This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate, I can earn a commission off of products at no additional cost to you. You can read my full disclosure here.
One of the most trying and exhausting periods of motherhood is when you hit the dreaded potty training stage. This is especially if you don’t know what you’re doing. I realize I only have sons, so this next statement seems biased. In my opinion though, potty training boys is actually incredibly doable. Does it take work? Yes. Can it be done in three to five days? Absolutely!
One of my precursors is making sure that he is at least 2 and a half years old. Honestly, my oldest and second oldest were three (we started potty training the Monday after their third birthday). My third son was two years and 8 months old. The only reason why I started sooner with him was because he had watched his brothers quite a bit and he expressed interest in learning way more than my other two did.
Prepare With the Right Supplies
Sometime in the week leading up to potty training, I make sure I have the right supplies. I start with getting underwear that he’s going to want to wear. The day we start, I make over all about how he’s now wearing “big boy pants” that have his favorite things on them. Think zoo animals, airplanes or tractors, super heroes, or (the obvious one) Paw Patrol.
Whatever I choose, when I put them on, I stress to him how he can’t get “Marshall and Chase” or his “tigers” wet. At the very beginning, he doesn’t have any clue what I’m talking about. But trust me, it works. This below is my favorite brand; *as an Amazon affiliate, I may make a commission off of certain products at no additional cost to you.
Make sure to buy his favorite stickers and/or a yummy food he likes. I’m picky about this, and make sure to buy what I won’t feel bad about him eating for three days. I use mini marshmallows or chocolate chips. I give one every time he successfully goes, and it totally works. Obviously, this needs to be something out of the ordinary that he doesn’t get every day. I also buy his favorite juice or Gatorade. Again, I make sure it’s something he doesn’t get every day and something I won’t feel bad about him drinking a lot of.
Use the “Cup” Method For Potty Training Boys
On the day we decide to start (I try to make it a day that we’re going to stay home all day long, and possibly the second day too), I change his diaper right when he wakes up and put him right into his new underwear. It’s key, again, to make over like it’s a fun, big deal. We eat breakfast together, and I make sure he has a full drink cup full of apple juice during the meal.
Immediately after breakfast, I set him on the potty and see if he’ll go. Now typically, they have no idea what you’re trying to get them to do that first time. So, while he’s sitting there on the potty, I read him a storybook. At the turn of each page, I offer him a drink of apple juice. Hopefully you get my idea. My goal is to make his bladder super full to where he can’t hold it and has to go.
If, by the end of that story book, he hasn’t gone yet, I pull out my phone and we watch Instagram Reels of his favorite animals (usually it’s mountain lions). Again, at the end of each reel, I offer little man a drink. After about 30 minutes of him sitting on the potty while I’m with him, if he hasn’t gone yet, we get down. I put his big boy underwear back on him, and we play for about 5 minutes, and try the potty again.
Does It Really Work?
With two of my sons, they went during that 30 minute slot. With my third, I got him down, let him play, and not a minute later he went in his pants. Thankfully, it was a tiny bit, he looked at me as if he realized what had happened, and we ran to the potty together.
He finally went a tiny bit in the potty and that was all it took. Why? I made it a big deal. Part of this is, because I’m super excited I got him to go. But I definitely overexaggerate the “big boy”, “just like your big brothers” type nonsense that gets them riled up. Once he finally goes, we get stickers on his sticker chart and three mini marshmallows as a treat. After that, peeing on the potty is fun.
Don’t get me wrong, we still had accidents. We still had trouble with staying dry at bedtime and pooping in the toilet. It’s just definitely easier from this point on.
What You Can Avoid When Potty Training Boys
You’re going to get potty training advice from all over. I certainly did with my first. Thankfully, that’s what you have me for! Kidding aside, here are some things I’ve learned from my three that I didn’t need to have in order to successfully potty train them.
When you’re transitioning from diaper to underwear, using a pull-up honestly doesn’t help. I was also told having them walk around naked works great too. Both was (IMO) bad advice. In my experience, the boys had a distinct different feeling when they wore actual underwear, and they were much more prone to not wanting to get them wet!
I will say Pull-ups have a time and place that are helpful. Road trips, whenever we’re out and about, at church, and bedtime are all times that I opt for putting them on my boys rather than underwear. It really didn’t seem to confuse them much, especially if I didn’t use pull-ups for the first week or so (aside from bedtime).
You also don’t really need a potty seat or potty chair. I realize this is a personal preference. With boys, they learn pretty quickly how to pee standing up. Also, I hate cleaning the seats and they get pretty nasty pretty quickly. Just letting you know, this is definitely an area where you can go without.
Be Patient and Consistent
The minute you realize you’re frustrated and no longer enjoying the potty training stage, your son is going to pick up on it too. Don’t be too hard on yourself or your child, and focus on consistency. Lastly, just be patient. I know, easier said than done.
The extra laundry from the accidents will get caught up eventually. You’ll reach a moment where you’re not cleaning up pee off the floor. Frankly, they’re going to catch on before you even know it. Someday you’re going to be stressing about Algebra II homework and wish you could go back to potty training stages.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.