When your son begins to grow older, eventually, he will need to switch over from diapers to underwear.
This is going to be a huge step in growth and maturity for him! Well, as much a step in maturity as it can be for a child who is finally potty trained.
As a parent, it is an important moment for you too! Now, instead of worrying about whether your son needs to have his diaper changed, you get to worry about whether he is going to wet himself!
Although this new and exciting thing to worry about might be slightly concerning, you should be able to tell if your son is ready to wear underwear. Things that might let you in on if he is ready to make this jump are indicators that he knows how to control his bladder.
These indicators could be no longer having accidents in school, being able to tell when he needs to use the toilet, or as my brother once did, loudly announce in the frozen food aisle of Walmart that his “poop is coming right now!”
Being able to alert you (with whatever obscene method your son picks) is a great sign that he is ready to switch over to the big boy side of the undergarment industry. Even though he might humiliate you in Target or in front of those annoying PTA moms who always seem to have everything together.
So what are the rest of the big signs that your son is ready for real underwear? And what age should you begin to train your son to use the toilet instead of a diaper? Well, let’s get into it!
What Age Should My Son be for Underwear?
Well, everyone is different. Your son could be ready earlier than all of his classmates and you can brag to his teacher, his friends, and that annoying parent that always brings organic, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, non-GMO, and vegan brownies to the soccer games.
However, there is a general age range for when boys tend to be ready for potty training and underwear. Boys tend to begin to show signs of being prepared to start wearing real underwear around 18 months (a year and a half) to 24 months (two years).
But some boys are late bloomers and that is a-okay. Some boys are ready to wear underwear around three years old. There is no rush to potty training. Better to make sure that your son is ready to be wearing real underwear than rush him and have to do a load of soiled pants every day.
Potty Training
You should make sure that your son can do the following before he can be potty trained.
Some of these may seem like obvious things, but it is important to know that your son is ready for this big step. If he is unable to do some of these basic tasks related to taking himself to the bathroom, then he will be stuck in a sticky situation and you will have more underoos to wash that night.
If your son exhibits a lot of these characteristics, then you might be ready to introduce the idea of potty training and real underwear. If he does not seem eager or is not showing any of these signs, then it's probably a better choice to wait than to force him.
Choosing the Right Underwear
Whenever you and your son decide that the time is right for him to begin wearing real underwear, you should make sure that he is excited about this next phase of his life! Help him choose underwear that he likes, maybe ones that have a cartoon or a movie character on them.
If he likes his underwear, he will feel proud and make more of an effort to be aware of his physical needs. He will be more active in preventing himself from any accidents if he likes his underwear. It sounds stupid, but psychologically, it is a fact.
Best Underwear for Kids
The Ups and Downs of Wearing Real Underwear for Boys
Wearing real underwear will mean a lot to your son. So if (or when) he has his first accident after starting to wear real underwear, it is going to weigh heavily on his mind. He will see it as failing himself and you.
Make sure that you keep encouraging him to succeed. Give him praise or reward when he successfully uses the restroom by himself. When he has an accident, do not degrade him. Give him encouragement and support. Remind him that everyone has their struggles and that he will get there eventually.
Make sure to be moderate with your praise and reward. If you are giving out praise and reward freely, then he will assume that every time he goes to the toilet, that he will get a reward. That is another example of developmental psychology at play. You do not want to accidentally turn your son into a Pavlov’s dog experiment!
Generally, kids want to succeed in wearing real underwear. They see it as a step towards adulthood or being a big kid. And although we do not want them to rush into their older years, they might want to.
Monitor their progress with simple tasks, like alerting you when they need to use the restroom or being able to pull up their pants. Help them learn bathroom etiquette, like flushing, handwashing, and most importantly, cleaning up after himself.
That is not going to be an easy transition for you or your son. It will be a learning curve, but everyone can do it! Keep him motivated to learn and grow, and you will stay motivated to help him as well.
Remember, everyone is different! There is no right time for every single young boy to learn to wear real underwear!
