Default Style Register
Daycare.com Forum
Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Awkward Potty Training Issue
Stepping 11:14 AM 07-16-2014
Dcm has been potty training dcb (28 months) since Saturday with good results. We continued with potty training at dc today but have had some difficulty as his penis is really small.

I know this seems silly but we've tried sitting him on the toilet, on the toilet with a child seat attached and on a potty seat on the floor and each time he sits down his penis is always pointing up. It's really small so doesn't go down into the toilet. He hasn't managed to pee here yet but I'm guessing if he lets it go, there will be pee all over the room.

I'm not sure how to help him and feel a little awkward mentioning it to dcm. Has anyone else had this issue before? Should I go straight to peeing standing up (he's short so I'm not sure if he will manage that any better)?

Help!
Reply
Naptime yet? 11:19 AM 07-16-2014
Can you use something to place over his lap while he's sitting so he'll pee into that? A wad of toilet paper? Or Dixie cup ? Put a hat on wee willie?

I would ask mom what they use at home, or how she prevents him from peeing all over the bathroom, I don't think that's unreasonable.
Reply
daycarediva 11:25 AM 07-16-2014
I have had this issue! I tell the child to "point it down" and he sat reverse on the toilet (which helps because they lean forward more!)

I would just ask dcm how his aim is at home.
Reply
Chellieleanne 11:26 AM 07-16-2014
Teach him to point down. I don't have that issue with my own kids but the DCB I have, well he has to point even when he is sitting or there would be pee every where too.
Reply
Tdhmom 11:32 AM 07-16-2014
Ditto on the pointing down...I've potty trained 3 boys 2 were my own and then there was the dcb I potty trained, he was the worst...he wouldn't point down and it would shoot all over my bathroom After I get my skin to quit crawling I would make him clean it up, along with some serious hand washing. I didn't have too many issues after that.
Reply
nannyde 11:36 AM 07-16-2014
Btdt. No solutions. Had one that there wasn't anything to point down.
Reply
Angelsj 12:06 PM 07-16-2014
I would use the dixie cup idea. Have him "cap" it until done, then throw the cup in the trash and wipe himself off with some tp. And good handwashing!

On a side note, I have a little girl (3) and a boy (4) who were trained at the same time. I walked in to check on the little girl one day shortly after they were trained and her hand was at the top of her private area. I asked her what she was doing, and she said, "I have to push my penis down so I can pee."
Reply
midaycare 12:33 PM 07-16-2014
My DS didn't have that issue, but he did sit backwards on the toilet because he would always forget to point it down. It really helps!
Reply
Stepping 01:16 PM 07-16-2014
Thanks for the tips everyone. Sitting reverse may help but there isn't anything to point down
Reply
Stepping 01:17 PM 07-16-2014
Originally Posted by Naptime yet?:
Can you use something to place over his lap while he's sitting so he'll pee into that? A wad of toilet paper? Or Dixie cup ? Put a hat on wee willie?

I would ask mom what they use at home, or how she prevents him from peeing all over the bathroom, I don't think that's unreasonable.
Wee willie just made me lol in the middle of nap
Reply
daycare 01:25 PM 07-16-2014
Originally Posted by nannyde:
Btdt. No solutions. Had one that there wasn't anything to point down.
This made me lol. Poor guy.
Reply
midaycare 01:55 PM 07-16-2014
Originally Posted by Stepping:
Thanks for the tips everyone. Sitting reverse may help but there isn't anything to point down
I can't even imagine. I'm trying hard not to giggle, because I know it's an issue for you (and dcb).
Reply
Second Home 02:22 PM 07-16-2014
Originally Posted by daycarediva:
I have had this issue! I tell the child to "point it down" and he sat reverse on the toilet (which helps because they lean forward more!)
I also say point it down and have them keep their finger on it to keep it down .
Reply
Solandia 02:33 PM 07-16-2014
One of my ds also had an issue like this. Sitting to pee NEVER worked. Not even backwards. He had to stand leaning over the toilet(on a step stool), while holding it down. Sort of. It was still messy, but most got in the toilet.

