Poll: 4 year-old male 100% potty trained?

[EditorMom]

You have over a year to work on toilet training your son before your next cruise. Guessing if you and he were to focuse on the issue, he'd be fully trained within the next couple of months at the outside. Has your pediatrician indicated whether there's any reason, physical or otherwise, that precludes full toilet training in the immediate future?

 

The OP asked for candid opinions, brutal or otherwise ... so please don't flame me for wondering why a child 4+ years wouldn't be fully trained. After that cruise, it's only some 7 months til kindergarten, and I'm guessing toilet training would be a pre-requisite for enrollment for all but challenged children.

 

 

You just answered your own question. "Challenged children" are becoming more and common. As the mother of a child with an autism specturm disorder who lives in a neighborhood with several such children, I can tell you that 4 is EXTREMELY early for these children (virtually all boys) to be fully potty-trained. My son tries very hard, but many things that come easily to other children -- conversational language, getting dressed, catching a ball, pedaling a tricycle, interacting with other children -- are an ongoing struggle. He has yet to really do any of these things.

 

On the other hand, he taught himself to read at age 2, which also is fairly common among autistic children (it's called hyperlexia and is the opposite of dyslexia). Their brains simply mature unevenly; an unusual ability in one area is likely to be present along with an unusual disability in another area. As soon as his spoken language begins to catch up with his grasp of the written word, we can actually have conversations about potty-training, which hopefully will help the situation. In fact, I would dearly love to have a conversation with him about ANYTHING.

 

But until then, we are coping as best we can. Please try to be more understanding.

[Rachel4daughters]

You probably got this advice w/in the thread and I'm sorry for not reading all of the responses.

 

I've seen boys who have been completely trained by 2.75 and others who weren't until age 5.

 

So, limit his liquids before going to AO if you can, get him on a routine of going to the toilet every two to 3 hours and make sure to take him to the toilet right before entering, or upon entering, AO.

 

There's no guarantees on anything, of course, so don't agonize. Just do your best to help him do his best.

 

Have a great cruise.

[Luxuriate]

We are about three weeks away from our cruise. DS will turn 4 years-old the first day of the cruise, October 21, 2008. I have no worries. I think he will do fine. Fully potty-trained (except a Pull-Up at night to make sure). A couple of months makes a world of difference!

 

Cheryl

[mcfam5]

We are about three weeks away from our cruise. DS will turn 4 years-old the first day of the cruise, October 21, 2008. I have no worries. I think he will do fine. Fully potty-trained (except a Pull-Up at night to make sure). A couple of months makes a world of difference!

 

Cheryl

 

Go and enjoy your trip and don't worry about it! Even if it does happen, just remember they are just little kids and sometimes accidents happen. Have a fantastic family vacation!

[crusinmama06]

We are about three weeks away from our cruise. DS will turn 4 years-old the first day of the cruise, October 21, 2008. I have no worries. I think he will do fine. Fully potty-trained (except a Pull-Up at night to make sure). A couple of months makes a world of difference!

 

Cheryl

 

Congrats to him! :D Have a great time!

[Julienatul]

On our cruise last month, the pool had to be shut down because a 6yr old had an accident in the pool, so I guess you just never know. I think that is a rare event though, at 4 they are pretty much consistent and I bet with some gentle reminders to go potty every once in a while he will be fine.

[All4fun1]

I think it's a safe bet that he'll be ready. I agree with the other pp's, there are no guarentees in life but I think your bets are well-placed by then.

 

I had a late-trained boy myself so I know what it feels like. Boys tend to wake up one day trained. Diapers one day, underware the next. With my two girls, it was a longer, albeit earlier project.

 

That is pretty much what we experienced with my ds (now almost 5-1/2yrs). He was fully trained, day and night, in the course of about two weeks time, just after he turned four. He has had a couple of accidents at home since then, but I think they were due to him being overly distracted with something he was enjoying, and then waiting too long and not making it to the bathroom in time. Typically, he doesn't have any problems. Both time he had an accident, he was also horribly embarrassed so I think as he matures, he is less likely to let this happen. But still, I was surprised because I thought he was past that stage. So as others have said, no guarantees. :)

 

We are about three weeks away from our cruise. DS will turn 4 years-old the first day of the cruise, October 21, 2008. I have no worries. I think he will do fine. Fully potty-trained (except a Pull-Up at night to make sure). A couple of months makes a world of difference!

 

Cheryl

 

It's truly amazing isn't it. One day, you think it will never happen, and then boom! it's done. lol. It's a nice feeling. :-)

[seashell36]

DS now 6, had hernia surgery when he was 18 mos old. The doctor said that would delay his potty training some. He was completely potty trained when we went on DH & my first cruise. Then he had to have a second hernia surgery about 5 months later. That set him back into accidents. By the time we cruised again 7 months after the surgery he was back to no accidents. Since that cruise 3 years ago he has had 2 accidents (both times were in bed). I think it will not be a problem! Have a great time!!!!