How to potty train a two year old boy?

Question

My son started potty training at 18 months at his request and goes almost every time I take him to the potty but he has never once told me he has to go. He only goes in the potty if I take him there but he doesn't fight me and seems to like sitting on the potty like a big kid and I give him m&ms (one for sitting there, two if he pees three if he poops). I think one problem is that I am giving him too much liquid. He has a cup that he drinks out of what seems like 24/7. I have cut him down to just two cups of milk (morning and night) and the rest is water. He is constantly sucking down water!

Also, he currently wears pull ups. I want to put him in underwear but I worry about him wetting and pooping all over everything. How can I avoid a huge mess if I put him in underwear?

How often should I be giving him water and how much? And how do I get him to tell me in advance or even afterward about going to the potty?

Answer 1

first off I had this problem with my son drink drink is all he ever does I think.... He just started potty training like three months ago and he says he had to go and also doesn't wear dipers during the day or at night anymore. How I did it was monitor how often he is drinking. Give him one cup of water and he can't have anymore until he goes to the bathroom. Just give him like 20 min after he has drank the glass of water and then begin to ask him if he has to go. No matter what he says make him sit down for like five min. to see if anything happens. Keep that up until he goes. Make sure that you ask him if he has to go before taking him. If it becomes routine to ask him he will form the habit of telling you he has to go be for he does. Don't push him though if he wil not do it don't make him that is how you form a bed wetter. Plus I am sorry to say but go out and buy like 20 pairs of underwear and put them on him. Tell him that the underwear make him a big boy then when he goes potty in them make him wear them for two to three mins. until he understands that if you don't use the potty that is what will happen a wet butty. Dipers and pull ups still hide the wet feeling for kids, so use underwear so he is defently feeling it trust me he will get stick of being wet all the time and go potty in like three weeks all by himself. Good Luck

Answer 2

http://www.learning-graph.com/teachingdi...

Answer 3

My daughter started training the same time as your son. I think the way that worked best for her was I set the oven timer and when it went off, she had to go use the potty. If she went, I would make a big deal about it. In the beginning, I had to take her until she got used to recognizing the timer. Eventually we cut out the timer and she got rewarded for going without the timer.

Does he really like the m&ms? If so, you might want to dry giving him a different treat for sitting, peeing, and pooping(like golfish). Save the m&m's for if he goes all by himself, or tells you he has to go. (1 if he tells you, and 2 if he goes by himself.) You may have to initially say, ok we are going to the potty so you get one m&m, and then let him know if he goes by himself he will 2 instead of one.

If you are worried about him having accidents, you can put him in underpants and put the plastic panties on top of those. Sometimes it does seep out but, I have found it keeps a lot more trapped and prevents a big mess, and that way, he still gets to fell the sensation of being wet, which helps them to learn to get up and go because they don't like being wet.