It may seem completely unnatural, and dads everywhere are sure to have huge problems with the idea (like Husband, who just walked by, saw this title, and said, “Are you kidding? Standing up to pee is cool … because we can.”), but consider this: it just makes more sense to teach boys to pee sitting down, and here’s why.
* Ready, aim, fire! NOT. Your average 2-3 year old boy is still lurching drunkenly into the bathroom when nature calls, if at all. Can we expect him to point the stream directly at the target, too? Uh … no.
* We know that consistency is key when teaching toddlers a new skill. If we expect them to learn to sit down to poop (not always a smooth transition), shouldn’t we keep it simple?
* Minimize temptation. Your little guy faces a lifetime of using that thing as a weapon. They don’t call ‘em pissing contests for nothing. Maybe we don’t have to start quite this early.
* Here’s a no-brainer: avoid the issue of the toilet seat up or down.
* No-brainer #2: clean up is a breeze. You can skip wiping down the tile and the walls.
* Got daughters (not to mention a fraternal twin sister)? It’s exhausting to keep explaining why he stands up, while she sits down. Consistency, again.
* Make it easier during that awkward period when he’s forced to join you in the public ladies’ room, but is old enough to be embarrassed by it.
* Ever wonder why virtually all males of the species seem compelled to touch, rearrange, and grab their package at regular intervals all day long? Maybe it’s because we encourage them to hold it every few hours during toilet training.
* It’s soooo evolved. Your future daughter-in-law will love you for it.
* Level the playing field — for awhile, anyway. He’ll learn soon enough the art of point and click. Create good habits while you can.
And if Dad complains or makes lame comments about how “girly” it is, invite him to clean up after himself and Junior, both.
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I think this comic sums it up better, and in only a few words.
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/peeing_sitting_down
You can emasculate your boys all you want, and you’re even doing me a favor; my two sons will have lesser real competition in the real world from real men.
Really, Daniel? Really?
You know, Daniel, Rachel’s on to something.
Aside from not having to spend lots of money replacing the floor around the toilet due to poor aim and ‘splash-out’ (and I’ve known some families who have had to pay out for this to the tune of hundreds of dollars), the sitting down method is preferable for children just starting to use a toilet. I’ve helped potty train children for 20 years; two and three year olds have terrible aim. Even some grown men have poor aim, if the floor of the pub restroom is any indication. (The toilet is a stationary 12″ oval, guys, it doesn’t *move* when you are using it, so why the mess?) As a nanny and mom, I do not delight in cleaning off the toilet and floor multiple times a day so someone can prove their masculinity. Dads who insist that their boys stand to pee need to seriously get over themselves, pick up the Lysol wipes and get to work.
Here, here!