Warning re toilet training little boys...

Nevyn

A lot of parents who have the two weeks off work and with the creche being closed often will take this time of year to work on potty/toilet training.
T ought this might be of interest.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7779024.stm

Toddlers' toilet seat crush peril
An increasing number of small boys may be finding toilet training a more painful experience than they anticipated, say safety experts.

Doctors at one English hospital reported four cases in which a toddler's penis had been injured by a falling toilet seat.

The fashion for heavy wooden and ceramic seats is worsening the problem, they say.

Figures suggest there may be up to 250 similar cases a year in the UK.

Perhaps it's advisable that parents with toddlers think twice about having heavy toilet seats while their children are young Sheila Merrill RoSPA.

Dr Joe Philip, from Leighton Hospital in Crewe, said that parents might need to take more precautions to keep their young sons out of A&E.

He called for more seats to be designed to fall slowly, and for heavier seats to be banned from households with young boys.

He even suggested that the social norm of putting the seat down after use be suspended and the seat fixed in an upright position.

He said: "As Christmas approaches many families will be visiting relatives and friends and their recently toilet-trained toddlers will be keen to show how grown up they are by going to the toilet on their own.

"It is important that parents check out the toilet seats in advance, not to mention those in their own homes, and they should accompany their children if necessary."

The four boys visiting the Crewe hospital, aged between two and four, all needed to stay in hospital overnight, although fortunately no lasting damage was done.

They had all lifted the toilet seats themselves, which had then fallen back down onto their penises, the journal BJU International reported.

Increasing risk

Dr Philip said: "A recent market research report has suggested that there has been a worldwide increase in the number of wooden and ceramic toilet seats sold.

"We would not be surprised to hear that other colleagues have noticed an increase in penis crush injuries as a result of this."

He said that parents should consider training their youngsters to hold up the toilet seat with one hand.

A spokeswoman for RoSPA confirmed that the cases at Crewe were not isolated examples.

Sheila Merrill, home safety manager for England, said: "The most recent figures show there are an estimated 250 visits to A&E each year by boys under the age of five involved in similar accidents.

"So perhaps it's advisable that parents with toddlers think twice about having heavy toilet seats while their children are young.

"However, as with children of all ages, in all areas of the home, supervision is always the most crucial aspect in preventing accidents."

Sherifu

Ouch.

Mr. Presentable

Parents should be training their little boys to use the toilet in a seated position. Problem is then solved.

passive

nipplenuts wrote: »

Parents should be training their little boys to use the toilet in a seated position. Problem is then solved.

That's just silly...

Nevyn

nipplenuts wrote: »

Parents should be training their little boys to use the toilet in a seated position. Problem is then solved.

Is that personal opinion and conjecture or do you have anything to back this up ?

Mr. Presentable

passive wrote: »

That's just silly...

It's normal in some parts of the world - I have family in Germany for example who do this - to train children to use the toilet in the easiest way, ie, seated. Less spill!

Mr. Presentable

Thaedydal wrote: »

Is that personal opinion and conjecture or do you have anything to back this up ?

I think if you actually consider the suggestion you will find it makes sense - be it my opinion or another's.

metrovelvet

I had been wondering this if - if you teach them to pee standing up or sitting down.

Removing the toilet seats is a simple option.

Quackles

I taught my man sitting, but within a month he was standing - when he sees other men standing, he wants to.

fenris

Start sitting, then go to standing followed by swinging the hips while singing fireman sam!

Nevyn

nipplenuts wrote: »

It's normal in some parts of the world - I have family in Germany for example who do this - to train children to use the toilet in the easiest way, ie, seated. Less spill!

Ah that explains it.

metrovelvet

^ For spill avoidance someone advised to put a cheerio in the potty/toilet and tell them to aim for it.

silja

metrovelvet wrote: »

^ For spill avoidance someone advised to put a cheerio in the potty/toilet and tell them to aim for it.

A friend of mine used a table tennis ball, with a smiley face drawn on it with permanent marker.

lostinnappies

My little boy was trained sitting down... its easier, less messy and avoids the "which shoot is it comming from" confusion. Few friends of mine taught them standing up and wished they hadnt;) But to each their own.

lostinnappies

silja wrote: »

A friend of mine used a table tennis ball, with a smiley face drawn on it with permanent marker.

What happened when they were done ... did they flush the toilet with the tennis ball in there or did they have to take it out:p uoh what happened if they needed and number 2 in a rush ....... tennis ball cruelty:D

littlebug

lostinnappies wrote: »

My little boy was trained sitting down... its easier, less messy and avoids the "which shoot is it comming from" confusion. Few friends of mine taught them standing up and wished they hadnt;) But to each their own.

same here. He started to wee standing up when he was ready himself and he had good control and aim:)

88show

metrovelvet wrote: »

I had been wondering this if - if you teach them to pee standing up or sitting down.

this seems silly to me.
teaching my boy now, he goes sitting down everytime.
doesn't matter if it's standing or sitting as long as it all goes in the bowl aye?!?
I mean, he's male, he'll learn to pee standing up by himself which he does lots when it's bath time I'm sure other parents have seen this with there boys
He thinks its a great laugh

stovelid

Thaedydal wrote: »

Ah that explains it.

