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Potty training my daughter was a breeze. My son, not so much! Potty training a boy has been a struggle, to say the least. We are getting there… Slowly but surely… And while it may not be the easiest process, we have found a few things that have made it a bit easier.
Tips for Potty Training Boys
There is something special about little boys. My son has quite an outgoing personality. He loves to snuggle and is just the sweetest darling boy. This sweet darling boy turned into quite the stubborn little terror when it came to potty training though. At 3 years old, he was not potty trained and I started to think he would be in pull-ups well into college with the way he was acting.
He would hide under tables, behind curtains, really anywhere he could and poop in his pull-up instead of simply using the potty! I thought I must be doing something wrong! Everyone else’s toddler is taking to potty training SO easy… Yea, I went there, I thought that I was doing something wrong but didn’t know what!
My daughter was so easy to potty train, but this boy just was NOT getting it. After weeks of wanting to pull my hair out, do you know what I learned? My child was FINE. He was still going to potty train,. There was no way he would be in diapers through college, and I am still a good mom.
After what felt like forever, my son finally mastered potty training on his own schedule. He now is fully out of diapers ( except for bedtime) and while it was a struggle at times, it all worked out in the end when I finally decided to just relax and let things happen as they happened.
All Kids Will Potty Train on Their Own Schedule
My biggest piece of advice for anyone in the throes of potty training is to just relax. Take a step back and remember that your kid is smart, but they are also young. They are learning, and all kids learn at their own pace.
Try not to get discouraged or upset. The potty training process can be so stressful, but I promise your kid will eventually master it! Sometimes kids just need a little extra time, and that is perfectly okay!
Tips To Encourage Using the Potty
While kids will learn to use the potty on their own schedule, it doesn’t hurt to gently help them along and offer some positive encouragement. Notice I said positive encouragement. I would never recommend negative reinforcement when it comes to potty training. You should never punish a child for an accident or not understanding. This will do nothing to help and may actually make them less likely to even want to use the potty.
Some people may disagree with me, but I always offered a potty treat when my son would successfully use, or at least try to use, the potty. We would make a big deal out of celebrating his accomplishment and give him a few M&Ms to reward him. This would make him so happy! He would feel accomplished, rewarded, and want to make sure he did the same thing again the next time.
What You Need for Potty Training Boys
Some people will tell you that you need to buy all of the things in order to help you properly potty train a boy. I find this to be incorrect. I did purchase a few things that made potty training easier though, but nothing was too expensive and really, none of them are absolute necessities either. All you truly need to potty train successfully is a bathroom and patience, but there are some things that may make your life a little easier!
Potty Training Watch
I picked my son us a potty watch and it was really wonderful. I set it to go off every hour to help remind him to go use the bathroom. Not only did it help him, but it helped remind me as well. If I got busy working, I would still hear his watch and remember to remind him to use the bathroom.
I picked up a really nice one for rather inexpensive off of Amazon. Nothing super fancy, but it got the job done, was easy to program, and my son loved it.
Get a Potty Seat
There are so many different potty seats out there, but which one is the best? Honestly, it is mainly personal preference. I have heard some people say that when potty training boys you should get a little “at home toddler urinal“, but to me, that is just a little over the top.
I went about potty training my boy by having him sit down instead of standing up. It was just easier, and less messy that way! I tried out a few different potty seats, but my absolute favorite was the one that has a step on it. This makes it SO easy for my son to get onto the potty all by himself.
Honestly, that’s all you really need! I do tend to buy the flushable wet wipes to make my life easier, but I am pretty simple when it comes to potty training.
After a few months, my son has finally caught on and we are officially done “training” except for his bedtime diaper.
So if you are frustrated with potty training, just take a step back and know that your little one will get it eventually. You don’t need a ton of expensive potty training products, and you are a great mother!
Jessi is the creative mind behind The Coffee Mom, a popular blog that combines parenting advice, travel tips, and a love for all things Disney. As a trusted Disney influencer and passionate storyteller, Jessi’s authentic insights and relatable content resonate with readers worldwide.
Will forward this to my brother, I know he’d love these tips. Thanks so much for sharing these with us!
Well I am reading this carefully. A bachelor need to be educated. Thanks
You are right, every child should be let to develop in their own time. They won’t be in diapers in college, of course not, so there is no need to worry, the right time for potty training will come 🙂
I think it is so important to remember that and to just be patient.
My daughter is going to be potty training the baby soon. These are tips that she can use
Oh man, my son was stubborn as heck. He finally got it when he was close to 4, thank goodness.
Mine is 3.5 and Finally just got it! Boys can be pretty stubborn it seems
I potty trained 5 boys–some were easy, some were agonizing. But it is true what they say. By the time they are teenagers, they will long since have been trained and none of it will matter.
That’s what I just kept telling myself lol He won’t do this forever!
God love you. I have no kids and potty training is possibly one of the main reasons!
very fun! although i can’t relate to this, but it’s better to be advance. haha! <3
Potty training was real struggle and a real tough time in my life with my daughter. It’s important to be consistent and not give up.
Oh my goodness, thank God those days are over with for me! But these are great tips! Now I’m trying to house train a puppy! UGHHH!
Candy Rachelle
Keeping Up With Candy
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So thankful am not having to potty train anyone during this stay at home mandate, but I imagine a LOT of time to make it happen!
I think that society has a way of putting pressure on us as mothers when it comes to different stages of a child’s life. Another mother says that was easy and we feel inadequate straight away. We just need to remember that every child is different.
My sister in law needs it. I am forwarding it to her.
I have had all girls. But, I understand what you are saying. Once you stop stressing over it, they will potty train. My one daughter was like that too. 🚢👓🍕
These tips will definitely come in handy, I have a 1-yr old Grandson.
These are some handy tips coming from your first hand experience and i have already passed that stage but wonderful tips.
Potty training is no joke! Both of my boys did fairly well with it, but they didn’t potty train until they were ready. I really think that is the biggest secret to success.
I’ve potty trained 2 boys. I’m glad that my next one is a girl.
I have raised and help raise many boys I think myself they are a bit harder than girls. I however did have one child that primarily simply decided he was done and wanted to go to the bathroom and potty trained himself
Thanks for this. I was wondering what it was like to potty train a boy.
Hello JESSI ,
It’s awesome article for kids. Thanks for your good job.