Potty Training Boys vs Girls – Important Considerations
This chapter covers important points that you should really think about. I've added them all in one chapter, as they are important, but I didn't see the need to dedicate long chapters to them, as some are really common sense.
* Training Boys vs. Girls
* Potty Talk
* Potty Hygiene
* Using the Potty Training Reward Chart
## 8.1 Training Boys vs. Girls
There are, apart from the obvious, some differences between potty training boys and potty training girls. It's a scientific fact that boys take longer to potty train then girls. Why? There are several reasons for this…
### **8.1.1 Lacking a male role model**
Mom's are usually the ones that potty train their children. Because boys spend more time with their mom's rather than a male in their lives, they can become confused with what they must do.
This is less likely to happen if they have older male siblings around them or if his father is more involved in his life to show him what to do. **If you can, get your son's dad to help with the training.**
### **8.1.2 Personality traits**
While not true of every boy, boys tend to mature slower than girls. So if you have previously potty trained a girl and you are now doing it with a boy then you are going to find **the process make take you slightly longer.**
However, don't compare your children as it can make the process more trying. The only thing you can do is **be patient**… they will get there in the end.
### **8.1.3 Potty positioning**
It's not uncommon for girls and boys to get confused about **which position they should be in when they use the potty.** Nor is it uncommon for a boy to want to wipe himself after he goes for a pee.
If this is the case then talk to them about which way a girl goes to pee and which way a boy goes to pee. If your boy wants to use toilet paper – let him.
If you experience any of the above – don't worry about them. They aren't major problems just minor ones. Just be prepared that you may experience one or all of them.
Does it really matter that your boy may take longer to train than a girl; or he wants to use toilet paper? If these are your only problems during potty training then you've done really well.
If you are anything like me, you may be unsure of what to call your child's private parts. It feels too adult to call them by their real names of penis and vagina when talking to a child.
I found it easy with my son, but when my daughter came along I just couldn't come up with a suitable name for her private parts.
I never really thought about it until my 5-year-old son asked me why his sister didn't have a "tail". His exact words were, "Mummy why does she have a front bum?" After that that's what her parts were referred as, "her front bum". He's 7 now and he still calls it that.
If you are struggling with suitable names here is a list that could be useful.
* **Penis** – *privates, thing, willy, tail, ding dong, weenie.*
* **Vagina** – *privates, "front bum", pee-pee, wee-wee.* (Be careful however, 'wee – wee' and 'pee- pee' can also be used when you are describing urinating so if you decide to call her parts that then use something else for urinating).
* **Anus** – *bottom, bum, behind, tush, hiney.*
* **Urine** – *pee-pee, wee-wee, tinkle, number one.*
* **Poo** – *poop, doo-doo, poo-poo, number two.*
This list is not exhaustive, there may be other names that you know of and if they suit you better, by all means use them. Just **try not to seem embarrassed when you use these words** as you could make your child think that there's something to be embarrassed about, which of course there isn't.
It's **very important for a girl** to wipe herself after urinating or doing a bowel movement. **It's even more important that she wipes in the right direction.**
You need to **start wiping her from front to back so that you are not transferring germs from her bottom to her vaginal area.** Wiping in the wrong direction can cause urinary tract infections, and if left untreated, it can lead to bladder and kidney infections.
When you do her potty training, **teach her to wipe herself in the same way and explain why.** You don't need to use scientific explanations, but it is important to condition your child to understand that for everything you ask her to do, there is a reason.
**Boys need to wipe after every bowel movement**, but not after urinating. However if he is not circumcised then you need to **teach him to keep his penis clean under the foreskin.**
**You will need to help your child** clean itself after a bowel movement **for a while** as they would probably not clean away everything by themselves.
It's highly important that you teach your child to wash their hands regularly, and not just when they have been to the toilet.
**When they have been to the bathroom make sure that they use soap and warm water to wash their hands.** Clean the back of the hand and between fingers.
Again, give them an understandable (for them) version of why they are doing this. Tell them it is important to do it after they have been to the loo, and outside the house, as most germs are transferred via the hands.
Children are usually very resilient to germs, but what you're imprinting in their minds now, will help them tremendously during adulthood.
NOTE: When you are out and your child needs to use the public toilet, don't let them sit directly on the toilet seat before you have wiped it. Never assume that because you and your child have good hygiene habits that everyone else does.
**ALWAYS wash your child's hands** every time that they have been to the toilet!
