I have three boys (and a girl) - can't say that I have mastered the situation, but I've at least been through it. We have no more in diapers!!!! The youngest any one of them was potty trained was at 2 1/2. My pediatrician in OK said that you should not even start boys until 2 1/2. The latest any one of my trained was at 3 1/2, and that was too late, but he was stubborn. One thing I learned, which I think is hugely important, is that they need to learn "the feeling" My oldest was not really potty trained; he was just trained to go whenever mom took him to the toilet, but he didn't figure out that his body actually told him to go for a LONG time. So, if I happened to forget to take him when he needed to go, there was always an accident. And he was a terrible bed wetter for a VERY LONG time. The doctor said it was because he did not recognize the sensation that told him to take himself to the bathroom. While the other two were older, when they were trained, they were actually trained and understood what was going on!!! And they were trained through the night immediately! Hope that helps.

I'm right along with you, I can't hardly remember kindergarten more or less remember being potty trained. And like you said, I'm still blamed for missing. What's up with that? :)

As far as the missing thing goes, just tell your wife I fully understand the frustrations of missing the mark!! I've tried and tried to train them right, but somehow other things get hit. I have some great stories, but that is for another post!!!

Potty training a boy huh? You are a brave, brave soul.

We started potty training our son RIGHT when he turned 2, because I just thought he was the most intelligent 2 year ever to roam the earth. .. Turns out, potty training has nothing to do with being smart! UGH. lol

It took us a FULL YEAR, at least to get him potty trained. And I have come to the conclusion that we started way way way way too early, which backfired on us.  I will never do that again. Even when he started preschool at age 3, he had a few accidents during class.  Do you know what it's like to have to clean smushed toddler poop out of underwear????? It's pure hell.  One of my kids' pediatricians says to not potty train until you are for SURE they are ready.. her rationalization "no kid has ever gone to Kindergarten in diapers". Good Point - she talked me into waiting with my daughter. I did not start Kaitlynn until she was 2 years and 7 months and she was completely potty trained in two days. I couldn't believe the stark difference between jumping the gun and waiting it out. (of course I believe there's also a difference between boys and girls) As far as bedwetting goes, I was told by a couple different pediatricians that in boys, the part of the brain that wakes them up at night to go potty, does not finish developing until they are 6 years old. So if you plan on letting him sleep in big boy undies any time soon, I highly suggest you buy a mattress cover.  It will keep you from having to replace your son's mattress, like we had to - yuck.

By the way, if it sounds like I'm attempting to discourage you from potty training your 19 month old, I am LOL.  I hope that is not taken in an offensive matter, I'm just trying to save you from what my husband and I went through for a year.. I wouldn't wish it on anyone!  But good luck on whatever you decide.

Here's a good piece of advice - try potty training for one week, if you child is not making any progress, go back to diapers and try again next month :)

It took a year for our girl to potty train.  Notice I didn't say, "for us to potty train her."  Heh.  When I was about to go back to work when she was turning two, we thought we'd try one of those "potty training in a weekend with no pants and lots of drinks" things and be able to ship her straight off to the preschool that, while it started at age 2, required them to be potty trained.  Yeah, that didn't work.  We spent an entire year of half-hearted attempts, books, videos, all that stuff--she knew what to do, she knew when, she knew how, she knew why, she'd "practice" and pretend--she just wouldn't put it all together.  And then, she turned 3, we came home from her family birthday party in LA, and she refused to put on a new pull-up at bedtime.  We were like, oh well, this is gonna be a disaster.  But it wasn't.  That's not to say she doesn't have the occasional accident when she's too busy to pay attention to her body, but overall, she basically turned three and decided it was time.  And my wife had even just borrowed my mom's vintage 1st edition (1974) of

Toilet Training in Less Than a Day

(from when she potty trained me)--and we didn't even get to/have to use it.  So good luck, dude!  I feel you.  :)

Potty training is different with every child.  My oldest daughter was completely done in 3 days and never had an issue after that.  My youngest daughter, now 2, could be potty trained if she wanted to.  She still wants to wear diapers, not the pullups, but baby diapers.  I think she realizes that she will no longer be a "baby" and is trying to hold onto to it as long as she can.  Don't they know they will always be our babies? =)

Good luck to you in your endeavors!  I have heard that boys are more difficult than girls.  As for hitting the mark, I have seen somewhere some kind of target that floats in the toilet to help encourage aim.  Try the One Step Ahead website - they might have some cool things that can help.

 

 

For what it's worth - we decided we didn't want 6 mos. to a year of potty training.  If the kiddo said she wanted to go on the potty, we let her, but we didn't push it.  She was 3 when she finally got around to it.  She really liked her pull ups - she knew they were more convenient for her lifestyle :)

The kiddo showed all the standard signs of being potty training ready at age 2, but she didn't WANT to do it.  End of story.  Ever try physically forcing a kid on the potty?  Doesn't work. 

And there's no formula.  We think you have to figure out what works for your kid and you.  So, best of luck to you.

My niece Hannah just got finished potty training. Well, I'm not sure she's really finished yet. I think they are going throught it still. I know they've used the get a jelly bean when you go trick. Not sure it had much effect. I know they started with her sometime last year and she's still wearing pull-ups at night. In the middle of the training was when they took a trip to Taiwan to adopt their second child. That trip just about ruined everything. If I remember correctly the big turn around was when Hannah's friend came over one weekend. She was already potty trained and after that Hannah only wanted to wear her big girl undies. There have been a few issues with the No. 2 because sometimes Hannah thinks it will hurt and won't want to go. So then my SIL has to basically stay in the bathroom with her forever trying to convince her to go. One time playing Disney music on a CD player helped her work through it pretty fast and forget about it possibly "hurting". I know a big issue for girls can be public restrooms I actually witnessed a poor girl of about age 4 complete with Disney princess dress that was unable to make it thanks to the huge line out the door this past weekend at Disneyland. Poor thing, she was really embarassed.