When deciding how to potty train your little boy, remember that if he’s strong-willed, then the process could quickly escalate into a battle between the two of you. At that point, he’s likely to resist learning, possibly making messes deliberately, or sometimes even holding things until he develops constipation. So you can help yourself and him if you start by judging his potty training readiness. Toddlers are generally ready between eight and twenty-four months, while some children aren’t fully ready until they’re in their third year. Don’t rush, even if it would be more convenient for you.
One good way to divert your child’s attention away from just resisting your will and instead making the toilet training process something he’s keenly interested in may be to get him involved in making it work. If he gets to choose which underwear he’ll use, for example, or pick out his own potty chair or toilet seat, he may become much more willing to learn. In discerning how to potty train a strong-willed child, sometimes it’s simply a matter of making it his own project.
Another tip for potty training a boy who may be somewhat strong-willed involves a little bit of trickery. When your son’s diaper needs changing, rather than cleaning things up right away, you might wait a little longer than usual to change it. Gradually, he will associate a feeling of discomfort with the diaper. This may seem a rather underhanded way of potty training toddlers, but the goal of your entire training regimen is to help make it his own idea to get out of those diapers permanently and start using the bathroom.
The point of drawing the child into the toilet training by means of his own interest and curiosity is that you avoid setting up a “parent-versus-child” battle ground. If you can learn how to potty train by getting your son on board with the idea and interested enough to cooperate, you will save both of you a lot of grief. If you rouse him to oppose the idea, however, the two of you will fight constant battles which the child is always likely to win. If you can manage it, then it will be far better to find ways to encourage him to be interested and cooperative instead.
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