Hi all. We are first time parents trying to toilet train our 2 year old son, well 2 years and 3 months to be exact.
We've tried a couple of timed, unsuccessfully, to toilet train him, but now he's showing a lot more signs that he is ready and he can communicate to us in his own way.
He's at the stage where I have him in jocks so he can feel being wet, and at the moment he let's me know when he's wet or has done an 'owie', aka a poo. So I know he just has to learn to get himself to the toilet a bit quicker.
My main problem is that he's a non-sitter. He hardly even sits to watch TV or eat. So I take him to the toilet every 20-30 mins or after he's had a drink and sit him on toilet with a book. He won't stay more then a couple of mins, and every time, a few mins later he'll pee in his jocks.
My question is, how can I encourage him to sit on the toilet a little longer so we can give him more praise when he does pee? Or am I doing it all wrong?
Tips to toilet train a non-sitter
Tips to toilet train a non-sitter
Posted in:
Baby & Toddler, Potty Training
3 Replies
The lots of different ways to toilet train. The fastest way to get there is to recognise the signs that the child is about to wee. So if your boy has any physical changes that consistently are displayed that he is about to pee it cuts down on uneccessary trips to the toilet and turns into a less stressful event. Plus your teaching your boy WHEN to go to the toilet.
Some signs I look for a drips on the jocks, squeezing legs together etc. When you see his signs take him to the loo. Make sure you have entertainment for on the toilet. Books, iPhone, iPad. Whatever it is that will keep your son still. But if he needs to stay sitting than longer than 5 minutes and can't 'release' the pee while sitting I would forget toilet training sitting and try for the 'catching method' with a potty.
Basically you have a potty, you stay close when he accidentally pees you catch it with the potty and praise.
But there are going to be accidents. Once he gets better at catching it, then he will start to go to potty himself. If you have to go that method though I'd just leave it until he is older. We used that method on my son as he had intellectual disability and was 5 and not showing any interest. It took about a week to get him there lots of accidents and me doing nothing else. We really needed to get it done so just did what we had to.
Thanks for that. We're in the process of getting him assessed for sensory issues so maybe he's still not ready.
I also bought him a little trough that sticks to the wall so he can stand and pee, but it doesn't want to stick so I think my husband is going to he it screwed on
If you want to let him learn to pee standing up, get a little stool for him to stand on in front of the toilet and put a ping pong ball in the toilet bowl. He aims at the ping pong ball - lots of fun and the ball doesn't flush - it just floats on top of the flush (well they do flush after a few months, but by then you've won!) It also helps them learn about aiming - last thing you want is wee all over the floor cause he turned to an interesting noise :) I found hitting the ping pong ball with the stream of wee was a big enough reward with a smile and 'well done' from mum or dad. In fact having dad demo and being the pee teacher works well as dad is more likely to understand the 'feeling' of needing to go in a boy context (they do hold on differently to girls). Also you say he is two - it is not unusual for two yo boys to not be ready for toileting - they are much slower to be interested than girls. Good luck.