I've always been told that potty training boys would be tougher than potty training girls. I've also read developmental research articles that also explain why that is. I can definitely say with my experience with my own kids, they are absolutely right.
With my two girls, I was able to potty train them at under 18 months. Yes, 18 months! I've tried the same techniques with my little boy. He is now two years old and we have just started potty training because he showed interest a lot later than his sisters did.
We just had our fourth child a few weeks ago, so now we've got TWO diaper expenses in our budget! Yep. TWO. We also will have FOUR daycare provider payments for all of our four kids pretty soon as well. You can say that I am motivated to get my two year old potty trained.
As a very motivated mom getting ready to potty train my third child, first boy, I'm sharing with you a few tips and tricks that I've learned along the way and including a few shared ones from fellow parents of boys!
5 Tips for Making Potty Training Fun
Use cereal for target practice. As a mom of two older girls, potty training a boy urinating standing up was a different skill that I had to learn how to teach. Throwing some circular cereal oats for your kid would make going to the bathroom almost like a fun game!
Having a stool where your little boy can stand to aim would also be helpful to make it easier.
Use a sticker to show how much toilet paper to use. Decorate some construction paper with stickers and add praise for going to the potty as well as adding some stickers of their favorite things. This can be used to teach them how much toilet paper is the appropriate amount.
Use a coffee filter to clean up poop from the potty. As kids get older, their poops get grosser. Use a coffee filter to make cleanup a breeze! Obviously, don't flush it - but it does make cleaning the actual potty a lot quicker. Better yet, you could color on the coffee filter before putting it in the potty to make them want to sit on it.
Resort to candy bribery. Leaving a jar of candy provides a visual queue for your little one as the reward they will get if they potty! Obviously, make sure you choose wrapped candy or have it sealed in a proper canister if it will be in the bathroom.
Let them pick their own underwear and training pants. I took my little boy to Sam's Club to let him pick out some Pull-Ups® Learning Designs® and get him excited about how to learn to use the bathroom.
Pull-Ups had his favorite character from one of his favorite movies, so it got him super pumped to use his potty!
Not only that, they are soft, comfortable and slide on and off easily, which is helpful when you are trying to potty train. The designs also fade when they are wet, which promotes learning (and letting me know).
I also love the fact that I can use their SamsClub.com and the pick up service knowing that I have four kids to wrangle in the store.
Not only that, if you are wanting an amazing system to introduce a quick, easy and fun way to potty train, check out the Potty Training Program.
With potty training, be prepared for accidents, cheering, disappointment and triumphs! I hope these tips and tricks help you and your child on your journey through transitioning into a diaper free home!
