When my husband and I decided it was time to potty train our son, he had just turned two and we had recently found out we were pregnant. I was set on not having to change two sets of diapers. Colson could also communicate “potty” in sign language, which is a great sign to start. As first-time parents we were inundated with potty training tips, tricks, methods, articles and videos. The method that worked for us was this; the 3-day potty training method. We committed ourselves to it, took a weekend off of our phones (except for alarms) and potty trained our son. We laughed. We cried. We cleaned up so much pee. In the end, it was absolutely worth it.
I always preface parenting advice and tips with this, every child is different, even from the same parents. This method worked fantastic for us but it may not be for you and yours and that’s okay! Understanding how your child communicates, knowing their cues and what they are comfortable with is a lot of why this method worked for us. If you do try this with your potty-training kiddo, let me know! I love to hear success stories along with any modifications!
Below are your must-haves and a day-by-day breakdown of what to do and what to expect:
Must haves
- Toddler seat adapter on big toilet, or a little potty
- Incentives (Reese’s work great if your baby has molars)
- Underwear, boxer briefs, anything but a diaper
- Communication; sign language or over communication about going potty verbally
- Patience!
- Nighttime diapers are okay for naps and overnite but this method is a commitment to no more day-time diapers. So stay strong and don’t revert back to them!
Day 1: The most chaotic day
- Put your phone away. Unless you are setting or turning off a timer, you’re not going to want to be on it, trust me.
- NO DRAWS!! Your child should be totally commando, wearing only a shirt. Preferably one that’s short enough to for you to see bathroom cues.
- Set a timer for every 10-15 minutes
- Take them to the toilet and sit for 5 minutes max. It’s okay if they don’t go but reward if they do!
- The timer is to help start a routine for your child. When the timer goes off, that becomes their cue to go to the bathroom.
- Remember, there will be a TON of accidents!
- You’ll start to see signs of when they have to go
- Less flaccid peener (for boys), dancing around, holding themselves, even saying pee pee or using the verbal/sign word you’ve been communicating to them.
Day 2: Starting to get the hang of it
- You can do either commando or start to use underwear, but follow the same steps as Day 1.
- Here you’ll really start to understand your child’s urges to potty based on how much they’re drinking
- Fluids will be your best friend. Lots of water, sugar free juices. Anything to get them going!
- Keep communicating. Ask them if they have to go potty until you’re sick of hearing it yourself talk, then ask again!
Day 3: You’re a potty training pro!
- Rinse and repeat
- By now, your child should have more pees in the potty than accidents and be able to tell you when they have to go!
- Pooping in the potty will take much longer but is a bonus if it happens this early.