So, I bought a potty - Now What??

[Amethyst Rose]

My son is almost 21 months... I don't think he's ready to potty train yet.... while he knows that he poops (and will tell me when he does), he doesn't care about being wet, or being poopy, really....

But I do think that the little bit of communication he does have is a good start. So I bought a potty chair. The thing is, now I don't really know what to do. I got him to sit on it....but then what? How do I make him realize what it's for? He just thinks its a toy and wants to pick it up and play with it.

Any other tips for potty training a boy that you have to share?

[Valkie]

Let him play with it. If you allow him into the bathroom with you when you have to go, he'll understand what it is really suppose to be for. Right now it's better for him to just explore it.

When he does get to the point of wanting to use it: I've always take the pee guard off. It's intimidating and all of my boys were scared of getting... ummm... stuck on it when they tried to sit down.

Another trick that worked for me, if he loves games. Put a 'target' at the bottom of the pot and reward him with something special if the hits it.

[farm girl]

Boys usually take longer than girls, so don't get discouraged! We started potty training my son about a month before he turned 3 and we weren't 100% successful until a few months before he turned 4.

One thing my son liked was... I made a chart out of poster paper. When my son used the potty, he was allowed to stick a smiley face sticker on the chart. I hung the chart right about the potty in the bathroom. He LOVED it.

I also sat him down on the potty when I went into the bathroom and after he ate.

Good luck!!! :hugz:

[Willow Rosette]

I have a girl but what I did was bring it out at movie time and let her sit on it w/o a diaper. It took a few tries but eventually she went and I had a big celebration jumping up and down gave her some m &m's to show her thats what mommy wanted her to do with it. Then I took those small snack bags and put 5 or 6 m &m's in there and told her if she wanted the candy she needed to sit on the potty which she did quickly cause she wanted the candy. Thats how I started but I dont know if it is the same way for boys. If you wanna chat about it feel free to pm me. You are starting early so you have plenty of time. Victoria will be 3 next month and she is finally almost there. Life gave a few set backs with moving and daddy leaving and stuff. But I think take it slow and be consistant and you will be fine. Wish you the best of luck.

[Sun_and_Saturn]

We got a potty for our daughter when she was about 6 m. old. I started when she was 4-5 m.o. putting her over the potty and running water in the sink, making a pssss sound. Then we got her her own potty and she sits on it and goes sometimes. She is 9 months. She is nowhere near being potty trained, but she knows what the potty is for. I'm just not very good at picking up cues when she needs to go!

If I were you, (and I have done this) I would let him play with the potty, and sit on it while fully clothed, so he learns not to be afraid of it. But I have recently moved dd's potty into the bathroom in front of the big potty. I take her in when I have to tinkle. She sits on her potty while I have to go, and sometimes she will go too.

Like someone else said, boys usually take a little longer than girls, so I wouldn't worry. I just wouldn't try to force him before he is ready.

Try looking up elimination communication on the web. mamaroo.com (I think that is the site) has pretty good info.

The other posters had some good suggestions. My uncle gave "pee pee treats" to his son when they were potty training. When his son would go in the potty, he got a piece of candy, or some kind of reward.

[RavensEye]

Well my son took quicker to potty training then either of his sisters, and what I did was at 19 months started taking him to the bathroom and letting him sit on the potty we have for him.. eventually he took off kept sitting on it by himself and now is pretty much going on his own and he is only turning three this Ocotober. One thing to remember is each kids goes about potty training at different rates and times...

[Amethyst Rose]

Well.... I have no problem getting him to sit on it. He knows that he's supposed to sit on it, but he has no idea what I mean when I say "go pee" or "can you pee" etc. I've been having him sit on it when I'm in there, and after I take off his diaper, just so he knows to sit on there with no pants on. But the other night, I sat him down and said "go pee", and he did nothing (which was expected). So I said, okay, lets go get your diaper on, and he stood up and peed on the floor. LOL :)

[DixieWitch]

wish I could help. My daughter will be 3 in September and she's still not potty trained!! We've been putting her on the potty on and off since she was about 18 months old.

[AutumnWitchie]

Best piece of advice I was given........be patient. I had daddy take Dylan with him to the potty alot so he'd get the basic idea. Since my child is obsessed with Star Wars, I used Star Wars movies and action figures as bribes. Yes, I resorted to bribes.

[MorningDove030202]

I knew there was a good excuse for never closing the bathroom door....LOL......

Have your kido sit on it when he gets up, after eating, after naps, and before bed. I had dady demonstrate a few times how to pee sitting down. "Point your penis down" became a very important phrase....LOL..... Eventualy he will go in it, and that when you make it like the most wonderful thing in the world, lots of prases, and "Look your learning to be a big boy!!" and stickers, and what ever else you son likes. Don't make a big deal out of it when he goes in his diaper, ask him if he has to go potty, that's an important phrase, and soon he will realize that having to pee feels a certian way and that he can hold it and run to the potty. I didn't get serious about potty training until 2 1/2.

Dove

[Gareth]

:lol:
I have to laugh I'm sorry.
Both my boys didn't use one.
They played the 'change the color of water' game.
Or played target practice with, get this, Cheerios!

My daughter used one, but she didn't like using a 'little' potty.
She wanted to use the 'big' potty like mommy.
Same thing with my boys.

It's gonna take some time but your son will get the idea.

[Hellenic_Witch]

wish I could help. My daughter will be 3 in September and she's still not potty trained!! We've been putting her on the potty on and off since she was about 18 months old.

Don't worry about it. . . . the week before my daughter turned 3, it's like it just happened over night after trying FOREVER!

My two year old isn't potty trained yet, and we haven't really tried yet.

I have a friend who bought a Bear in the Big Blue House video about using the potty and it helped her son alot.

[farm girl]

My daughter turned 2 in May and we just started introducing her to the potty. My girls usually click with the potty closer to their 3rd birthday. Same as a pp, one day the just wake up and seem really ready.

[Amethyst Rose]

I had daddy take Dylan with him to the potty alot so he'd get the basic idea. .


Well, that will be part of the problem, I expect. My husbnd *hates* if anyone or thing, including the dogs, see him go to the bathroom. Seriously, even if he's alone he closes the door so the dogs won't see him. I'm not sure how he'll get past that complex in order to actually show my son how it's done.

[wolf]

Sit him on it and read Everybody Poops to him.

It may help him get the connection.

[Lunacie]

My three 1/2 year old granddaughter has been watching the Bear in the Big Blue House Potty video for over a year and she still hasn't made the connection. I've been sitting her on the potty - I bought a small seat that fits over the big seat - and take her with me whenever I have to go. I ask her if she can hear when I pee and smell when I poop. http://mysticwicks.com/images/smilies/wink.gif She still hasn't made the connection. Her mommy startled me one night when she was only 2 1/2 by getting out of bed and going to the bathroom all by herself in the middle of the night. Good thing she didn't fall in that very first time, her daddy was very bad about leaving the seat UP. http://mysticwicks.com/images/smilies/bawling.gif