If your little boy has begun to express an interest in using a potty, if he remains dry for up to three or four hours at a time and if he is able to follow simple commands, he may be ready to begin potty training. Since no individual potty training style is the only effective method for all children, try out a few methods until you find the one that best suits your toddler.
Slow and Steady
Begin by buying a few child-sized potty chairs and placing them in major areas and bathrooms in your house. Allow him to personalize his potties by decorating them and encourage him to sit on them while clothed. Discuss what potties are used for, and allow your child to observe family members of both genders using the toilet. Once your toddler seems comfortable enough sitting on potties with clothes on, the Mayo Clinic recommends that you schedule breaks in the day for him to sit, bare-bottomed, on the potty. Make this time more fun by allowing him to read special potty-time books or play with potty-time-only toys. Also watch him on a regular basis to pick up on signals that he needs to use the potty (e.g. grunting or temporarily pausing as he plays) and take him to the nearest potty any time you notice these signals. Eventually, your child will connect the sensations in his body with needing to go to a potty.
Running Naked
Proponents of quick potty training methods recommend allowing your toddler to remain bottomless at home during training. When you use this method, accidents on the floor or ground are almost inevitable, but a naked child will quickly learn that the feelings in his body eventually lead to what he sees in front of him. Take him to sit on the potty every two hours to encourage potty use. Also, place a potty wherever your toddler is playing and take him to the potty when you see him start to go. Use accidents as an opportunity to say, "this (pee-pee or poo-poo) goes in this potty." Praise him when he gets some in the potty, even if more of his urine has landed on the ground.
Games
It's a good idea to initially teach a boy to use a potty sitting down because stool and urine often come out at the same time, according to BabyCenter online. After your toddler has grown accustomed to going while sitting down, make a fun game out of teaching him the extra step of standing as he goes. Encourage a male relative to join him in playing "aim" games such as urinating onto "O" shaped cereal in the toilet and watching blue food coloring turn green as they urinate into the toilet bowl.
Incentive System
Some children need a little extra boost of encouragement as they learn to use the potty on a regular basis. To pique your little boy's interest in potty training, offer him prizes for successes. A prize may be a small piece of candy, the privilege of watching a favorite movie or a star sticker to go on a reward chart.
