Unsurprisingly, I am often asked this question by parents who have heard both sides of this ongoing “debate” and are therefore understandably confused and unsure how, or when, to start training their sounds to go. to the bathroom.

So let’s bust this myth once and for all… Here’s the truth:

1. Potty training boys is no more difficult than potty training girls.
2. Boys are no more stubborn or less cooperative than girls when it comes to potty training.
3. Boys are ready for potty training at the same age as girls.
4. It takes no more time to potty train children

Well, I hope that gets fixed once and for all.

Regardless of your child’s gender, you must believe the following:

1. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the vast majority of young children between the ages of 18 and 27 months are ready for potty training (boys and girls). They also agree that developmental signs are much more indicative of children’s readiness, so be sure to learn more about those signs before you begin.

2. Your child has a deep, innate desire to learn and master new skills. This includes using the potty, even if he or she acts stubborn or resistant.

3. Your child’s success in learning to use the potty (or toilet) is directly related to your attitude, plan, consistency, and follow through. In other words, your son or daughter’s achievement depends on her skills as a teacher.

Having said all this, there is a big difference between potty training boys and girls. It’s really more of a decision… I mean, will you teach your child to pee standing up or sitting down?

If your answer to this question is “standing”, you will simply need additional equipment. If your answer is “sit” you can proceed just as you would with a girl.

My recomendation? sitting (By the way, the American Academy of Pediatrics also agrees that it’s best to teach children to sit to urinate and defecate when they begin the potty training process.)

This is why:

1. Your child is learning a new skill, one that requires your concentration and cooperation, so in my opinion it makes sense to keep the process as simple as possible by not introducing too many “pieces” at once.

2. If you teach your child to urinate standing up, you will need specialized equipment, such as a urinal, toilet seat reducer, stool, and/or additional potty training chair, so your child can urinating in the toilet and pooping sitting down. down. Again, this unnecessarily complicates things, in my opinion.

3. Your child’s aim will be very far at first and urine is likely to leak on and around the toilet seat and floor. So if you decide to teach your child to urinate standing up, make sure you have plenty of paper towels, mops, and cleaning solutions on hand. (You can also try improving your aim by adding Cheerios to the toilet and encouraging your child to aim for the center!)

Here’s another thing to keep in mind… Kids who are ready to be potty trained often begin to imitate their parents or siblings and stand in front of the potty just like them (even if they have no idea what to do!) once there!). Also, once the potty training process begins, they can also ask to use the bathroom like them. If your child does this, go for it!

By all means, encourage him to be like dad or big brother, and if he insists on peeing standing up, let him! Power struggles are big don’ts when potty training kids, so be prepared to stay flexible.

Also remember that consistency pays off (in fact, this is one of the basic principles of my potty training system)! Therefore, make sure that anyone who comes into contact with your child during the process reinforces her teachings. This is especially true if your child is enrolled in preschool, daycare, or has a babysitter or babysitter. In fact, some organizations have very specific rules regarding potty training, especially when it comes to potty training children. So it’s a good idea to check with your child care providers beforehand, so everyone is on the same page.

Once again, I hope this information has been helpful and that you will take the time to review my other articles on potty training.