Potty Training Boys

[kcgreen]

I'm starting to potty train my Son (2 1/2) and was told to sit him down when he pees and poops in the beginning. And that if I let him stand when he pees it would be harder to get him to poop in the potty. (well of course he wants to stand when he pees and refuses to sit) Do you agree? Any advice would help!

[AHP84]

My 2 1/2 y.o. son also refuses to sit when he pees. I started potty training him when he was 19 months with no strict demands, though. I let him progress at his own pace. He has wanted to pee standing up since I started potty training him, so I let him stand.
He's almost 100% potty trained for going pee now, and can wear underpants for a whole day.
Pooping in the toilet...well, he's *just now* starting to get it (as of three weeks ago). But again, I did not set strict demands about him learning to do it. Now that he's got the concept, he tries very hard to let me know and not have accidents. Usually he goes a little in his pants and realizes he needs to stop and get me to help him finish on the toilet.
I have made a huge effort to figure out his pooping schedule. This has helped big time.
Also, if he goes #2 in the potty, I make a big deal about it and usually offer him a treat a little while after he's done the deed (I give him enough time to almost forget about it, then I'll bring it up again and say, "You get a piece of chocolate because you poo-pooed in the potty earlier!") This encourages him to try again later, as the reinforcement tells him I haven't forgotten about his progress and I still expect him to do it again.

[RockRose]

Girls sit when they pee,  boys don't.  Savvy boys already know this by the time potty training age comes.  Let him stand up - that's what you will want him to be doing in a year anyway.

Rockrose,  mother of 3 boys     ;D

[Matts_Mom29]

I have a 3 year old son who insists on squatting on the toilet.  He puts his feet on the toilet seat and squats down.  He pees and poos on the potty and has since I started to train him.  I am a single mother so the only person he has seen use the potty is me, I figure if he wants to use the potty this way and uses it every time he has to go who is it hurting, he has all the time in the world to stand and pee and will do that as he gets older.  

[kcgreen]

Thanks for all your advice. I come from a family of 4 girls and all my sisters have girls (7 grandkids and only my son is the boy!) So my immediate family has no clue on potty training boys. I will let me him stand and not fight him to sit. Now if he was willing to wear underpants we could get somewhere! He only wants to wear a diaper (no underwear/pull-ups) I guess when he is ready he will!

[jd1419]

Both of my boys stand when they pee---it does get a little messy in the beginning but it is a lot easier when you are out for them to pee at a store or wherever.  Also we did not get the little potty we only used the big one with a ring on it for pooping.

[Trialanderror]

That`s interesting. My son insisted on standing when peeing which I had no problem with but he did spend an eternity trying to pooh the same way which led him to the conclusion that he should rather pooh in his pants for a while. I guess your assumption was true for him.