Now, at 4.5yo...he still can't point it down while sitting. But he doesn't need the step stool to pee anymore. There are occasional accidents where he goes poop first & pees on the floor/wall. For the most part, he is good about peeing first, then sitting for poop. My ds's issue was a hidden penis issue (it would retract into the fatty pubic area), due to a loose circ that reattached itself...around 6-9mo? the pedi pulled it apart. It would still "hide" from time to time, but got better. It no longer hides, but it doesn't solve the peeing issue while sitting.
Reply
GKJNIGMN 03:04 PM 07-16-2014
If everyone else's ideas end up not working, I would talk to DCM about training him to go standing up. My son learned that way and he still puts his hands on the back of the toilet and leans over it. No aiming required.

He started preschool last year and the teacher tried to have him go sitting down. He was never taught to aim down. Needless to say, it was a disaster lol
Reply
llpa 04:36 PM 07-16-2014
I am on the "point it down" team
Reply
Stepping 07:18 PM 07-16-2014
Originally Posted by Solandia:
One of my ds also had an issue like this. Sitting to pee NEVER worked. Not even backwards. He had to stand leaning over the toilet(on a step stool), while holding it down. Sort of. It was still messy, but most got in the toilet.

Now, at 4.5yo...he still can't point it down while sitting. But he doesn't need the step stool to pee anymore. There are occasional accidents where he goes poop first & pees on the floor/wall. For the most part, he is good about peeing first, then sitting for poop. My ds's issue was a hidden penis issue (it would retract into the fatty pubic area), due to a loose circ that reattached itself...around 6-9mo? the pedi pulled it apart. It would still "hide" from time to time, but got better. It no longer hides, but it doesn't solve the peeing issue while sitting.
This is the same issue here. He had a problem with his circumcision and it had to be redone at 12 months. Good to know it gets better. Poor guy
Reply
Unregistered 09:35 AM 07-28-2015
This is my problem, though I'm not in daycare. My son sticks out maybe a centimeter erect, but is pretty much an innie otherwise. He is almost 2 and a half. At home he tries to lean over, but on public toilets, it's hard to do with trying to keep balance and not fall in. There is just nothing to point down, and it's discouraging for both of us how often he pees all over the floor and back of his pants.
Reply
Crazy8 10:02 AM 07-28-2015
I have one of those too - he sits but I just have him lean forward enough so that it sort of points down and have him press the area above downward too. I have to be right there to make sure it doesn't get between the rim of the toilet and seat.

And as a side note… I found I can have the conversation with moms but dads on the other hand DO NOT want to hear that their son may be on the smaller side.
Reply
laundrymom 11:15 AM 07-28-2015
Originally Posted by Crazy8:
I have one of those too - he sits but I just have him lean forward enough so that it sort of points down and have him press the area above downward too. I have to be right there to make sure it doesn't get between the rim of the toilet and seat.

And as a side note… I found I can have the conversation with moms but dads on the other hand DO NOT want to hear that their son may be on the smaller side.
I just have to agree with this. Dads don't want to hear about it. Lol.
Reply
Sunchimes 12:35 PM 07-28-2015
Originally Posted by laundrymom:
I just have to agree with this. Dads don't want to hear about it. Lol.
Are they afraid someone will think it's an inherited condition?
Reply
Snowmom 12:45 PM 07-28-2015


I had one child on the smaller side as well. He was required to sit backwards and we trained him to literally push the skin above his penis in a downwards motion until it was pointed down.
Reply
homeishere 12:48 PM 07-28-2015
You could try having him stand but first putting a square of tp in the toilet to give him something to aim for. Maybe if it were a game of "target practice" he wouldn't get as frustrated.
Reply
Unregistered 01:04 PM 07-28-2015
Originally Posted by daycarediva:
I have had this issue! I tell the child to "point it down" and he sat reverse on the toilet (which helps because they lean forward more!)

I would just ask dcm how his aim is at home.
Backwards worked for us!
Reply
DaveA 01:10 PM 07-28-2015
Originally Posted by homeishere:
You could try having him stand but first putting a square of tp in the toilet to give him something to aim for. Maybe if it were a game of "target practice" he wouldn't get as frustrated.
Cheerios works well for this too. Looks more like a bullseye. Different things work with different kids so you'll probably end up with trial and error.
Originally Posted by laundrymom:
I just have to agree with this. Dads don't want to hear about it. Lol.
Now I've found it to the be the exact opposite in my case. Think it's more likely discussing it with the opposite gender.

