Starting out with a strong willed little boy

by Elizabeth
(Pacifica, CA USA)

For a little boy who doesn't want mommy and daddy to "help" with things, here are some ideas that worked for us:

1. Let him observe daddy using the bathroom, and if possible, a potty trained boy. They love to emulate "big kids". Say to him, "Soon you'll pee in the big potty like daddy and big kids". Do this frequently from age 1 and onward.

2. Have a potty or two around the house and invite him to try sitting in it (clothed) from time to time, very casually. No pressure. Again, if he has a playmate the same age or older that can do this with him, it will be a fun game.

3. Move on to pants-free version of suggestion #2 a few times a day.

We did this with our now 25 month old, without real expectations. I thought we'd potty train in earnest at 2.5 yrs. But lo and behold he started standing over his potty and peeing one day without prompting. No BM's yet, but we're happy with this progress and it was 100% stress free. The wheels are in motion now and I'm happy this mellow approach is working. I was very nervous about potty training my strong willed little guy and didn't want a battle.

Dr Maud comments
This is great advice. Congratulations, Elizabeth, and thanks for sharing.