Time has just flown by and your little baby is not really a baby any longer. You probably can’t comprehend how fast he’s become an active toddler.

The time has come when you’re considering whether to begin potty training him. It’s quite possible you’re also thinking ‘Oh boy! How are we going to do this?’

If that’s the case, don’t worry; we’re here to give you the best tips on how to potty train boys to help your little one achieve potty training success in no time.

How to Potty train boys

You are already aware that boys, especially in their early childhood, tend to be much more intense than little girls of the same age.

If you already have an older girl, I’m sure you’re totally aware of the many differences between boys and girls during childhood.

While I was pregnant with my second child, my husband, our 2.5 years old daughter and I were at the park and we saw a group of toddlers – a couple of girls and a boy. At that stage, we didn’t know whether we were having a boy or a girl and, after seeing their behavior my husband said jokingly he would be more than happy with another girl.

Boys tend to be a bit of a handful in their early years. Potty training boys can also be a bit more challenging than potty training girls. Research shows that, on average, girls are fully potty trained 2-3 months earlier than boys.

Read on for our best potty training tips for young lads.

When to start potty training boys

Ideally, if we want potty success we should start potty training when the little boy shows signs that he’s ready. Each child is different and although one might be fully potty trained at 20 months, another might not show the slightest interest until he’s 3 years old. The American Academy of Pediatrics highlights the importance of respecting the child’s own timing for achieving potty success.

How do I know if my son is ready to potty train?

There are several signs to let parents know their little boys are ready for potty training:

They let you know they’re doing a poo. Some boys let you know verbally by just saying ‘I’m going poo poo’, while others are clearly doing it silently or grunting
They go and hide to poo or even to wee. When they do this it means they can already identify the need to eliminate. If they hide and then poo, it means they’re already able to realize the need and can hold it long enough to make a run to the potty
They pull at a dirty nappy. That means your little boy is uncomfortable wearing a dirty diaper. He’s ready for potty training and looking forward to not having to wear that soiled diaper for much longer
They show an interest in others’ elimination habits. If your little boy enters the bathroom while you’re using it, pays attention, and tries to see what you’re doing, then let him. His behavior is completely normal and he’s learning what adults or older siblings do
They go long periods with a dry diaper. That means they’re learning to hold it for longer periods. This is especially important if your little boy wakes up dry after a nap; it means he’s starting to gain control of his sphincter while he’s asleep.

When you know your big boy is ready to potty train, let’s find out the best way to do it.

5 potty training tips for boys

#1: Get the potty ready!

Place the potty in a visible place close to where he is. If your house is very big or has more than one storey, it’s a good idea to have more than one potty chair as moving the potty around isn’t a good idea. He needs to know where it is so when he reaches it, it’s actually there. It can be very frustrating for your toddler boy to identify his need, run to the potty and then soil his pants because the potty wasn’t where he expected it to be.

#2: Get him some big boy underwear

Now he’s begun toilet training, positive encouragement is very important, therefore get him some big boy’s undies. He’ll be very happy to wear them, and feel just like the rest of the people in his family, especially dad or an older brother.

Make sure the underwear is comfortable and easy to pull down.

#3: Make potty training fun

The potty training journey is challenging enough for most children. Parents should make sure toilet training is something toddlers can enjoy doing.

Celebrate his successes and celebrate them in a big way. Even if he misses, give him some kind of recognition for what has happened. If your little guy goes to sit on the potty and leaves a trail of urine on the way, he needs positive reinforcement. Let him know he’s done well because he recognized the need to use the potty even if he didn’t get there on time.

What about making up your own potty training song? Or having a smaller potty for his favorite toy to play potty with?

#4: Make potty training part of his routine

Potty training a boy can be easily achieved in a few weeks. It’s much easier to start potty training when the weather is nice and allows your little guy to be wearing just underwear or even be naked from the waist down.

Potty training can be done during colder periods, too, of course; it will just take a bit longer for him to remove his clothes in time, especially when if he’s outside the home, where it’s colder and he has to wear more layers of clothing to keep warm.

