Mom Seeking Advice on Potty Training My 2 Year Old!

My son just turned 2 on the 12th of this month, I bought him the royal potty chair and he loves all the noises it makes! I hear boys are a little slower when it comes to potty training, than girls and I believe it, my daughter was potty trained before she was 2. We started trying to potty train him by letting him run around naked and if he goes potty on the floor he knows he has to put a diaper on, and he doesnt like to wear it, so he doesnt go potty on the floor, he makes his way to the chair or he wants a diaper. My best advice is to make sure you know the signs of when he has to go, since he can't tell you. I also read in a potty training book that the best time to start is when they wake up dry in the morning. My son is also small for his age 22lbs, just moved up to a size 4 diaper, but I found some sponge bob boxer briefs hanes brand at walmart they are a size small, I don't remember the weight on them but I washed them and they shrunk. I hope I was some help to you, GOOD LUCK !!!

Hi Kim,

It just finally clicked with my daughter one day. We started when she was around 19 mnths and she would do it but she was stubborn she knew and understood but it was easier to go potty in her pants than interupt play. Plus we were using pull ups. I would advise you not to they are to much like diapers. We went back to using diapers and she would pull them off everytime she was wet or poopy. Use big boy panties or the cloth ones that require the plastic panties (they do carry them in 12 mths, 18 mths and 24 mths) Gerber has them and you can find them at meijers or walmart. Buy more than the three pairs that they are sold in buy at least 9 to 12 if not your going to be doing lots of laundry. Starting out theres more accidents than not. These help them get the feeling of being wet and they dont like it so they start to associate that feeling with having to go potty before they actually do go. Another thing have more than one potty. I read somewhere that you should have a potty every where the child is until they learn what the sensation is they need to get somewhere to go quick. We had one in our living room, dining room, and in her room. Its easir dumping these out than cleaning the messes of accidents. It worked great not even half of the accident we had before. We also had rings for our big pottys we just made sure we kept putting her on there too so she wouldnt be afraid of the big potty. She now goes on the big potty with no ring (make sure you have a step stool for him to climb on himself) Another thing to do so that hes not scared of the flushing sound is let him do the flushing. So the sound doesnt bother him. We were putting her in diapers at night then finally after waking up to a naked bottom I told her thats it no more diapers. Im throwing them out and we havnt looked back. I actully just gave my cousin a full box of diapers. I let her throw one away so she understood that there are no more we have to use the potty like a big girl. She took to it. It takes time no matter what some people say. Lots of frustration but she go it in her own time. When you think its never gonna happen thats when it does. LOL Good Luck!!!
P.S.: By the way GO GREEN GO WHITE!!!! (I dont even want to talk about what happened last night though!!)

I have little advice to give you, since both of my girls were well into their 3-year-old year before they were potty trained. Everyone said not to worry, but that was difficult. However, I'm a doctoral student at MSU as well, so I thought I'd weigh in just to respond to the end of your message--GO WHITE! (And let's beat the fighting Irish tonight!)

I have a daughter who has just finished potty training (she is 3 now...)I'm not sure if this would be different with a little boy, but something that helped me was keeping the bathroom door open when one of us was sitting and using the toilet, and my little one became more and more interested in what was going on in there. I set up a potty, and she eventually would sit down while I was. At this point, she also could let me know when she'd gone in her diaper (which is a huge step with awareness and that alone can take a long time!) It was then a matter of time before she started using it regularly. It also "came and went". There would be a couple of months of using the toilet every day, and then months of not wanting anything to do with it (i kept encouraging, but not forcing). From everything I've read, this was normal and part of the process. I also got "big girl panties" and I would bring them out to try and entice her to use the "big girl toilet". Probably this is stuff you've already heard, and I know it's different with every child! Good Luck!