How Do I Get My Two and Half Year Old Son to Potty Train

My son decided on his own at 20 months to potty train. He's now 2 1/2 and still has accidents at least twice a week, wets almost every night and has even pooped his pants just because he didn't feel like going to the bathroom. I wish that he hadn't wanted to train so early- it has caused more problems than my daughter, who was 2 years 4 months when she started and almost never had an accident. I don't think that you can decide when is the right time for your son- even if he's giving some signs that he's aware of his body. Encourage that, but don't push it.

Just give him time and dont push the issue, my son who is now 3yrs and 2 mos just started going pee on the potty. And he prefers to stand at the bowl rather than sit. I also let him run around the house in boxers, tight underwear feels too much like a diaper - i cant tell you how many accidents we had in those!

Believe me, he will go when he is ready, I know it feels like an eternity of diapers right about now! Good luck!

Hi A.,
I have a son who is now 14.I was a single mother when I had him so I relyed on my brothers alot cause they could go in there and show him what to do.I also played dunk the cheerios with him.You put cheerios in the toilet and tell him to dunk them.He was potty trained by 18 months.

I have 2 boys and 1 girl. The boys were 3 when they were potty trained unlike my daughter who was 2. We skipped over the potty chair and just did the seat that fits onto the toilet itself. I used pull-ups at night and big boy underwear during the day. After a week of having them "help" clean up their messes they used the potty. I haven't had any problems after that week. It may be a chore to letting them have accidents, but it's only a week. And I to tried to train my first son at age 2 but I learned quick that it was just too soon.

All I can say is be patient.....I have 3 boys and they were all very hard to get potty trained. I didnt get them completly using the potty til 3 1/2. Sorry.

This might sound strange, but I put my youngest child's potty chair right in the living room. She felt safer being around everyone. Plus she was scared of the big potty, even though she didn't use it. It took about a week and then she moved her chair into the bathroom when she was comfortable with it.

good luck!! I am currently also trying to potty train my son. I can get him to sit on the potty, when I first brought it out for him I left it in the living room for a couple of days and let him sit on it while he was still dressed and everytime I changed him even if he had already soiled his diaper I would have him sit on it. Then I moved it into the bathroom and I only change him in the bathroom, and we alway sit on the potty after I clean him up, it was a trick to get him to sit long enough to do anything. sometimes we read books or sing songs or I tell him just a minute I'll be right back and just step out of the room-he usually pee's in the potty-but we have yet to get the other. He still does not tell me before he has to go, I just take him every hour or so. Some people suggest rewards, we have not tried that yet w/ him, I tried it w/ my daughters and it did not work for them. Good luck, and if you find something that works let me know, maybe it will work for my son also.

Hi A. -

Both my boys didn't potty train until just after 3 years. Once they could stand to go #1 (they liked being able to see what was going on) and for #2 the thing that did the trick - get a potty seat that fits flush into the regular seat (so they don't feel like they will fall in) and put him on backwards and let him play with a couple toys on the tank of the toilet (big toys are better for obvious reasons =-).
What happens is he'll stop thinking about "going" and start playing - then relax and will end up going #2 in no time. Once they've had success this way it's easier and easier to get them to go on the potty.
But one thing to keep in mind is boys do take longer and will likely have accidents ...just because they didn't feel like going to the potty. But on the bonus side once they are trained the "I have to pee" emergencies aren't as much of a crisis with boys - as they can go on the side of the road, in a bush ...heck who am I kidding - the middle of the lawn! (got to watch 'em with this, once some well meaning male shows them they 'can' go anywhere ... they will!)

-M.

start putting him in big boy underwear. There are the thicker ones for training and then you can put plastic pants over them if you want so that the pee or poop don't leak out. That is what I have done with both of my children and the daycare children that I have had. They don't like the feeling of wet and dirty underpants. The pull-up type pants are just like diapers and the children really can't tell the difference in the. I only used the pull-up type thing when we left the house or at night/nap-time.

I have 4 kids (girl age 4 and boys ages 5, 6 and 8). One of my sons was 100% potty trained at 2 years 4 months and another son wasn't 100% potty trained until the month he turned 4. They other son and daughter were somewhere in the middle. So, my advice is that kids potty train when they are ready - they're all different.

The average Age for potty trained boys is 3yrs 4months old. He's just starting to get ready to Potty train, let him drive on this one, pushing him will only make him resist more. TRUST ME. My Now nearly 5yr old could tell me he was wet or stinky at about 18months but all the coaxing and trying in the world did not produce a full potty. He ended up deciding to do it one day all by himself (right around 3yrs and 4months old by the way). about 3 days later he decided that he could stay dry all night too. Give him time and space, he'll get there.

Hi A.,
As many others have said be patient. It is a long process. My three and a half year old boy was finally potty trained at 3. I found that using treats was very helpful. If he went pee in the potty he got 1 m&m and if he went poop he got 2 m&ms. That worked well. Good luck.
Chris

I have 3 children. My son is 4 and he was about 2 1/2 years when he finally decided he was ready to be potty trained. I truly believe that children will potty train themselves when THEY are ready.