Boys Missing the Potty

I woudl think your five and seven year old are old enough to help clean it. Maybe if they have to clean up after it they will not do it anymore. This is what helped our little girl stop pooping in her pants. She cleaned it up once and that was the end of it. It no-longer magically got clean she had to help and see what all went into it.

Oh , do I feel your pain!
I have limited the boys to one bathroom. I am so sick of cleaning up after this type of mess! I did have limited success after I told them they were responsible for wiping up the mess (I keep a huge supply of clorox wipes at all times!) . If you find a solution that works, let me know!!

J.,

I have two boys of my own 6 & 4. It is quite a challenge even for my husband. I've heard that if you paint something in the bowl like a fly or some type of bug they will never miss the bowl again of course you would have to put some type of polyurethane over it.(this also makes good conversation piece for your guests) I haven't tried it but it's worth a shot. Another thing you could try is some type of cereal like cheerios or fruit loops this gives them something to aim at. You could leave a bowl of them by the toilet for them to use as target practice. I did do this when I was potty training and they loved to try and hit the cereal. You might keep a container of clorox clean up wipes or lysol wipes buy the toilet and make them clean the rim and floor everytime they use the toilet then they might want to start doing a better job so they don't have to clean up after themselves. Good Luck but I believe we will forever be cleaning nasty toilets. J. C

A huge sense of humor! And as soon as they are old enough make the toilet one of their jobs to clean. Wipes in the bathroom so I can do a quick clean and do a major clean once a week. Just to let you in on a secret it is not just little boys big boys miss too I think they are just in a hurry. And when they were smaller I made them sit down until they could make it in.

This will require time from you, but look at the time you spend daily to clean. Go with them and teach them to aim and how yukie the pee pee is when it is not in the stool. And let them help you clean make it a family thing. They will begin to do what you expect them to do. Especially the 7 yr. old. We can say be careful a thousand times or we can take the time to teach them and let them know when they are careful how much it means to you and how much they spare you.

Good luck. I had 2 boys and never had much of a mess because I worked with them. When they had friends over it was unreal even when they were in high school and college. I began to tell the other guys that came over that I wasn't their maid and they needed to be more careful or they would be helping me clean. So spare yourself years of difficult clean ups and teach them now.

I've been told to put Cheerio's in the stool for them to aim at.

NOT silly to me!! I have two boys ages 6 & 8 and we taught them early on...to SIT on the potty & tuck it under...it sure helps! I feel your pain! ugh!

Hi there. Been there ,done that. I found that puttng a handful of Cheerios in the toilet and let them aim at sinking them worked wonders. Besides the cheerios dissolve and won't plug up the toilet. Good Luck and Merry Christmas!!

Another Mom

I threw cheerios in the toilet to aim at. My son thought is was the coolist thing and it works.

Hey J.!

Never is too late to start teaching your kid that he should wipe down the toilet after he uses it. I did that with my son at the age of 4. It takes time.....But, now every time he goes to the bath, he cleans up the toilet if it is necessary. This is an habit, and it would be very good if he starts it soon. I told my kid that is very disgusting enter the bath after someone has used it, and see the mess, so I suggested to think how he would feel about if it happened to himself. Of course, he did not like it and, he does not like it know. When there is not a handy wipe around, he just takes a piece of toilet paper and clean up.
Good Luck!

I use clorox bleach wipes to keep my bathroom clean. I have a 4 yr old son and a 27 yr old boyfriend and neither of them can aim!!

My friend suggests having them sit down to use the bathroom. My son would probably pee right out the front of the toilet. lol
Good luck and if you come up with anything better, please share. I think most mom's of little boys have this problem.

I wrote what's below first, but after I saw Rachel's answer, I realized - she's DEFINITELY got the better idea!

Buy those little flushable floating targets that you drop in the potty and the boys "take aim." Turn it into a game and I think you'll see an improvement. In case you aren't sure what I mean, I googled potty targets and got the following. Some are as low as $3 a package:

http://www.kidsurplus.com/itemdetail.asp?item=10%20MII%2060 - themed targets, e.g. construction, sports, guy stuff

http://kidsstuff.stores.yahoo.net/quabbin.html - little animal shpaes

http://www.rightstart.com/global/store/product~item~1276~... - these are the ones we had - some sort of biodegradable foam in different colors

http://www.pottytrainingconcepts.com/potty-training-targe... - looks like real targets, made of rice paper

One web site said to use Cheerios, but the thought of using food that way sort of grosses me out!

Good luck!

I will soon be entering this arena with my two sons. I read that aiming at a Cheerio in the toilet bowl helps. I guess it makes it more like a game. Anyway, sounded like an interesting idea! I'll be interested to hear what works for you. Good luck!

Could not wait to post this! This is the best idea I have ever heard of with boys and I LOVE sharing it!!!!
When I was a nanny MANY years ago, the mom of the 3 boys I took care of did this. She took the seat completely off the toilet! That bathroom was for the boys to use "standing" and her bedroom bathroom was for "sitting" only. Clean up was a breeze! Guess the only works if you have 2 bathrooms though.
A word of caution on the flushable wipes...Every plumber I have come across, says do not flush them. My friend found this out after paying a plumber lots of $.

