Potty Training Question: How Long Should He Be Allowed to Hold It?

well it makes sense. If he just had a big pee before he got up then he naturally won't have to go for a while. NOt like he is holding it per say but just that there is nothing to pee out. Make sense?

After he wakes up is he drinking a lot? I don't know if my now almost 5 year old "got it" but when we started potty training she did not want to drink anything. I was like, how is this going to work then???? If that is an issue you can do what I did. I made popcicles out of that propel flavored water. Everytime she went potty she got a popcicle. It kept the juices flowing. ;0) It was the perfect reward because it was something she loved, it help with the process itself and it was instant gratification (plus there is almost no sugar in propel so I wasn't creating a hyper child. And it is colorless so it doesnt stain).

As far as a UTI, it is very difficult for boys/men to get them. It can happen but it is less comon. The urethra in a boy is at least 4 or 5 inches and in a man more like 10-12. Women get them so often because ours is only about one inch so it is more troublesome. Good luck. I think you are on the right track.

let leed the way rewardhim when he succeeds do NOT PUNISH HIM when he misses your mark it takes time time and patience got luck i raised 4 and now have7 grandchildre no hills

I honestly wouldn't worry about it. If you really want to try to get him to go in the morning, try a bit of positive reinforcement (assuming you are not doing this right now). Tell him that if he goes potty right when he gets up, you will give him a small piece of candy or maybe put blueberries or something special on his pancakes or something great that works well for you and him. Boys are harder to potty train than girls, and using rewards can be very successful. And it doesn't have to be food. Maybe make a chart and buy some stickers and tell him that if he goes potty in the morning and actually goes, he'll get a sticker for the day. And if he has a sticker each day for a week, you'll treat him to something special at the end of the week.

And also, think about night. Do you go to the bathroom at all during the night? Do you get up to pee once or twice? I almost never get up during the night to pee. I usually pee right before bed and right when I get up. So it may just be the way he works.

If you are worried about it and don't get satisfaction here, take him to the doc. When in doubt...

Here's what turned our potty training around: NEVER ASK if he has to go. If you know it's about time, he needs to try. If you give him the option, of course he'll say no. He wants to play and have fun, he doesn't know what he needs yet!

I was asking and the training wasn't going anywhere except on the floor. My day care provider enlightened me and it made sense so I tried it. She was right! I have trouble remembering every so often unless I have to go so I bought something called the Potty Watch from Mom4Life.com. It is basically a singing alarm that goes off every 30, 60 or 90 minutes and reminds your little one (or more specifically, you!)that it's time to go. It was very handy for me, maybe it'll work for you. It's like the fun potty watch is saying it's time to go potty instead of Mommy nagging him.

Also, you don't want to NAG. If you're asking or telling every 20 minutes it just gets annoying and they'll rebel.

Don't forget, too, you're TRAINING him. If he's directing it but doesn't have the foundation to tell you when he needs to go, he still needs more training. Asking him something he might not really know the answer to isn't training him. You tell him and then when he becomes more familiar with it he will be able to tell you if you ask or even if you don't!

Something funny: My daughter started reverting for a while, or so I thought. She'd pee on the floor NEXT to the toilet. Why is she doing this? I yelled at her once and it didn't happen again, but then my husband realized she had seen him use the toilet standing up. She was trying to pee like Daddy! We haven't had an accident since then, and she's telling me when she has to go now. Life's great having only one child in diapers...

It doesn't sound to me like he is "holding" his pee. Is he doing the potty dance? Does he appear uncomfortable, etc.... or do you assume he is holding it because he just hasn't gone? My son is in a pull up at night as well and it's soaked in the morning, it is not uncommon for him to not go for hours and hours, he is 4.5 and has been like this since he was potty trained, so well over a year. He drinks plently of water in the am and has never had a uti or any issues. If I didn't drink coffee in the am, I could probably say the same for me.. once I go - seems like I go a lot! LOL! (breaking the seal as you stated). I'd say if he is overall doing well and this is not effecting his life in a negative way, then leave it alone or at least talk to your Dr. I've honestly been amazed if not impressed at how long my son can "hold it" as you put it. I've seen him down at a party this one time, more juice boxes than should have been allowed, then get in the car and drink a bunch of water, fall asleep on the way home (me panic that he is gonna pee in his car seat while asleep) sleep for a few hours, wake and STILL not have to pee!! That would so not work for me!! So, ruling out anything medical, I wouldn't worry about it.
M.

You sort of got this advice already, but I would encourage him to drink A LOT in the morning. I doubt he's holding it on purpose. If you make him have to go, then he will get more experience and I would guess it will even out. We used flavored water and watered down Gatorade and juice. She would drink a ton of it and then couldn't possibly hold it all day. Also, then once she went, she would have to go again quickly. Seemed to work for us.

My son used to refuse to go too. He's 7 now and still refuses sometimes. I tried to make a game - like I would through a tissue in the toilet and see if he could hit it. Sometimes it worked. At preschool the teachers would make sure the boys went at a certain time and would take them to the bathroom... sometimes that worked. Keep trying different methods. A rewards chart might be a good idea. If your son gets up every morning and pees he gets a sticker. After a certain number he gets a treat.... some kids really respond to this. It's pretty normal behavior though and it will pass.

Good luck.