How Do You Potty Train a 3 Y/o Boy?

I have always heard that potty training boys is harder than training girls. Have you thought about giving him a treat when he sits on the botty without his diaper? He may be afraid of the potty? Try to make the potty a fun friendly place. Have a Potty Party, with toys and the whole family. I know this may sound crazy butleet him see the family on the pot. Have fun with it. It seems like he may be afraid of the potty. He may think he is going to fall in. I am assuming he is using the big potty. If he isnt using the large potty you can still do the same thing with the small potty. But he seems ready he just doesnt understand that he needs to have the diaper off to use the bathroom. He sounds cute. I hope this helps.

First, I have a question for you. Are you using a kid potty or the regular adult toilet? Lots of kids are afraid of the toilet.....feels like they will fall in. Imagine sitting on a toilet that is as big as you. If you don't already have one I suggest spending the $20 and picking up a kiddie toilet at Target. Be patient. Kids all learn at their own pace and will eventually get potty trained. My son is now 4 and refuses to use the "kid" potty and is no longer afraid of the big potty. You can also buy the little toilet seats that fit on top of the regular toilet seat. They are easily removed so the adults can still use the toilet. With my daughter I honestly just let her run around with no diaper on. For whatever reason this worked best with her. The weather is still warm enough that you may want to give that a shot.

T.,

It sounds like he might be a little scared of the process and this is normal, as change of any kind is tough for kids.

Start slow. Introduce books and videos that show him it's okay and not scary. Talk to him about how Mommy and Daddy use the potty. Does he have a potty chair or are you using the regular toilet? If he's got a smaller potty you might want to show him by having you and Dad sit with him. The diaper is a comfort and his safety net to the actual process. And, what will help is some guidance and patience.

My son is 3 YO and has been potty learned for the most part a few months before he turned 3, but it took me a while to get him to really know what HE needed to do. Now that he knows he is the owner of the process and I depend on him to tell me when he needs to go, it works...for the most part. There are still accidents and oops I pooed my pants moments, but I can't fault him for trying and making the effort.

I bought books and had them everywhere! A Potty for Me and Yes, Potty No, Potty are even a favorite today. I took him to buy underwear that he could pick out. We talked about the pull-ups being a thing of the past, and now that he was a big boy he got to wear unders. I also adopted a routine similar to his preschool, which includes potty checks every 30 minutes. We go to the potty and check to see if he has to go, we wipe and then I let him flush the toilet. Oh and Huggies has a great free DVD on their site and another one that I forget the name of. But, check Amazon.com for potty training supplies and stock up!

But honestly, get him used to the idea first and the apprehension of the bare bottom stuff and then tackle the routine. Baby steps (as silly as it sounds) are the best way to approach change. Don't worry about what age others had their kids taught to use the potty or how many think this is too late or a discipline issue. Just do what you know in your gut (and heart) will work and stick to it.

Seems to me he's potty training himself, but doesn't want to have outside pressure. My best advise is take a breath & try to be willing to keep buying diapers & changing them. Doesn't sound like it will be too much longer, but pushing him when he's not ready might set him back.

OK, so here's my pitch on the potty training subject:

My daughter's pediatrician (Harvey Karp) helped me out with this issue enormously when he "gave me permission" not to potty train her. He said if parents are patient, their kids will potty train themselves and it's a lot easier on everybody. He wasn't kidding. It was the easiest thing I've done as a parent.

I was enough older than my siblings to remember what it was like come potty training time & I knew I didn't want to go through that. I watched a lot of mom friends struggle with their kids & for some of them the struggle went on for years. And I watched a lot of mom friends glide through who let their kids steer the course.

I really believe we need to allow our kids to take their time with this issue, even if it seems to go on forever. You'll probably be shocked by this, but my daughter was 4 1/2 when she was finally ready. I did bring it up occasionally and I always got back such a clear NO that I let it go. And yes, I was tired of buying & changing diapers. But in the end we only had 2 accidents & those were just pee. I know soooo many kids who poo'ed their pants for a while after potty training. I preferred that to go in the diaper, rather than my laundry.

