Umm...a boy potty training question....?

[gomummygo]

I'm sure there must be a simple answer for this but I don't know it! Help?

We're big fans of the "allow him to do it in his own time" approach to most things. Bought a potty when DS was about 18 months, read a few books about it, told him what it was but no pressure to actually use it. Has recently (since 2 years or so) started to remove his own nappy, go over to the potty and wee in it, standing up. I'm assuming this is because he's seen DH do it this way. He's well on his way to training himself, with no pressure or intervention from us, BUT...we do of course want to encourage him. Would love to try him going out without a nappy, but how on earth does he use a full size toilet/loo? There won't be step stools in most places we go and he certainly can't reach. Didn't think it was a huge deal until I asked him to sit on the little seat I bought for the full size loo and he was horrified at the idea of sitting down for his wee!

Is it typical for him to be standing up, and if so how does one take him out anywhere? Both my mum and mil say their DS' sat down until they were more than tall enough (though this is probably because all of their children were potty trained by 12m, lol!)

Mine sat down too, much easier till they were taller, but you could try holding him up to use the toilet.They have little toilets in nursery so that won't be a problem but you can't keep him in nappies if he's really wanting to go without. You'll work something out, good luck.

Can you fit the plastic step you use at home under the buggy or in a bag and carry it around? Or in public loos could he stand on the toilet seat? Or is that too gross and miss leading??!

You will just have to lift him up (or stand him on your feet if he's reasonably tall).

I have had to lift the DS up to men's height urinals before.

I think carrying a step around with you could take changing bags to a whole other dimension

You could try one of those travel pottys, but thye 'area' might be a bit small for a young boys aim!!

It's summer (well nearly).

Can't he just wee outside?

[lowers the tone]

I stood DS on the seat (and wiped it afterwards) with a little crouch it worked fine until he was finally tall enough to reach over the edge

Ditto to CMOT stand him on the seat! When he starts to poo on the potty, sitting down to wee might become a bit more natural maybe?

my ds takes himself off to the loo and does "stand up wees" like daddy without a step. He basically worked out a way so he stands with one foot on the seat and one foot on the floor which gives him just enough height to get the pee in. He's happy to sit down too, but he likes doing it like daddy.

I wondered about this. DS is only 20 months so I'm not expecting him to understand yet, but recently he's begun to tell me when he is pooing and weeing, loves to run around naked, and seems to like sitting on things, so I got him a little potty. He loves sitting on it, but he doesn't seem to like sitting down to wee or poo - he just does it standing up and runs away if I try to catch it from underneath him! I have started just putting a nappy on him if I see him starting to do one!

One of my friends had a solution which she used for travel situations but which might work for you? For both her DS, she used to carry around a "wee pot", basically an empty wide opening bottle (with lid, of course !!) that she would get the boys to do their wees in if there was no where else to go. Sounds like a good idea to me, quick, containable and you can easily tip it into the toilet straight away then give it a rinse. Plus, I'm sure most toddlers would find it hilarious to wee into a bottle (or is that just my toddler ??!)
I will be trying this for sure with DS, might be a useful method until he's tall enough.

I hadn't even thought about standing him on the seat! Will try that tomorrow. Am hoping that when he begins sitting for poos that will help him be more comfortable to sit down.

HeadFairy it is hard to picture but I imagine your DS must be quite tall to do that?

Can't see me carrying around the step stool tbh, but maybe he would be tall enough standing on my feet, will try that too tomorrow...

Thank you so much for all the ideas, I just could not wrap my head around the logistics of how I was going to go anywhere until he was taller! Was sure this must have been an issue for someone else!

Stanton do you know how she got them to try it in the first place? DS would probably find it hilarious too, once it was done, but not sure he would actually go in the first place?

I think she used to wait till bath time and if they needed a wee in the bath get them to stand up and do it in a cup, make a bit of a game of it really. I've started doing this with my DS recently to get him used to the idea for when we start potty training in earnest. I think I read somewhere that apparently children tend to do a wee virtually as soon as they get into the bath, so to try and get them to stand in the water at first, rather than sit down straight away and then get the cup ready. With my DS he will tell me he's got a wee coming, so I just try and really encourage him, you know " Ooh, wouldn't it be funny to do a wee in this cup? A wee ! In a cup ! That would be so funny ! do you think you can do it ?" and so on...blah blah!!
Now, it all sounds great in theory and works a treat in the bath, but yet to try it myself out and about. I asked my friend about it again recently and she said that someone she knows has even found a way of using the bottle method with her DD ! Brave lady, too much margin for error with girls, surely !

Thanks everyone! And thanks for the follow up Stanton!

does he use a pushchair? you could stick one of these in the bottom? could use it at home too?

You are most welcome ! Good luck with it all

Ninja that's neat, never seen one of those either! Going to go check out size (I am aweful with dimensions!).

i haven't researched it very far and thats one of the first i came across so i bet there's others out there more suitable. looks pretty compact though.

I would have thought galavnised steel will be heavy though!

Folding steps - get thee to B&M Home stores or similar. They have had sturdy folding steps for £2.50 for the past year. Have got them all over the house and DS stands on them to wee in the toilet (he's 2.1 and toilet training).

Fab idea, got a set yesterday that are plastic and fold with one hand - thanks so much all!!!