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why do you have to start? potty training should be more of helping a child when they let you know they are ready. if your son isn't interested keep him in diapers. usually around 4 or 5 is a more accurate age a child will show interest on their own. just let children be babies while they're babies....

crazynays is off base...there are even some kindergartens that accept children in diapers now...thanks Mandy for putting her in her place

It's a good idea to start introducing the concept of toilet training if you haven't already, but keep in mind that he may not be ready until age three or maybe even age four. Getting him a potty chair is a good idea and allowing him come into the bathroom while you or your husband use the toilet may help. Buy a book or two to read to him about potty training. If you start potty training and it becomes too stressful for either of you then it is perfectly fine to stop and wait a month or more to try again. Sometimes it's actually easier to train a child when he/she is a little older.

Some of these answers you got are totally wack. We started training at about 18 months. It is taking a while for my son to catch on but you better do something. Day cares will allow your toddler to attend not being potty-trained but it costs more. Usually about $50 more. This is my first child so I don't really have any advice for you other than get started now. 3 or 4 still in diapers is laziness by the parent not the child. They only know what we teach them. If your child has caught on and knows when the diaper needs to be changed it is time to start.

Hi! My son is also 2, and we have tried everything!! Nothing seemed to work, and I was getting very frustrated! A couple months ago I had come across a website that said your child could be potty trained in 3 days. Yeah right!! Anyway, I was desperate last friday, and I went ahead and paid 12 dollars to download their ebook about potty training. So, we did what it said and started the system. By Sunday, he was only having poopie accidents and yesterday, he didnt have any accidents at all! They also give you your money back if it doesnt work for you! I recommed it to everyone!!! It works and is wonderful!!!

I disagree with "Shell's" answer (above). Four or five? You have GOT to be Kidding! Most preschools and an awful lot of daycare facilities won't even take a child that has not been potty-trained! Check around if you don't believe me...you'll see.

Boys, generally take longer to potty-train than girls do....although there are exceptions. And there's a few things you should know before you tackle the whole "potty-training" business! Such as:

Don't EVEN start the process if you're not going to stick with it no matter what!! Once you start, THERE'S NO GOING BACK!! And, BELIEVE me when I say that there will be times when you'll want to revert back to diapers because diapers are easier to deal with than the seemingly endless, sometimes messy business of potty-training! BUT DON'T CAVE! You needto start introducing the idea of going potty like a Big boy now. So seize every opportunity that you can...such as, positioning yourself and your son outside the bathroom door as your man uses it. When Daddy comes out, say things like, "you're daddy uses the big boy restroom...do you want to use the big boy bathroom like daddy does, too?" Let him watch daddy go pee, too. And say positive things about the act so he'll know it's special and want to do it, too. After a while of this, when you think he has the general idea, you make a fun game out of it by tossing in a coupla cheerios for "target practice"...when its a game, you just can't lose! He'll be in there 24/7 trying! (Ofcourse, start him out on a little potty his size first.) Good luck...you CAN do it!

Why do you "know" you have to start potty training him? Three years old is pretty standard for little boys. And potty training will not go well if *you* know he needs to pee. Despite what crazynays says, most daycares and preschools these days don't make being potty-trained a requirement (although that was the standard several years ago), because pediatricians now say it's not healthy to push potty training. My oldest son was four (there were other issues there). The preschool he went to did push him more to potty train, but they never considered it a requirement. Of the sixteen 3-year-old boys in the two classrooms at their daycare, seven are potty trained completed.

You can try, but at that age, I would start out right now just letting him sit on the potty when he wants, "practicing". Don't expect anything to come out yet. If he's not able to tell he's got to go, to tell you he needs to go, get to the bathroom in time and get himself undressed enough to go, you are looking at an impossible task of trying to push him to potty-train when he's not ready.

My 3-year-old is potty training right now, semi-successfully, and to start out, we got him a video (Bear in the Big Blue House has a potty video), a potty seat (not the little individual one, he was okay with putting a child-size potty cover on a regular toilet, but some kids like having their own potty chair), a potty book, and some bob-the-builder "undies" (aka pullups). One of the best trial-run potty times I can think of (to start, anyway) is right before bathtime. Get him naked on the potty, with the bathwater running.

All those are suggestions to get started, but don't rush him (he could decide not to just because he knows how much you want him to, happened with my first child). Like my mom told me, he's not going to be going to kindergarten in diapers, so worrying and trying too hard that early on is pointless.

Let him lead the way.

My son and daughter learned to pee in the toilet at age 3. I was worried that they would never do it, or that they were too old to be in a diaper. I tried to have my son sit to pee, and he was not interested. When I through a fruit loop in the pot and told him to try to hit it with his pee, he was a little more interested. It was almost like he was given permission to do something naughty. He didnt mind going standing up. I didnt know if he had to go, but he was able to go a little. When he did, we made a big deal, and told him how grown up he is. He always wanted to go after that. Give him time. He will do it when he is ready.

Keep track as to when he takes water 1/2 an hr later take him to the loo.Encourage him to go if he doesn't don't be angry.Just give it time.Same with pooping.Fix a time and give him time.This is the right time to start he might take longer to train but do it now.He should be aware that he can't wear diaper for ever.You be patient that's all it takes Patience

Just make it as much fun for him as possible, i use to put a plastic duck in the loo and my son loved to pee on it, he thought he was so funny. Only thing my back was sore running up and down stairs all day

Make it fun.

Put some cherios in the bowl and make a game out of "shooting" them. He will want to use the potty.