Toilet Training Boys & Toilet Training While Traveling

There is a saying between parents that toilet training boys may not be harder than girls, but it takes a lot longer. This of course is one of the many myths that surrounds toilet training. Every child is different and should be potty trained at their own pace in order to add to their success. And it's important to realize that if you are already in the process of toilet training your child you must be consistent, even when traveling

The main reason that people state that toilet training boys takes longer than girls is because in most households, the mother is the person that handles the task of toilet training. Without Dad showing them how it is done, boys may not fully understand how they are supposed to do it.

The first learning stages of  toilet training boys should be the sit down method. Bowel movements and urination usually occur at the same time so it makes sense to start them off sitting down so they at least get the idea of going to the potty. Once your boy has learned to potty in the sitting position, then you can start to introduce him to standing up for urination. The key to this method, is having an active grown male adult to show him exactly how it is done. One of the best ways to learn this standing up method and minimising spillage is by using some sort of cereal such as Cheerios. This cereal is then used by putting a few in the toilet bowl and having your child try to aim for them while urinating.

A very important aspect of  toilet training boys to remember is making sure they learn to protect themselves. Most parents teach them to raise the seat while they are going potty but many boys have been hurt by the seat falling back down on them after they have finished. Holding the seat up through the whole process will help to keep this from happening. Furthermore, if you are to use a potty chair that has a urine guard attached, you may want to remove it. It is there so that there are no sprays of urine, but cleaning up a little spill is much better than your boy sitting down and scraping his equipment.

Potty Training While Traveling

You might be surprised and happy to know that in many cases, it is actually easier to potty train your little one while traveling. That being said, we will concentrate on how you can continue potty training your little one while traveling.

It is always best to make sure everyone goes to the bathroom before embarking on any trip whether short or long. This is especially true for your little one when you are in the midst of potty training since consistency is the key in this process. We will work on the assumption that your child has already reached his or her potty training age and that you have had some success in the process. Irrespective of whether you are travelling by car, airplane or any other mode of transportation, you can still continue the toilet training process without a lot of stress.

If you are on vacation already, you may be in a more relaxed state of mind, so you are less likely to become impatient or frustrated if your little one regresses or has a mishap. Even children who have reached their potty training age have accidents, so be patient and focus on getting them back on track. The following tips can help you with your continuing toilet training while traveling.

* Portable Potty - Take along a portable child potty chair for emergencies. This option also helps in a hotel where an unfamiliar toilet can be scary to a child. You can avoid this fear by introducing your child to public restrooms. Typically when you are potty training your little one they want to go to the restroom at every stop/store anyway.

* Rewards - Healthy snacks, stickers and small toys help encourage your child to go to the restroom instead of in their pants.

* Training Pants - When you are on a trip, you might want to make use of training pants so if there is a mishap, there is less mess for you to clean.

* Encouraging Audio/Video - If you are using potty training video or audio disks for your child, take them along on a trip and play them for him/her off and on during travel.

These are just a few basic tips for continuing training while traveling with a child of potty training age. Keep in mind that some children regress during travel, but this is normal and you must be patient and focused on being consistent.