Aiming takes practice. When a little boy starts urinating in a standing position, be prepared to wipe up (and/or have him wipe up) around the toilet.

• Show the boy how to point his penis down to avoid spraying the room whether by sitting down or standing up. (If a little girl wants to urinate standing up, explain it doesn’t work but let her try anyway if she wants to.)

• Teach the boy to aim accurately by having him "sink the battleship." Float the corner of the envelope or a piece of toilet paper in the toilet and have him aim at it. (Cheerios, we hear, are also popular for target practice!)

• Or drain the water from the toilet bowl and paint a red target with fingernail polish on the porcelain toward the back. Or use a red grease pencil.

• Urinating into the "blue" toilet bowel water will turn it green. (This works with girls, to, but it’s harder to see.)

• In the summertime, and in the privacy of a backyard or woods, let a boy practice his aim.