Lighthearted question... :)

[single_cj]

Okay, so now that I'm living sans-DH, I have a silly question for you other singles mamas...

HOW DOES A WOMAN POTTY TRAIN A LITTLE BOY!!???



Do I try to teach him how to pee standing up?? His "teeny weenie" doesn't reach! Do I teach him sitting down and let him figure out standing up with Dada visits later on??

Any suggestions would be much appreciated. He just turned 2 last week, so I'm not in any rush, but he has "asked" a few times go "pee on potty"!

[PoppyMama]

My ds was in daycare when he started pottytraining so I'm sure he pottied there sitting down (I think most of the boys started that way). When he was out of diapers I taught him to pee standing up. I felt very strongly that I didn't want my son to only know how to pee sitting down since that was "sadly" indicative of not having a father in his life. I know a lot of people think that is silly but it was something I was sensitive about. I had a little step stool for the bathroom and he would stand on that and hold his penis and I would stand behind him and hold/position his hand so that the pee would make it into the toilet. He learned faster and pee'd around the room less than most little boys I've seen...so success.

[Avani]

I taught my boys to sit down. It takes some skill in order for them to be able to stand and reach for one thing but also to control the stream. Both my boys eventually started standing on their own without my prompting around 4 years of age.

[RollerCoasterMama]

Sitting down on his little potty with a built in shield, gradually moving to the big potty! I was still living with XH until he was 3 and we both taught him sitting down. Preschool taught him to keep it aimed in the potty while sitting -- not his best skill for a while! Somewhere around 3-1/4 he picked up standing to pee like the other kids. He's never been a sprayer...always really good about aiming right in the water. This summer when we were on vacation in the woods, I taught him that he could pee outside since he was good about standing up. COOLEST THING EVER for him! And made our little excursions much easier! Except he wanted to keep peeing outside when we got home, so we had to explain the rules---no peeing off Mommy's deck!!! Peeing outside is for when we're on vacation. :P

Totally do-able to potty train a boy as a single-mama!

Also, standing to pee coincided with being tall enough to do it in an adult potty!

[~Charlie's~Angel~]

Not a single mama, but doing most of the training on TWO little boys myself.

I started with sitting down with both of them, and then ask them if they want to try standing up. Sometimes the answer is yes. Most of the time they want to sit. I think its up to the preferance of the child, really.

[mamaclukey]

I felt very strongly that I didn't want my son to only know how to pee sitting down since that was "sadly" indicative of not having a father in his life

That kind of makes ME sad. Not a single Mom but I noticed this post and my 9 year old still pees sitting down and his father has always been in his life. It's just how he feels comfortable.

Not to hijack the thread just wanted to point out, boys sitting down to pee is not ANY indication of the father being around or not

[chely7425]

I am not sure if I am single mama or not (DH and I are.. working on things) but he is deployed so I am on my own to help our oldest with this! My husband pees sitting down tho so...

[Minxie]

I taught my son to pee sitting down first and then daycare and I taught him to stand as some of the other boys were doing so. You can use Cheerios for a target.

[StephandOwen]

I potty trained ds to stand up. You could try the cheerio trick (put a couple cheerios in the potty for him to aim). I didn't do that with ds, but did it with some other children (worked in a daycare) and it really works for some kids!

As for him being too short.... what about a cheap little step-stool? DS was almost 3 1/2 when he potty trained so he was tall enough that it didn't matter, but at the daycare we had a stool in the 2 year old rooms for them to use.

[rightkindofme]

(Not a single mother)

Every guy I have ever been in a serious relationship with has sat down to pee. Every single one was raised with their fathers. I don't know how I manage to keep picking guys with this preference, but I like it!

[elsie123]

no worries! Seriously, toileting is not something I think kids learn by watching others. It is so personal, they just do what feels right to them during the process.

I helped my son toilet learn with no dad around. He sat on the mini-potty for a while, and when he was tall enough (at 2.75) he just started standing up. I talked about it with him, about how everyone decides what works for them, and about how boys and girls anatomy is different so they do it different ways.

It will work out

[PoppyMama]

Originally Posted by mamaclukey

That kind of makes ME sad. Not a single Mom but I noticed this post and my 9 year old still pees sitting down and his father has always been in his life. It's just how he feels comfortable.

Not to hijack the thread just wanted to point out, boys sitting down to pee is not ANY indication of the father being around or not

I think you're taking this a little too seriously. I put sadly in quotations because this is a silly subject. Obviously, it's something some single mothers think about...and yes, I did hear comments when my son was potty training age and obviously I wanted him to know how to pee standing up. He does, and now I couldn't give a rat's butt how he pees. My job is done on that front.

[~Charlie's~Angel~]

Originally Posted by PoppyMama

I felt very strongly that I didn't want my son to only know how to pee sitting down since that was "sadly" indicative of not having a father in his life.

Im sorry you felt this way. As I said, I am not a single mother, and that is how my boys are starting the potty learning process. Even the few times my husband DOES take them potty, he has them sit down.

[single_cj]

Thanks, ladies... it's what I thought all along, but it was nice to get some reassurance! My STBX pees sitting down most of the time, too, so I guess I really shouldn't have worried.



Just one of those things, I guess!

[PoppyMama]

Originally Posted by Barbie64g

Im sorry you felt this way. As I said, I am not a single mother, and that is how my boys are starting the potty learning process. Even the few times my husband DOES take them potty, he has them sit down.

It's really not that tragic, I promise , everyone has their weird priorities. I wanted my son to be able to pee standing up early on, I made it happen, all is well and now I have no idea how he pees. I have to say that I'm surprised that so many people's men pee sitting down. Every man, who I would know how they pee, pee standing up.

[proud mama of 2]

I agree with the other Mamas. Teach him sitting down until he can manage to go standing. Good luck!

[~Charlie's~Angel~]

Originally Posted by PoppyMama

I have to say that I'm surprised that so many people's men pee sitting down. Every man, who I would know how they pee, pee standing up.

OT

I agree! I thought my husband was the oddball of the state.

[lah7]

I taught my son to pee sitting down. The other boys at daycare taught him to stand by the time he was 4.5. Problem solved!

[PoppyMama]

Originally Posted by Barbie64g

OT

I agree! I thought my husband was the oddball of the state.

I was cracking up over all the sitting male pee'ers because the only reason I know of for men to sit to pee (and the only reason that any guy has talked about sitting to pee in my presence) are penile "decorations" that cause them to pee out of more than one hole causing a human sprinkler effect.