I have a couple of things I get long-winded about, potty training is one of them. Hope my probably unorthodox ideas are of help to you.

All the best,
Colleen

I tend to believe there's a lot of pressure on kids when it comes to potty training and it takes a while to understand our own bodies and bodily functions when you are a kid. I'm no expert in potty training and i know there's lots of books out there and "quick methods" but i think giving the child their own time while giving the opportunity is best. I can only tell you how it worked for me and my little girl. First, I bought one of those musical baby toilets (i got the Fisher Price one) when she was very little, and let her play with it as much as she wanted (diapers on), because they are like toys, really. When I went to the bathroom, I'd invite her too, she'd sit there, we'd read books. I also let her be outside naked in the yard in the Summer and had a little plastic potty to make it easier to go if she wanted. Being naked actually helps them "feel" their bodies when they get "wet". Eventually I moved her into pull-ups because they were easier for her to pull them off and go by herself, and they go back on, no waste. The process was slow but smooth, no pressure. Reading was a big help to keep her seated, be patient and wait, and to have fun at the same time. I never gave her stickers or candy, but i made a big deal when she went, yeah, yiipee, hooray! We also watched "once upon a Potty" video, read the book together. She moved on to the "big" potty with a soft cushion her size, because she was a "big girl". Eventually she loved going potty so much that i had to keep her in pull ups a little longer because she'd want to go in every single public restroom when we were out, so I was the one cringing... She was fully trained at 2 but still had a few accidents which i didn't make a big deal about it. We got "big girl" underwear. I did not get her off pull ups completely til 2 1/2 when she started going to pre-school (it only took 2 weeks then) and saw other kids going and wearing only underwear.
Hope any of this info helps. Good luck with your child and away with diapers ;)

Good Day T.-
I know you have had a few responses. Mine be a little different.. My little guy turned 3 in April. We tried a few weeks before he turned. NO WAY NO HOW! He screamed- kicked- was shaking from fear. We too had the small potty for him to sit on. After a few days, he was so afraid of the potty that I decided to give it a rest. 2 weeks after his 3rd bday my husband was home for a few weeks and tried again. The first day was a breeze for peepee. No more diapers. But the catch was he wanted to stand for the big potty. He NEVER went in the small potty chair. As soon as he learned to stand on his tippy toes, it was smooth sailing for peepee. Pooh was alot more difficult. he would hold it all day and make himself constipated. If he went in his pants sometimes he got in trouble and sometimes he didnt. It has only been this past week that he actually has been going, but it was on his terms. Now that he knows its not scary and alot cleaner he doesnt mind. And some days we run to the bathroom 6 times before something actually comeing out.. lol. he just isnt used to the feeling yet..

Good Luck!!! and Relax.... there are so many changes for them, I am starting to realize...

Get him a potty chair that sits on the floor. He'll feel more secure. Also, teach him to pull his pants up and down, and dress him in elastic waist clothes. The more he does for himself, the happier he'll be.

hes probably scared of falling into the giant toilet. there are little soft potty seats you can buy, but i think your best bet is starting off with a little kid potty then moving up to the potty seat.

good luck! and remember, after three days with no accidents you've got it in the bag! give it a full week to be sure and dont get discouraged!

Hi T.
I have two boys and both were potty trained by age two! As soon as they would wake up I would take them to the potty to pee, or sit in the toilet or even just look at it. Whatever they where comfortable doing. Then I would have then with help ofcourse remove the diaper, say bye and put on some exciting character underwear, their choice, ex. thomas the train, spiderman. I would take them to the restroom every 10-15 minutes and have them either sit with or without the underwear. We did this everyday for weeks. Same time same routine. One day I just heard the toilet flush and he came out saying "I went potty"! Your son might just need some encouragement and praise for doing what he can do already. He sounds ready, but he might be afraid of the toilet flush sound or you leaving him alone in a restroom. Make it a happy place and fun. Let him ready a book or do the potty dance, I heard pull-ups just came up with a program that makes it fun! Good look, I know diapers are expensive and it takes time but he will get it and then you wont have to see a diaper again. :) Patience is key!

