Oh Crap! Potty Training

to mess around with a step stool, a toddler, and a big porcelain bowl.
When you start with the potty, have him sit on the potty chair or
toilet insert. These sometimes come with a pee guard that I’ve never
heard, even once, of working. The best thing to do is just tell him,
“Hold your penis down.” You can gently put his legs together to help
him do this. Most boys don’t mind touching their penises, so it
shouldn’t be a problem. When you start like this, it quickly becomes
habit.
When he is tall enough or old enough to reach the potty with his
penis while standing, you can have him push up on the skin right
above the penis, as opposed to holding the penis for aim. This gives
him a great amount of control and eliminates the whole “loaded gun
in his hands” issue. Yes, once boys figure out they can hold it and
aim, it does quickly become a game, so if you can stop that from the
get-go, you’ll be better off. I know some people suggest cereal in the
toilet to practice aiming, but again, I think this just sets up the
potential for a mess. Plus, it’s pee. Do you really want to make a big
game about it? It’s your call.
One thing I hear a lot is: “But he wants to pee just like his dad.”
Absolutely no offense, but this is kind of lame. Dad does tons of
things that his boy can’t do yet. You can simply say, “When you get a
little bit bigger, then you can pee like Daddy.” Don’t make it an issue,
and your child won’t either.
If you start off teaching him to lift the seat, be very careful if you
have any sort of cover on the toilet lid. The cover adds padding, and
the lid can sometimes slam shut. Good luck with potty training after
he’s slammed his penis in the toilet seat. Yikes.
Also, even at this young age, if there’s dribble on the seat or bowl