Sounds silly but put some cheerios in the toilet so they they aim at them. They will think it is fun and you won't have a big mess....well I guess it could be a mess, but it worked with my 6 year old. Good luck

My newphew who is 3, and still in training, loves the little floaty things in which to aim at.
I've seen them at Babies R Us, but I can't remember what they look like, or the name. You can find them near the potty supplies.
Good luck!

try putting cherrio's in the tolit and they can try to hit them when they pee

I feel your frustration!! i have the same problem with my husband and two sons age 12 & 9. I put a snack bag of cheerios in the bathroom. It helped in the beginning as far as potty training along with aim, but thats it. Their urine still ends up on the floor and on the back of the toilette. My mother-in-law said that I should enforce a "our house only" law that they have to sit when using the bathroom. She has my father-in-law "trained". I asked her how she got him to do it (my husband refuses). She said they'll come around if its them that have to clean it up. Me personally, I'm still working on that one! haha! Whatever you do good luck with it.
SAHM of two boys and a 1 yr old girl.

I have a 3 1/2 yr old & he usally doesn't miss the potty YET...(but he stands & is at the right height so it just goes in)... If he makes a mess, or doesn't put the toliet seat down or flush, then i make him come in & help me clean it or go back in & put the lid down & flush- He has to wash his hands everytime too. He learned real quick that if he made a mess he would have to go back in so he usually is good about doing it now- i ask everytime he comes out if he did all of it etc...

I'm sure it's a challenge to do that with 3 boys though!! Maybe try to have them aim at cheerios or put a piece of toiliet paper in there to sink the paper.

We have limited modesty around our house so my ds thinks nothing of wandering into the bathroom with the door open --So I have had the opportunity 'catch' the 'misaims' and have him clean the dribbles --on the seat, back of lid and around the base of the toilet.

He is a pretty agreeable kid and does a pretty good job on his own. (He also doesn't like to listen to 'cranky mommy'.Or the possibility of having to sit to go)

I also noticed he is more likely to miss- spray when he is in a big rush---like when his bladder is really full...first thing in the morning or after he has been playing outside for a long time.

Obviously, from the replies this is a pretty 'common' annoyance!

I have 3 boys and yes that's including my husband and what works great is sitting a small cup of cheerios and have them put in the toliet, they can practice aim. or you can have 3 boy a week in charge of cleaning, show them how to do it and make sure you buy gloves mine fight over them.. just start them young or they will never be interested in helping ie...my husband. good luck.

I teach my boys to sit-down on the toilet at home and to manually aim their boy parts down while they are going pee. (The taller they get the more mess will be made by standing.) My husband has always sat down on the toilet at home to pee (this is something he did before I knew him). Otherwise, I tell our boys that they should pee standing up at public restrooms since they are dirty anyway. If all else fails, start teaching them to clean up their own mess and it will hopefully make them be more careful.

My friend bought one of those rugs made to go around the base of the toilet to catch all of the drips that make it outside onto the floor she washes it every day. My son is just two and although he uses the potty, he is still young enough that I have to help him each time, so I am always there to help aim. When he gets older, I think I'll give him the cheerios to aim at and use the rug. That should take care of most of it.

Have them clean it up... it will only take a few times and they'll realize that they'd rather hit the hole. Then if they get in a hurry and miss every now and then they'll know how to fix it! :) Also, with the 3 y/o, you can make it fun by having cheerios in a bowl in the BR and have him throw some cheerios in the bowl and challenge him to hit the O's. That gives them good practice with aiming... with the older one's though, they know how its just taking the time. Good luck, my 27 y/o boyfriend misses nearly every morning still! :)

my boys are older now. but I put something in the potty for them to hit. like a peace of toilet paper. or check when there done, and if thay hit the floor or what ever. Have them help you clean, let them know how you feel about cleaning there mess.

I feel your pain, especially when my 7 year old forgets to lift the lid. The problem for me is he knows hoe to aim but he is in such a hurry to do other things he doesn't try very hard and forgets the seat. At first I thought he would grow out of but then I realized my hsband isn't that much better. What I do now is keep a roll of those Clorox wipes under the sink. I make my son wipe down the toilet and floor about once every other day or so. I check the seat and make him come back in and wipe the seat if he forgot to put it up. He doesn't complain because he's old enough to know it is his mess and I explain that he is responsible for his own mess. But it also defeats the purpose of being in such a hurry

My oldest three are boys ages 7, 6 and 5. Their bathroom gets two thorough cleanings a day. It's awful!!! My mom suggested drawing an "x" at the bottom of the bowl (drain the water out first) with permanent marker for them to have soemething always there to aim for. I like the Cheerios and stuff, but with three, it's hard to catch them in time to throw something in there first, especially when they always wait till the last second they have to go!!! I also agree with having them help. I keep Clorox wipes in each bathroom, but I don't let the kids use them (I am nervous about them handling cleaning products.) But sometimes, I give them one of my chores that they can do and make them do that since I am having to waste so much of my "cleaning time" in that bathroom.

Good luck!