Wearing pull ups will give your son the confidence he needs during these colder periods. There won’t be a problem if he misses but, at the same time, wearing a pull up diaper will give him the feeling he’s progressed from the ‘baby diapers’ he used to wear earlier. For this idea to work you should introduce pull ups at the same time as potty training.

#5: Be supportive and patient

Potty training boys, and girls, requires a bit of time and patience. There will be misses, and quite a few messes. A few accidents during the process should be expected. Your child might even have a few accidents after he’s fully potty trained.

Toilet training is one of the big milestones in a young child’s life, and especially big for him as it will probably be the first milestone he’s aware of.

For a little boy’s correct attachment and emotional development, his main carers, usually his parents, need to be supportive of his efforts. You should never make a big deal of an accident. It’s important to understanding that even with good intentions everyone sometimes misses the target. At the end of the day it’s called an accident for a reason: it wasn’t done intentionally.

For most children pleasing their parents is very important. Make sure he feels he’s making progress and you’re proud of his achievements. When a child learns that it’s okay, and expected, to make mistakes in any learning process, he’ll grow into a confident young man who feels supported and loved.

How to potty train a boy at night

Nighttime training is a bit more challenging. Gaining sphincter control while asleep might require a bit more time before it’s mastered.

The potty training process is easier during the day, when children spend most of the time awake. Remind your child regularly that it’s potty time and even help your son sit on the potty.

A whole night is a very long time to manage without going to the toilet, so it’s normal to expect a few wet nights. If your son struggles to wake up to go to the toilet or if he has problems going back to sleep afterwards, you could try using nighttime diapers for the first few nights until he wakes up with a dry diaper.

Potty training a stubborn boy

Sometimes potty training becomes a bit of an uphill battle for some children. It’s possible that a child is not yet ready, or that parents’ expectations are too high.

If you think potty training isn’t working for your son, carry on with diapers for a while longer and don’t pressure him.

You can always try again in a few weeks’ time. That will give him a bit more time to mature and to process that it’s not such a big deal. He’ll then approach the task with the necessary confidence to do it.

Potty training a 3 year old boy who refuses

If your child resists sitting on the potty or the toilet to eliminate it’s probably because he’s not ready yet.

All children will gain sphincter control at some point. It’s just that some do it earlier than others. Many children are ready to potty train by their third birthday but this doesn’t mean all of them will be. Each person is unique and some might be faster than others in doing certain things and slower to achieve others.

Potty training can’t be forced on a child. Pressuring him won’t usually work and, if it does, it will have an impact on his mental and emotional development.

Have a conversation with him and ask him what he thinks about sitting on the potty. He’ll probably be able to help you identify the problem. It might be something as simple as him wanting to use the regular toilet instead of the potty.

How to potty train a boy in 3 days

There shouldn’t be a time limit on the number of days it takes a child to potty train.

Sometimes there’s an external need, such as your son starting to attend child care, that requires the entire process to be achieved in a very short period of time.

Expecting a child to be completely potty trained during one long weekend, for example, is very unrealistic and can put too much pressure on him, making the whole process upsetting and unsuccessful.

Potty training is something he needs to get used to, as a daily routine; this requires more than three days. If being fully trained is a requirement of the daycare provider you’ve arranged to care for your son, you could try to reach an agreement with the staff, delay his starting day, or look for a different place that respects his own timing.

Should you potty train a boy sitting or standing?

Potty sitting should be the way to go to for all children, regardless of their sex. In the case of boys, it teaches them cleanliness and consideration for others, as they probably won’t be the ones who clean the toilets once they become adults. Regular toilets are designed to be used seated. When men of any age pee sitting down, the toilet and the bathroom floor usually remain cleaner.

Of course, I’m aware that being able to pee standing has many benefits and, like many women, I’ve wished more than once I could empty my bladder in a standing position.

Boys and men should benefit from their extra urethral length and use it appropriately. However, when we’re talking about teaching and training, boys should learn and become accustomed to using the toilet sitting down. Once they understand this is the norm, that’s the time to teach them how to pee standing. Some target practice might be of great help here.

If your baby has just been born or you’re still pregnant, have a look at our article Elimination Communication