Originally Posted by Sunchimes:
Are they afraid someone will think it's an inherited condition?
No comment
Reply
KidGrind 04:26 AM 11-16-2015
Originally Posted by Stepping:
Dcm has been potty training dcb (28 months) since Saturday with good results. We continued with potty training at dc today but have had some difficulty as his penis is really small.

I know this seems silly but we've tried sitting him on the toilet, on the toilet with a child seat attached and on a potty seat on the floor and each time he sits down his penis is always pointing up. It's really small so doesn't go down into the toilet. He hasn't managed to pee here yet but I'm guessing if he lets it go, there will be pee all over the room.

I'm not sure how to help him and feel a little awkward mentioning it to dcm. Has anyone else had this issue before? Should I go straight to peeing standing up (he's short so I'm not sure if he will manage that any better)?

Help!
Size is not the issue. I have all boys sit and point down. It’s works for all sizes.
Reply
crunchymama 05:01 PM 11-16-2015
Invest in a urinal guard for your toilet or a potty ring with attached urinal guard. It's well worth it to not have to clean up pee constantly.
Reply
kendallina 05:14 PM 11-16-2015
I had one boy last year who had what the doctor called a 'fat pad' kind of above his penis. This made his penis really small-looking and made it difficult for him to aim. The trick was to have him push a little on his fat pad and then his penis would stick out pretty normally. Is this maybe what's going on? There was a noticeable extra amount of fat above his penis...
Reply
Preschool/daycare teacher 05:18 PM 11-16-2015
If you have a step stool that he can stand on, something I've had little boys do is to lean over the toilet and "hold the seat up", so that they are leaning forward, over the toilet, with their hands on the seat (which is up, in the position boys have to out it). When they are leaning forward, their pee normally goes right in the toilet instead of everywhere around it.
Reply
Controlled Chaos 06:45 PM 11-16-2015
Old thread
Reply
Unregistered 07:10 PM 12-04-2019
Place a book on the floor and have your child lean forward to read the book. Then his "wee willie" will be pointing down.
Reply
Unregistered 12:03 PM 02-07-2020
It’s because he’s circumcised. Natural penises don’t have this issue. He needs to sit backwards and lean forward, or push down.
Reply
Unregistered 11:47 AM 01-22-2021
I read alot of great suggestions....3 yr boy, willie is very small, when he presses it down (or attempts) he just squishes it and pee goes everywhere, refuses to look just looks up at me....ugh! Too awkward for me to hold, but I've tried and even I have a hard time pointing it down. Very intelligent, but thinking pretty spoiled at home. Have never watch a child that has had these issues.
Reply
Unregistered 05:16 PM 01-22-2021
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
I read alot of great suggestions....3 yr boy, willie is very small, when he presses it down (or attempts) he just squishes it and pee goes everywhere, refuses to look just looks up at me....ugh! Too awkward for me to hold, but I've tried and even I have a hard time pointing it down. Very intelligent, but thinking pretty spoiled at home. Have never watch a child that has had these issues.
I have this kid. I make take off everything and sit backwards on the toilet. This usally works. If not its time to watch the spot, oh the spot. We painted a abstract black dot on the floor for the boys to watch when they pee.. Makes them lean to look down
Reply
Unregistered 06:44 PM 03-10-2021
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
I read alot of great suggestions....3 yr boy, willie is very small, when he presses it down (or attempts) he just squishes it and pee goes everywhere, refuses to look just looks up at me....ugh! Too awkward for me to hold, but I've tried and even I have a hard time pointing it down. Very intelligent, but thinking pretty spoiled at home. Have never watch a child that has had these issues.
My son (2.5 yr)also has this issue. We went to a urologist and they said he has meatal stenonsis. Basically a membrane has grown over the pee hole that makes his pee shoot straight out/up instead of down because the hole is too small. It happens in about 10% of circumcised boys. He is getting a small procedure done to make the pee hole bigger.
Reply
Tags:2014, boys, potty training, potty training issues
Reply Up