LOL. I actually picked up the sitting down habit myself (still do) as a result of living in a communal (besetzt?) house in Berlin. It actually made sense (for less spill) because of the way the toilets were designed there.

hepcat

What age is best for little boys to start? My son is nearly 2 and a half so I reckon it's time. Got a potty but he's not that keen so it's been left for the moment. My daughter managed it almost overnight but I waited until she was 3. What age do most people start training?

lostinnappies

hepcat wrote: »

What age is best for little boys to start? My son is nearly 2 and a half so I reckon it's time. Got a potty but he's not that keen so it's been left for the moment. My daughter managed it almost overnight but I waited until she was 3. What age do most people start training?

I started introducing potty training at age 1.5 to 2 years, just putting him on before bath time when he was disrobed anyhow. I started potty training properly at 2.5 - 3 years. Took along time but he got it eventually and potty trained himself at night a month later. I kept pull ups on for a while afterwards at night ... just incase.

PS, boyz can be more difficult to train then girls, best of luck

fenris

It depends on what other kids are doing!

If he is the youngest of the bunch in creche he will actively want to use the potty like the big (3 year olds) kids, but if he is at the leading edge of the group age wise then he may not want to until his buddies are ready!

Whenever you try it, just go for it without any half measures, forget the pullups etc. as he needs to link being wet to wetting himself! (sounds simple afterwards)

Leave potties everywhere! i.e. there is always one within easy reach for him!

tracksuit bottoms and no undies are the way to go for the first few days - make it easy, it's been okay for him to wet himself for all of his life - until now!

Washable shoes like doodles are good (some for wearing and some drying while the current ones are waiting to be piddled upon.

Sitting down was the way to go at first, took a few months to progress to standing and putting out fires - on the side of the bath

If things are getting too stressfull for him after a few days, then just abandon ship and try again in a month or two. Just because they can tell you it is coming doesen't mean that they can stop the flow or hold it for long enough to get to the loo, a few weeks more may be all that is needed.

Don't try this when you have a lot of traveling, visiting etc. planned as your mobility is going to be severely limited by a sprogs bladder capacity for the first couple of weeks.

If you have hit the timing right then you will be mostly sorted in a week or two, the worst case is if you are just a little bit too early where he knwos that it is happening but does not yet have the control or inclination to hold it until he can get to a potty, then things can be very frustrating for all concerned, so better late than early so that you can do things in as close to a no accident manner as possible to build his confidence.

It may still be several months before you can abandon pullups at night, we waited until we had three dry mornings before we let him fly solo!

littlebug

Because we'd had such problems with training our daughter we left our son til he was over 3. He was completely dry by day within a week and by night within a month. I couldn't believe how easy it was with him.

For the first few days I just let him weat t shirt and underpants round the house all day and made a point of not going anywhere.

Quality

my little fella sits down on his potty!!!

bladder control is fine. he is great at his wees!!! but the number twos have not been mastered anyone else have this problem??

noby

I think that is often the way when starting out. I'm not sure of the psychology of it all, but toddlers are often more comfortable doing their poos in their nappy. It'll come with time. Does he tell you when he is going?

Quality

noby wrote: »

I think that is often the way when starting out. I'm not sure of the psychology of it all, but toddlers are often more comfortable doing their poos in their nappy. It'll come with time. Does he tell you when he is going?

no he tells me after the deed is done!!!

Quackles

Quality wrote: »

my little fella sits down on his potty!!!

bladder control is fine. he is great at his wees!!! but the number twos have not been mastered anyone else have this problem??

I had that problem. No, not my son, me I can assure you I grew out of it, hasn't happened once since I hit my twenties!!

pixiestix

my just gone 3 year old is nearly fully toilet trained....the peepee part was easy, the poopoo part was a little harder, but what i found worked wonders was let him bring a book on to the toilet. my partner likes to read when he is doing his....you know... so now the smaller "man of the house" seems to feel better if he is doing the same. i would rececommend trying it. every little boy wants to be like their idol, eh?

Quackles

My little guy had the 'dropping the toilet seat' accident this morning Thankfully we've only got light plastic seats, but he cried so hard! As a non-penis owner, I was at a complete loss on how to comfort him　:( So I went with chocolate Seems to have worked! Not applied topically, but ingested!

Oryx

Taught my lil guy to pee sitting. Cos I couldnt really demonstrate, now could I? I told his da to show him the form for standing. I actually dont know which he does mostly now, cos he wees on his own. I dont think it matters anyway. Theyll do what they want till peer pressure and urinals make standing necessary.

I still cant get my daughter dry at night. Shes 3. So will probably tackle that over the hols. My son was dry at night from the get go, it was just something he did of his own accord.

mysons2

My son is almost 2 and has just started telling us when he needs to pee, taking off his nappy, into the toilet, on to the potty, does the business, flushes the toilet?

Also knows all of his letters and colours.

Just wondering is this normal or advanced for a child nearly 2?

hepcat

mysons2 wrote: »

My son is almost 2 and has just started telling us when he needs to pee, taking off his nappy, into the toilet, on to the potty, does the business, flushes the toilet?

Also knows all of his letters and colours.

Just wondering is this normal or advanced for a child nearly 2?

Thats pretty advanced compared to my son who's 2 and a half. But they all develop at different rates and in different ways, and my sons not in a creche so that could make a difference.