When it is time to start potty training, it can be a nerve-racking and scary experience for both parent and child. One thing you should know is that potty-training boys is a whole lot different than potty training your daughter. The key to successful potty training for any child is trust and finding what works best for them. You can take advice and potty training tips from other mothers in your family or circle of friends, but remember what worked best for them, might not be ideal for you and your son.

Potty training boys is not an easy task, especially for the mother. The best way to start, especially if you are a single mother, is to start off by sitting down. You do not want to start potty training boys to stand up right away. This allows them to have better control and learn the basics to begin with. You need to start with teaching him how to control his urine stream. This means you will need to show him to gently push his penis down into the toilet or potty, in order to keep from making a mess.

If you have a potty chair, you should start with that. Most boys, at first, are scared of the potty. It is a new experience for them, the sounds, sights, and area could be very scary to any toddler. So get him comfortable with a potty chair first. Once he has mastered the potty chair and has become accustomed, he may be ready for the big toilet. Potty training boys is all about allowing him to pace himself. You may find that he becomes interested in the “big potty” because it just seems more exciting to him.

When he is ready switch him over to the big potty and still keep him sitting down. You might need to hold him up for a while, until he realizes he needs to hold himself up. You might even want to consider a potty chair that goes over the bigger toilets. After he has mastered the basics and control, you can then begin teaching him how to stand up to urinate.

The best thing to do for this part is to have the father or other male family member take him in the bathroom to show him. As men, they have a better understanding of what needs to be done. If you do not have a male family member around, you should take your son into the bathroom, and tell him you want him to learn how to use the potty like a big boy. Have him stand up, remove his pants and underpants, then face the toilet. You must tell him to hold onto his penis and control the flow of urine into the toilet.

Do not get discouraged if he does not hit the toilet in the first, second, or even fifth try, this is a learned process. Potty training boys can be difficult no matter who is doing the training.