Potty training a toddler is never easy but I feel like potty training a toddler boy is extra hard. Mason really didn’t want to potty train. We tried on a few occasions but he resisted so much and threw insane tantrums and fits that it was more than a little overwhelming for all of us. We probably waited a little too long to start since I really didn’t want to push him to potty train. He’s now three and a half and I was tired of changing diapers so I said enough is enough!
So what worked for us? I’m sharing everything we did to hopefully help other boy moms and dads out there so hopefully it’s a little less stressful.
• When we were getting to the last pack of diapers we let Mason know that we were almost all out and we weren’t going to be able to get more. I cancelled our diaper subscription to Honest so that I didn’t have that to fall back on in case it was tough and we were getting weak.
• I bought trim fit training underwear (4 packs of 4) so that they were more comfortable for Mason. I had started out with Paw Patrol training undies which had been recommended to me but he peed right through them and the character undies didn’t seem to be a motivator for him. The trim fit undies are a waffle cotton, they fit Mason nicely and have the same thickness of other training undies.
• We started potty training using pull-ups for naptime and bedtime. After a few weeks he was waking up with completely dry pull-ups so then we stuck to undies for naptime and bedtime too.
• We kept a family size m&m’s bag in the bathroom so that anytime he sat on the potty for over a minute he’d get one and then when he’d actually pee pee on the potty he’d get to pick two more.
• The very first time he peed on the potty at home he got to pick out a Paw Patrol toy that I bought on Amazon. They’re $9 each so we used them for milestones. For example, the first pee he got a toy. The first time he peed first thing in the morning on the potty he got a toy and then the first time he went poo on the potty he got a toy.
• To minimize the accidents I set a timer to keep track of how long it had been since our last potty visit. We started timing 25 minutes in between trying to go potty. As he got better about going on the potty we started to extend the time in between going to the bathroom. After a few days of him not having any accidents in between trying we shifted it to 30 minutes in between. After another few days we started timing 45 minutes in between before going up to 1-2 hours in between needing to go potty. Mason now not only is telling us when he needs to go but he’s also showing very obvious signs long enough before actually going pee pee on the potty so that if we’re out we can get him to the bathroom in enough time to not have an accident.
• Going poo poo on the potty was definitely more challenging for Mason and he still has accidents from time to time but just make sure not the make a stink…pun intended 😉 when you have to clean up the mess. I was constantly trying to remind Mason that accidents are just part of potty training and that his mommy and daddy both had lots of accidents when we were potty training. He would get so grossed out by poop in his undies so that set us back a little bit when he would have accidents but I think we’ve finally gotten over that issue/fear.
• We had Mason start potty training sitting down rather than standing up. I feel like it was easier for us and honestly less of an overall mess. He’s still sitting down but to make things easier for him and so he’s able to go to the bathroom with minimal assistance we bought this seat with a step.
So there you have it, all the steps we took to help Mason potty train. Just remember that while your patience might be tested and you’ll for sure get your fair share of accidents to clean up that EVERYONE goes through the same things. Try and continue to always be a positive light for your little one while they’re figuring it all out. And, it does get easier as time goes. They figure it out and start to recognize the feeling they get before needing to “go”. It’s so exciting when they get it!! Be their biggest cheerleaders. We always made a big deal when Mason would pee or poo in the potty! He loved it and would even clap for us when we went. By making it fun and celebrating their wins no matter how big or small it really made it easier on all of us.
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As always, thank you so much for stopping by the blog today! I hope you found this post to be useful!!
