luck - don't stress! Have fun!

 

[LauraAnn630]

My DS 2 1/2 just isnt ready! Boys are so much harder to train!!!

Im waiting till I get back home. We still ask him if he has to go on the potty. Sometimes he does sometimes he WONT!

 

[Deesknee]

I have 14 yo triplets. 2 DS 1 DD. DD awoke at the age of 2yr 2mnth dry. I sat her on the potty she went. That was that. Has had 1 accident (including nights!) 1 DS started showing interest at 18mnths, was finally trained at 3yrs 7mnths. Very few accidents. DS #2 showed no interest.....ever. With a little coaxing was trained at 3 yrs 5mnths (yes before the one who was oh SO interested), has many many accidents, more than I chose to admit!
Good luck

 

[impsmom]

My DS will be 3 in July. The past couple weeks he's showed a lot of interest in the potty. He's doing very well at it. I must say he's more into it than my DDs were. DD#1 wasn't trained until 3 yr 8 mo after about a year (yes, a year) of training. She just didn't want to and then one day it just clicked. DD#2 trained at 3 yr 2 mo. on her own. I figured maybe I had tried to force the issue with my oldest so just let her go her own pace. DH would love to see DS trained by our trip in June but I'm not worrying about it. I'm just letting him lead the way.

 

[newtowdw1]

My son will be 3 in May and we're going to WDW in October. Two weeks ago, he wanted to start using the potty so we did and he was potty trained in a day. He had several days of no accidents during the day (in pullups at night). I thought, wow, this is great! He's going to be a pro by the time we get to WDW in October! Spoke too soon. After a few days of dryness, he started peeing all over the house and pooping in his underwear. He refuses to go on the potty except maybe a couple times a day. I can't force him, so I don't know what to do. It's like it was a novelty to him and he just decided he didn't want to do it anymore.

So, in light of my current experience, I wouldn't start training until you come back if I were you.

IMO this is a control issue. My DD did this. It was right before Halloween and she had a fuzzy bunny costume she just LOVED!! I told her that the bunny did NOT want to be yucky, so if she didn't stop peeing/pooping in her pants, she could not be the bunny for Halloween. Never another problem! The key was, we knew she could do it. She'd been okay for a week. We really are not cruel!

 

[Becky2005]

I vote for the wait! Both my boys have been difficult to train! I'm still having issues with my 4 year old (won't use the big toilet) but he has motor skill issues so who knows if that was part of it.

However, the other part is the 4 year old is a camel!!! He would be in pull-ups, wake up dry and NOT have to go potty in the morning! He has gone to bed at 8 PM, stayed dry all night and NOT have to go potty until around 11 AM. How in the world he does that I have NO IDEA! It's not like he's not allowed to drink anything, he drinks water all the time - it's one of his favorite drinks. That factor alone made it much more difficult to train him (but fewer accidents too! LOL!).

I'm hoping boy #3 is easier! DD was easy but I cheated, she was in daycare and had the peer pressure.

 

[Lookn4Mickey]

My ds is almost 2 1/2, we stopped diapers last week. He has a big sister and he has been using the potty for a long time, I was just scared to take away the safety net.
He has had a few accidents, but not many. He loves "big boy unies".

 

[alicenwonder99]

My ds was 2 1/2 when we were going to DL, so I decided to wait until we got back from vacation to start potty-training him. A few days after we got home, he woke up one morning and told me he had to use the potty. I wasn't prepared to start potty training him yet! I had no potty chair, no underwear for him. I put him on the toilet, and that was it. He was potty trained...both day and night. Everyone tells me I had it easy because boys are hard to potty train.

Mary

 

[ArRzrbk]

My DS showed interest early, but we were too busy with his new baby brother to really do our part. So, he lost interest and started again when he was just about 2 1/2. He is about to turn 3 and is now fully potty trained - give or take an accident or two when sleeping at night.

I say go for it, if he's ready and showing interest. Even if he has a setback due to the trip, no worries. Setbacks are normal. Some hints and tips, not that you need them...

1.) Switch to "big boy" underwear. That can be quite an incentive to stay dry. Say, "Spiderman (or whatever character underwear you let him pick out) doesn't want to get any pee pee or poo poo on him."

2.) Use "big boy" pull-ups at night or whenever you know you would have trouble finding a potty and/or for sleeping. Be sure and let your DS know they are "big boy" pull-ups. NOT the same as diapers!

3.) Think about offering incentives/rewards. We started with an M&M for pee pee, and bigger prizes for poo poo (trip to the stables in our area to see the horses). I even printed up a certificate with a picture of a horse on it, so he's understand the reward. FYI...I did eventually cut out the M&Ms and switched to star stickers on a special chart we made together. He seemed to like that just as good. And for poo poo, he used a special "passport" that came in the mail from Pampers - they were promoting the "Kandoo" soap and wipes for kids.

4.) Don't make a big deal of the setbacks, especially if you think the trip may not necessarily work well with the potty training - though I think it might. Maybe even say, "Mickey Mouse will be so proud to hear you pee pee'd (poo poo'd) in the potty." You could even tell the characters when you see them in the parks, or pretend to call them in front of your son.

