I need help! We are starting to potty train our DS. (he's our first boy!) He's almost two.

For those with boys, did you teach them to pee standing up or sitting down? People have suggested both ways, so I don't really know which is best. DS watches DH go (standing up) and DS loves to stand up and try to go himself.

I'm thinking that this is going to be harder than training my girls was. For them, everything was sit down. Very basic. For DS, I'm thinking I will confuse him ... stand-up, sit down, stand up, sit down.

Also, if he is sitting on the potty for #2...his penis is aiming right at me. Definitely not in the toilet. Do we just teach him to aim it down while he is sitting there?

Help! Never had a boy before!!

By Mommmie on Wednesday, January 7, 2004 - 11:12 pm:

I think I remember starting to teach my son sitting down with him aiming it down with his hand and then finally switching to standing up bec he liked it better that way and it was something girls couldn't do and he could.

He's 9 now and he'll sometimes do it sitting down so he doesn't have to lift the seat up. My adult brother, 41, says he sits down all the time now to avoid messes. As far as cleaning the bathroom I can sure tell when they sit down vs. stand up. Stand up is way messier - even for adults. It's that whole splash factor.

By Annie2 on Wednesday, January 7, 2004 - 11:22 pm:

All I can say is ask DH where his unit is when he does # 2. I was surprised when I saw dh. It makes sense though. Ughhhh, awkward.
With ds, after 3 girls, I (we...dh was working) tried him at a potty chair, at the reg. toilet standing, sitting and sitting backwards, out in the yard....he finally got it standing on a stool before his bath.
It's fun having a little boy. Eye-openers for how dh became the man he is today.

By Pamt on Wednesday, January 7, 2004 - 11:24 pm:

We taught both of our boys sitting down first...and you quickly come to realize that the little splash-guard thing on the potty chair is there for a purpose. We also had them aim down using their hand and then when they were very competent potty-users they learned how to stand and pee. My bathroom NEVER stays clean!! You also have to keep height in mind. Some little boys aren't even tall enough to pee in the toilet and the potty chair is too low and too small of a hole to aim for them to pee in it standing up. Have fun!! SOOOOOO glad those days are behind us.

By Kaye on Wednesday, January 7, 2004 - 11:41 pm:

I think you let him take the lead. My first ds we taught sitting, he quickly switched to standing. With my youngest though he wouldn't train sitting, long story, but once we realized THAT was his issue training was quick. Yep when they sit have it point down...EVERYTIME. As for the potty chair, both of my boys really struggled with sitting on it with that guard thing, both of them got "caught" by it. So we really just had to use the big potty. Good luck, training boys is definetly an experience!

By Trina~moderator on Thursday, January 8, 2004 - 07:04 am:

I agree to follow his lead. We started my son sitting and currently 7, he still prefers to sit. OK with me, because there is no spray around the toilet! Much cleaner that way.

By Karen~moderator on Thursday, January 8, 2004 - 08:52 am:

............and *most* of them never outgrow peeing *outside of the box* either, at the very least there's usually pee all over the rim of the bowl............men/boys can trash a freshly cleaned bathroom in about 2 seconds.......

By Kernkate on Thursday, January 8, 2004 - 09:19 am:

LOL...I can relate to that Karen!! Raising 3 boys and with DH I know what you are saying.
When I started potty training the boys, they would always sit down. Then with time they get the standing up idea.

By Karen~moderator on Thursday, January 8, 2004 - 10:39 am:

This may be too much information, or whatever.........but do any of you have men/boys around that do that *shaking the penis* thing after they pee, only for the drops to shake everywhere except in the bowl??

By Kernkate on Thursday, January 8, 2004 - 11:12 am:

ROFL....Karen you are too funny!! I can so relate!!!

By Sunny on Thursday, January 8, 2004 - 11:13 am:

If they used the potty chair, we taught them sitting down first. Once they were tall enough, they took Dad's lead and started standing up at the toilet. Of my 4 older boys, only the 2 oldest used a potty chair (and not for very long).

men/boys can trash a freshly cleaned bathroom in about 2 seconds It takes less time than that at my house! LOL

By Insaneusmcwife on Thursday, January 8, 2004 - 11:45 am:

ds started sitting down. It wasn't until he went daycare and he saw the other kids standing that he started to. Some how dh doesn't get botherd when he is in the bathroom, just me so I don't think ds ever saw him go.

By Insaneusmcwife on Thursday, January 8, 2004 - 11:48 am:

oh, I wanted to add for help with target practice you can put a few cherrios or kix in the toilet and have him aim for those. I was told by ds daycare teacher to do this and it worked.

By Mommyathome on Thursday, January 8, 2004 - 02:50 pm:

Thanks for the info Sounds like this could get messey! LOL

Karen....ROFL about the *shaking* thing. I seen my DH do that and said "what are you doing that for?" He said to get all the drips out. (ok...this is getting to be too much info right? LOL) I said, well they are going EVERYWHERE! Why in the world don't they just get a little piece of toilet paper and dab a little bit? Too lazy?
I have trained DH to wipe up his own messes around the rim. I was raised as an only child, with just my mom in the house. I never experienced the whole *boy thing*. It kind of grossed me out when I seen the mess it creates.

By Tonya on Thursday, January 8, 2004 - 02:54 pm:

We trained Timmy by sitting down and now when he is going he stands but he knows that in order to stand he must always hear water noises as he is going or he knows he isn't going correctly.

If we don't hear it hitting the water we will say water Timmy and he knows and does it correctly.

By Lauram on Thursday, January 8, 2004 - 03:09 pm:

I'm just starting with my almost 2year old ds. He's my second. We've been doing the sitting down thing. If not, they sometimes "poop" while standing at first! I also am training him to push his "peepee" down when he pees- otherwise he pees out the toilet. I'm not a big fan of the splash guard. DH and I were just discussing this. I think it gives too much of a "crutch" and makes it harder to pee when not at home (at daycare/other places). For example, we'd been using the splash guard and he peed on the potty at daycare (hooray!) but actually he peed all over his pants because he didn't know to push it down! Hence, our latest lesson! Eventually, my other son stood up on his own- it's a very "big boy" thing to do!

By Carolk on Thursday, January 8, 2004 - 03:31 pm:

"Why in the world don't they just get a little piece of toilet paper and dab a little bit? Too lazy? "


I actually have my 4 year old DS do that. Of course he still makes a mess because he stands, but I don't know if he really got the hang of shaking it off. DH told him what to do, but I think he prefers toilet paper.

By Missy3 on Thursday, January 8, 2004 - 04:08 pm:

ROFL...............I will remember all the tips in two years when it is my turn

By Debbie on Thursday, January 8, 2004 - 05:46 pm:

Well, our new thing is that my ds (5-1/2) doesn't lift the seat anymore to pee. For some reason he thinks it is going to fall on him???? So, he ends up peeing all over the seat. It drives me nuts to sit down in pee all the time. I am trying to train him to wipe the seat off if he gets it wet. I know I am expecting too much, half the time he doesn't even flush!!!!!!!

The joys of sharing your house with 3 males!!!!

PS We trained sitting down and then a few months later ds started standing.