D.W. asks from Parker, CO on September 14, 2008
My Son Keeps Peeing on the Floor!
I began potty training my 20mth old son last week. He does not talk yet but will point at his diaper to let me know he has to go. The problem is he doesn't want me in the bathroom when he goes so I take his pull up off & leave him in bathroom after pointing into his potty chair & telling him to go pee pee in there. He has made it inside the potty or right in front of it a few times. But, the past 2 days he has just peed right in the middle of bathroom floor. Today he went on floor, I cleaned it up, he cried when I tried to put pull up on, I left him in bathroom, he peed on floor some more, I cleaned it up, then did the same thing 2 more times! I'm going to go broke using so many paper towels in one day! I've just been telling him each time that he needs to go
IN the potty but apparently this is not working. How do I get him to go IN the potty if he won't go at all while I'm in the room with him? Can anyone suggest any books that are resonably priced (or maybe have a used one I could buy?) to help me potty train? TIA, I always get such great advice here!
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B.B. answers from Santa Fe on September 17, 2008
First of all, you shouldn't be picking up the mess, he should be. 20 months old for a boy isn't really old enough for him to really get the hang of standing to pee. I started my son by putting him on the toilet and teaching him how to hold himself on and i pushed his peepee down. Then after he had that down, he could stand to pee.
As far as he not wanting you in the room when he pees, i understand the privacy and all but he is 20 months old. I would tell him to get over it, that you are in there to help him.
I had my son sit on the toilet til he went pee, when he said he needed to or i knew he needed to.
J.M. answers from Flagstaff on September 16, 2008
The potty chair is kinda a small target and if he is like my son he wants to stand up instead of sit down... like dad. My suggestion and what we did is buy a stool, get the really cheap fruit loops and each time he has to go throw a few in the water and tell him to pee on the fruit loops. It is fun for them and it teaches them to aim!!!! Hope that helps!!!
J.
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D.S. answers from Albuquerque on September 16, 2008
Sounds like he's too young to be potty trained. I would put the diaper back on and try again after he turns two. Boys always take longer to learn. He probably just doesn't fully comprehend what he's supposed to do. If this starts to be a struggle or a fight, you may have a harder time getting him to do it when he's older. Let him be a baby a little longer. He'll eventually learn but if all it does is frustrate you both right now, it could backfire in the future. Good luck.
R.T. answers from Phoenix on September 15, 2008
When my son did that before he was potty trained, we gave up for we know he wasn't ready and instead of giving positive environment about potty, we were all disappointed and just not happy with all the cleaning involved.
So, we waited until one day, he asked his real underpants! and the journey began.
As for books, we had ' Potty Time', I don't know about the writer or publisher. Perhaps you can research it at the web.
But when a kid is ready, there will be turning back!
I hope this helps.
Thank you!
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E.T. answers from Salt Lake City on September 16, 2008
I've heard that using Cheerios in the potty helps becuase it gives them something interesting to aim at.
E.G. answers from Albuquerque on September 19, 2008
Maybe he is not yet ready. My daughter, started showing signs of being ready to be trained perhaps around the same age or younger. I gave it a try. She ended up peeing all over the house. The last straw was when she, proudly wearing her panties, peed on top of the in table in our living room! So I said that is it: we are going to wait. I forgot about it for a few months. Then she told me that she wanted to wear her panties. I explained to her and tried to prep her for what that would mean: she would have to go in the potty. By that time she was ready and practically trained herself! In speaking with my doctor before she was p-trained he gave me a new perspective by telling me that nowdays many girls are not completely trained until between ages 3-4 and boys between 4-5! Sounds crazy, I know but it made me feel better. Good luck. I think it is the hardest with the first child because we are learning how to train them.
V.J. answers from Phoenix on September 15, 2008
It sounds like you're trying to teach him to pee standing up in which case, maybe your husband can take him to the bathroom whenever he's home so he can show him how to aim. I've also heard that it can help to have something fun to aim at. You could even toss a few Cheerios into the bowl. You could put a piddle pad-- like for house training puppies-- under/around the potty chair in case he misses.
It may be easier, however, to simply emphasize sitting down to potty. The concept is much easier to grasp and as long as your seat has a guard lip, you shouldn't have to worry about him missing. Best wishes!
M.C. answers from Tucson on September 16, 2008
Honestly I wouldn't give in to him not wanting you in the room. He needs to be "taught" you can not do that from outside the door. The other thing I did with my boys is that if they didn't go in the potty but on the floor I made them clean it up themselves with guidance. (Of Course) They learned quickly that it was easier to go in the potty than on the floor. Remember that most boys don't get the hang of potty training until they are 2 and a half or 3.
B.B. answers from Santa Fe on September 17, 2008
First of all, you shouldn't be picking up the mess, he should be. 20 months old for a boy isn't really old enough for him to really get the hang of standing to pee. I started my son by putting him on the toilet and teaching him how to hold himself on and i pushed his peepee down. Then after he had that down, he could stand to pee.
As far as he not wanting you in the room when he pees, i understand the privacy and all but he is 20 months old. I would tell him to get over it, that you are in there to help him.
I had my son sit on the toilet til he went pee, when he said he needed to or i knew he needed to.
S.G. answers from Albuquerque on September 15, 2008
Have him clean up his mess every time he goes on the floor. Don't get upset, just hand him the paper towel and direct him to the mess. Tell him "oops, you went potty on the floor, clean it up. Next time lets try to sit down!" Or something like that. He's just learning and exploring. Even though he can't talk, he understands you.
Keep it positive and happy happy. Really it's just a little pee! I had it all over my carpet.
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