My son had a similar experience. Every time he needed to poop, he would ask to put on a diaper! What worked with my son was a gradual move away from the diapers.

First, we would put a diaper on, but told him he had to sit on the potty. Then, we would empty the poop from the diaper into the toilet, so he could see what was going on with it!

After a week or so, the next step was that we put the diaper INTO the bottom of his little potty. He was still pooping "into" his diaper, so he felt comfortable with that. AGain, we flushed the poop into the toilet.

After a few days of that he felt comfortable enough to just use the potty without the diaper.

Sounds a little crazy, but there is some security for a 3 year old in having diaper! The gradual move worked for us!

Good luck

my son was potty trained by 3..he started at 2...what i did was had him run around the house naked..i let him see me go to the bathroom and i would say.."bye bye pee pee" or "bye bye poo poo" and i'd let him flush..i also would talk to him and tell him what i was doing..when we were out in public and he was still in his stroller i would wheel him into the big stall w/ me and again show him..he caught on quick. i bought him his own toilet and he uses that sometimes..i had it out in the living room and so he would be naked and sit on it..there were some accidents..so hopefully you don't have carpet ..if u do u should put the potty in the bathroom..but at 3 he may just use the big toilet.

my son orders me to get out when he goes poop..and i tell him to call me in when its time to wipe..he does wipe himself but makes mess..he goes to preschool 2 afternoons a week and that's really been the closure for potty training..he doesn't even tell me he has to go anymore b/c he knows how to do it on his own.
just try the naked bit..all i buy now are over night diapers..i noticed that his father hasn't been using them at his home so maybe he doesn't go at night..i still don't trust that he sleeps through the night w/out going

well good luck..remember to praise him when he goes in his potty by himself

Hi T.,
When my son was 3 we told him "no more diapers" and took them away. We made him walk around with no underwear the first couple of days. He wet himself a couple of times but by the 2nd day he started peeing in the potty and by the 3rd day he pooped and that was it. We did underwear during the day and pull ups at night until we were sure he could wake himself up to go. When he finally pooped in the potty he said, "That wasn't scary!" - he was scared too for some reason. You can also tell him that he has to do use the potty so he can go to school - which is also what we did.

Meanwhile if he is more comfortable get him a little potty to go in or let him pick out his own soft seat to go over the big toilet so he won't feel like he's falling in.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

my first daughter, did the same thing, and refused to pee in the toilet til she was 3 1/2,I read EVERY book, we tried several times, she would hold it for 9 hrs! it was torture and I regret that I forced the issue at 2 1/2, 2 3/4, 3, I finally gave up and then one day she just said she was ready, from that point on she never had an accident and never went back and I tell ya diapers are easier than public bathrooms. my second daughter trained in one day at 2 yrs 3 mths by the book, so all kids are different! Be patient and do your best not to worry what your parents, or others think, He is the only one that can control his fears about the toilet, just gotta love him through it. From a mom that didn't do that and my daughter remembers me getting angry, so not worth it.

Hi T.,

My son was close to 3 3/4 before he was completely potty trained--the harder I tried, the more he resisted, so I backed off...I also resorted to m&m's--1 for a pee in the potty, 3 for poop in the potty. I know, I know, bribery is bad...never use food for a reward...chocolate between meals (outrageous)... yep, you're all right. BUT--it made potty time fun, and seriously, a few m&m's in the grand scheme of things is not the end of the world. Eventually the novelty wears off...and mommy gets her chocolate fix to survive the whole potty training experience. Hang in there, he will successfully learn how to use the toilet, and you won't have to buy diapers forever. : )

K.

Hi T.,
Please shoot me an email and I will send you a wonderful on-line book I have about potty training.
____@____.com
I can send it to who ever might need it.

Take care,
M.

Hello, If he doesn't like the urine running down his legs, try putting the little boy cloth underwear. They are thin and when he wets, it will run down his legs. When I potty trained, I did this and just gave it one day. If they didn't catch on in one day, I stopped and waited a couple of weeks and tried again. It will happen. Don't let people tell you he's too old. He will not go to college with diapers on.
Good luck with your precious little boy.
K. K.