Toilet training a boy?

[missarb]

I have a 26 month old son. I started toilet training in december but I gave up within a week because he would hold his wee until he couldn't hold it anymore and then wee himself. I would always take him to the toilet and sit him on his potty every half hour but he would never do anything then 2 minutes later he would wee himself.
When is a child ready to be toilet train? He always lets me know when he has done a number 2 by bring me a nappy and laying on the floor and some times during the night he will wake up because he has a full nap and wants me to change it, so I do and then he goes back to sleep.
Im from Australia and summer was in december and january and people have told me that the best time to toilet train is in the summer time. Well summer has been and gone and I dont really want to wait until next summer when he will turn 3 to try and toilet train him again.
Does anyone have any suggestion's on how to try and get my son toilet trained.
Thanks

[Debra]

I had that same problem with my (now 3 yr old) little girl. She would mess her pants shortly after I sat her on the potty. Fortunately, she has an older sister who has started school and then she realized that she wanted to go to school as well. I simply sat her down and said that if she wanted to go to school then she would have to stop messing her pants. About a week later (yes, it took and entire week) she started going to the potty on her own. She still has accidents while she sleeps so I still put diapers on her during the night.

I suggest that you find out some sort of reward system. If he likes stickers, then reward him with a sticker if he potties.....maybe a healthy snack that he only gets when he potties...something along those lines.

Let me know how the training goes, because I have a son who will be potty training before too long and he's the only son I have!

[missarb]

Thanks Debra
I will try the rewards thing and see how I go. Just have to try and think of something to use as a reward, because he is the only child he gets everything he wants (i know thats bad) but i just cant say no to that beautiful face of his lol.
I will let you know How I go. Dont know when I will start the toilet training, might give it a week and then start, just to get myself ready for it again lol.
Thanks again

[Autumnbinature]

Ditch the diaper! Seriously its the best and fastest way there is. Yes its messy but thats the point. they will train themselves with encouragement from you. always be sure to have lots of extra pants on hand. I have potty trained two of my kids before the age of 2 this way. they still have accidents sometimes and they will have perriods where they seem to back track but its temporary just dont give it any attention. I hope this helps.

[laurafx]

One thing that I;ve heard works is to make him help you clean the mess when he goes on his pants.... also if he uses the potty reward him with something, candy maybe?
but with rewards that is only one thing you need to stick to is that he only gets the candy when he goes in the potty NO MATTER WHAT, he only gets the reward if he goes on the potty if not, "rewards" wont be effective anymore...

[WildChild]

I'm am older mom but been there. Don't use candy as a reward, there is so much childhood obesity, it can set up a mental association - I did something right, I deserve a sweet. Verbal praise is usually enough at the time. You can start them learning about delayed gratification and earning something by using stickers. Get an assortment of good stickers, make a potty card. Everytime they use the potty they get to choose a sticker. When they have X number of stickers they get something special - buy a new book, an action figure, one of those little duplo sets.

Get out of the diaper, the mental association with diapers is - baby. Get some Pull Ups or some sort of "big" kid undies. At first they can still be the absorbent product and then as they get the concept going bet some cotton ones. There are some that have an sort of extra thick panel in them. Getting some action fugure undies is good but expect them at least at first to want to go pantless so they can see them. What good is spiderman on your butt if you can't see him?

There are number of good kids books on using the potty. Get some and add them to your daily reading time. I had a girls one for my daughter and a boys one for my son. They did help.

Do they have their own potty? Using a full sized toilet is intimidating for kids. They really could fall in. Public TV here in the US had a series years ago on childhood. I recall the one about the toddler years was entitled, 'In the Land of Giants'. Really everything is huge for them.