I hope some of this advice is helpful and that you will give it a go, even with the upcoming trip, if your DS is ready. And you can tell him all the folks on the DIS board are soooo proud of him

 

[larklynn]

Do it when you think he is ready. If you think start before your ready you'll both be frustrated.

 

[rt2dz]

This is kind of in the minority, but...

If you THINK he might be ready, and YOU'RE ready, try it. If it isn't working, stop and wait. Never, ever, ever push the issue. But introducing a concept and trying to teach/explain/show something new isn't pushing. Heck, when would we ever learn to read if that was the way it worked???

Like someone else, *I* subcumbed to peer pressure and waited. "My son was almost four", "Boys train so much later", "Don't even bother to try until they are close to three", were some of the comments from friends and neighbors. And for some kids that is right, but not all. My son wore diapers for so long, when he knew what he was doing (before, during, and after), he just could have cared less. It didn't bother him to go in diapers or be wet. Had I tried a few months earlier, I think he would have trained faster.

If all you do is switch to the feel wet pull ups, at least you're doing something progressive. My second son, at the first single sign of readiness I started and finished (completely--day and night, pee and poop) within four months. Beat that year with my first because I kept being told to wait.

Had I tried and failed, that would have been better, because then I would have known HE wasn't ready and I wouldn't have had the problems of his lack of care from it from waiting too long. It ended up taking a year. And not because he didn't know how, or when, but because it became easier for him.

 

[TinkerbellMama]

You are going to think this is a REALLY strange answer...

We do something called EC with our ds, almost 5 months, and he uses the potty 95% of the time. Therefore, we do need quick access to bathrooms wherever we go. We took him to DD at age 3 months (but not the parks) and we did just fine finding bathrooms in a hurry. He came home in the same diaper he left home in 8 hrs. earlier...I think there were 4 or 5 "pit stops". That said, if your ds is showing NO signs of being ready to potty learn, I would not push the issue. The "finding a bathroom quickly" plan only works when the child can accurately signal you that he needs to go. IF you feel he might be ready, you can try it before you go and see what happens, but if you aren't certain he is ready to potty learn, it will probably be much easier to wait 'til you get home. We would not have been successful if ds had not been great at signaling at that point.

 

[TinkerbellMama]

Like someone else, *I* subcumbed to peer pressure and waited. "My son was almost four", "Boys train so much later", "Don't even bother to try until they are close to three", were some of the comments from friends and neighbors.

I get this too, especially from people who INSIST that babies...especially boys...simply cannot "potty learn" any earlier than 18 mos.-3 yrs. But it's simply NOT NOT NOT true. My ds does not poop in diapers EVER and hasn't since he was around 2 months old. He pees in them maybe once or twice per day but we catch everything else. Clearly it is TOTALLY POSSIBLE for children to be aware of their bodily functions and control them at an earlier age. I think there is a window of opportunity and if you wait longer than that you will have a heck of a time. JMO and I know I'm the oddball on this, for sure! But I agree that if he's ready, waiting serves no purpose and might make things worse on you.

 

[DebIreland]

We do something called EC with our ds, almost 5 months, and he uses the potty 95% of the time. Therefore, we do need quick access to bathrooms wherever we go. We took him to DD at age 3 months (but not the parks) and we did just fine finding bathrooms in a hurry. He came home in the same diaper he left home in 8 hrs. earlier...I think there were 4 or 5 "pit stops".

My head is spinning! Did I read the age of your son wrong? You took him to the bathroom when he was 3 months old? How on earth does that work?? Not being judgemental. Truly 100% flabbergasted here. I have never heard of a 3 month old peeing in a toilet/potty. My main question is a big huge WHY?. Is it to save diapers due to environmental issues, money issues? But if that's it, surely you would be using re-usables so I'm guessing that's not it. I'm sorry. It's rare that I jump in to even comment on another person's parenting technique but this post just has me baffled. So you hold him on the potty until he goes? I don't understand the reasoning at all. That's not potty training. That's just removal of diaper until child eventually pees or poops, which is bound to happen!

That said, if your ds is showing NO signs of being ready to potty learn, I would not push the issue. The "finding a bathroom quickly" plan only works when the child can accurately signal you that he needs to go. IF you feel he might be ready, you can try it before you go and see what happens, but if you aren't certain he is ready to potty learn, it will probably be much easier to wait 'til you get home. We would not have been successful if ds had not been great at signaling at that point.

So your DS at 3 months was signalling that he needed to urinate and have bowel movements???????? Please!!!! Explain!

My ds does not poop in diapers EVER and hasn't since he was around 2 months old. He pees in them maybe once or twice per day but we catch everything else.

Ok, now you're kidding right? What happens when he has a bowel movement? Are you saying he waits until you remove the diaper before he lets go? He doesn't poop in diapers because you don't put them on him or he doesn't poop in diapers because he has gained control of his bowel? No way!!!!

I'm thinking I either read the ages wrong or you made some typos.