Tips and Strategies for Potty Training Boys

Potty training any child is a complex endeavor that will require patience, love, and guidance. It is a lesson that is necessary, but it is not for the faint of heart. Look at your little man, he is no longer a baby in need of coddling; isn’t he worth the hard work? There are many benefits to potty training your boy.

If your little boy isn’t potty trained, then you are going through an average of ten diapers per day. With an average cost of $10 per 40 diapers, you are spending nearly $80 dollars per month on diapers. That is a lot of money that is going straight into the trash can.

Potty training boys will be a bit more challenging than potty training a girl. Not only do they have the same basic skills to learn, but boys have to figure out out to stand and aim. With patience and persistence, your little boy will be taking care of business in the toilet in not in disposable dollar bills diapers.

General Tips for Potty Training Boys:

Teaching requires communication skills. Your child will not be ready to potty train until he has sufficient communication skills to follow simple directions and to understand the basic vocabulary associated with the bathroom.

Potty training will require consistency. If your child goes to daycare or to another household during the week, make sure that all care providers are on the same page regarding potty training.

Being patient will pay off with big dividends. All physical bathroom activities can be affected by stress. If you child senses that you are upset or impatient, they will not be able to use the restroom at all.

Consistency in your child’s diet will help you plan. Planning potty training will be easier if he is eating and drinking according to a schedule, and he is eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and liquids.

Most household toilets are huge compared to a little boy. It is understandable if your child is afraid of a giant, cold, and hollow seat that is filled with water and has a huge, bottomless pit that empties into the earth with a loud roar. If your little man is afraid of the toilet, make sure he has a child training potty. Even if he doesn’t have a training toilet, he will need a training seat and stool.

Strategies for Potty Training Boys:

Most boys learn best by watching. It is important to have a male demonstrate using the restroom. Dads cannot be ashamed or embarrassed in this area. Explicitly modeling how to use the bathroom will help the child view the act as normal and teach him the necessary skills.

Get him out of diapers and into big-boy underwear as soon as possible. It is better to put him in underwear with training pants over them then to keep him in diapers. Make sure the underwear have a pattern or character that the child loves, and express how proud you are of his new clothes. The boy will not want to soil his favorite character.

With most boys, it is best to have them standing when they urinate as soon as possible. Gravity and the natural design of the “plumbing” will help avoid any misfires or messes.

Make sure to positively reinforce the lack of accidents and success. Do not punish mistakes. Two or three times per hour, when your son has remained dry, praise him for being successful. Boys are proud creatures – a simple “I am so proud that you are still dry,” will go a long way.

Activities for Potty Training Boys.

Games and physical activities will do wonders when teaching and training little boys. Boys are instinctively competitive, love cause and effect relationships, and respond to praise. The following activities can turn potty training into a game and give you lots of excuses to praise your little man.

Little Sinkers – Purchase some corn starch packing peanuts; they are biodegradable and water soluble. Put one or two in your toilet or his training potty. They make great targets for aiming practice.

Color Changing – A few drops of food coloring, or a colored toilet bowl cleaning insert can color the water in your bowl. A little boy will love to experiment with color combining – yellow and blue make green, red and yellow make orange, etc. This activity will get his imagination running wild.

Success charts – create a daily calendar that you can track successes on a hourly basis. If your son has a goal, and can physically chart progress toward that goal, he will want to succeed. This strategy works best if there is a prize or payoff when the chart is full.

Final Tip for Potty Training Boys.

The last recommendation for potty training boys is to train him to clean up after himself. He should make sure to put the seat up or down when he is finished (whatever the house rule is), wash his hands, clean up any messes, and properly adjust his clothing before he leaves the bathroom. These skills are often overlooked and performed with co