Potty training can be both fun and stressful for parents and toddler alike. Learning to potty can be a daunting task for your little boy--your need to make this task as easy as possible for him. It cannot be forced on him to learn to use the potty; the effort won't succeed until he is good and ready, and the timing is different for each child. The key to success is: never give up, and do your best to keep from becoming frustrated. If he feels that you are frustrated, he’s going to become frustrated.
Sitting or Standing?
Most parents have the problem of deciding which way is best to train their boys to go potty: is it better to teach them to stand or to sit down to pee into the toilet? The answer is simple–it depends on which option your child is more comfortable with. If he watches daddy go potty and wants to pee like daddy, he may be more comfortable standing. If he doesn’t watch daddy and can’t exactly reach the potty, sitting may be better. He will make it obvious which choice is best for him.
Buy a Potty Seat or a Potty Chair
You can use a potty chair or potty seat if your son doesn’t want to use the big potty. Sometimes that big potty just looks a bit intimidating. There are cute designs to choose from with either option--he can even pick it himself. A potty seat will fit on the regular toilet seat if he wants to use the big boy potty but falls in when he tries to sit on it. The potty seat can be taken off and placed back on when needed. A potty chair is a tiny potty made just for little ones that can easily be cleaned and placed wherever he is comfortable.
Cheerios in the Potty
If he decides he wants to stand to pee, he’ll need to be taught to aim. Make it into a game: throw a Cheerio in the toilet water and tell him to try to sink it. This will not only help him aim into the potty, but it will make the experience fun for him. He will want to play the game more and more often.
Let Him Wash His Hands
After he has a successful bowel movement or pees in the potty, have him wash his hands. Kids love to play in the water, and they feel great about being able to do something all by themselves. Plus, you're teaching him good sanitary habits. It works best if you buy some special soap just for him and let him use it each time he uses the potty.
