Yes, you heard it. It’s actually possible! I know, because I just did it with Emma and I can confidently tell you when day 4 arrived. I had a little toddler who woke up that morning and was completely potty trained! She had zero accidents and literally TOLD me when she needed to pee/poop.
If I made that statement before I attempted this method. I would have laughed at myself for sounding so crazy.
I give full credit to Brandi Brucks. The author of “potty training in 3 days” is the method we used to potty train our first toddler.
I am going to share with you our journey and everything you need to know about how to potty train your kid in 3 days. First, let’s start with the prep.
Emma is 2.5 years old. Which they say is a good time to potty train. The older your kid gets. The harder it’s going to be to break them from the habit of using their diapers.
Look for signs. Your child is not going to walk up to you and say “okay mom, I’m ready to potty train now”. If only it were that easy! Lol. And not going to lie. I was waiting for Emma to say something along those lines to me.
SIGNS YOUR CHILD IS READY TO POTTY TRAIN
-showing interest in others using the potty
-pulling at their wet diaper
-acknowledging their diaper is wet or has bowel movement inside
-hiding to pee/bowel movements
-predictable bowel movements
-mushy bowel movements
-can hold his/her bladder for roughly one hour
-can follow simple direction
WHAT POTTY CHAIR TO USE?
You want to use one of the potty chairs that appears like an insert for your toilet. Do not use a small little toilet, which is going to be what you want to purchase and use because it’s so cute and seems like it makes total sense. Trust me! This will save you a step anyways if you think about it. You’re eventually going to transition them over onto the toilet anyways. Your future self will appreciate you.
This is the potty insert we used. It fits on your toilet and is secure preventing your little one from being scared to sit on it.
The stool is helpful for your child to get up/down on their own. You want to make this experience the best it can be for your toddler. And what do toddlers love? Independence. Seems simple, but they will benefit so much from this little action.
You will want to introduce the toilet insert the week prior to you starting the training. Let your little one sit up all by themselves and make a big deal about this being their “new potty chair”!
YOU NEED TO PICK 3 DAYS
Pick the starting day and commit. I know, it’s scary. But, you can do this! The preparation was far scarier than the actual implementation itself.
Pick a long weekend, or sometimes that you will have at least three days off. Three is the absolute minimum amount of days if you want this to be successful. Plan to stay inside for those three days. Like, literally. The first day you’re not even allowed to go outside. I know it sounds very unpleasant but when the hard work is over. You’ll be SO happy you stuck with it.
PREPARE
Purchase enough groceries for those days, wine, and whatever other coping mechanisms you’ll need lol. Also, you’re going to want to get new crafts, actives for your little toddler to play with, or anything else that will soak up a lot of time. You’re about to spend a ton of one on one time together.
REWARDS
This is going to be the key to your biggest success when it comes to potty training. Toddlers love reward systems. So, this will be your most helpful motivator to get them to go pee/poop in the toilet.
Candy works best. Especially if your toddler does not receive candy often. We used M&M’s and gummy bears. You want candy that’s smaller in pieces since your toddler is going to be consuming it often for the next 3 days. Do not reward with ice cream or anything crazy big like that!
WHEN TO REWARD?
You are going to reward your child with one piece of candy for pee and two pieces of candy for poop. The ONLY time you will reward your child when they do not go to the bathroom is the first time they sit on the toilet and “attempt” to go pee/poop. After that, make sure it’s clear to your little one that they only receive a reward for peeing/pooping in the toilet.
STICKER CHART
There are plenty of sticker charts you can purchase. I’m going, to be honest. The ones I found seemed very detailed and I was not a fan. Then, I realized who I was making this for…a toddler lol. So, I made a simple DIY sticker chart.
Just used a blank sheet of computer paper, purchased these princess stickers off Amazon and that’s it! Emma loved it.
Keep it, simple mama.
BYE-BYE DIAPERS
Saying goodbye to the diapers the night before is a big step. Take your little one around and collect all the diapers. Yes, even the ones in your diaper bag. This step is very essential for your child. Then, once all the diapers are collected. You can put them in a box, say you’re donating them, the diaper fairy is coming to collect them tonight, put them out for the trash (which is what we did) letting your little one know that the diapers are not needed anymore. Have them help and make your little one a part of the process.
If you have a smaller one in diapers still, like us. That’s okay. Still remove all the diapers. The next morning you can just place them back secretly because you’ll obviously still need them.
DAY 1
Okay, get ready. You got this! When you wake up in the morning. Give your little one a heads up. This is what I told Emma to prepare her.
“Okay, Emma. We’re going to eat breakfast and after breakfast, we’re going to put on big girl underwear and go pee/poop in the toilet today”
She got really excited not really knowing exactly why truthfully. The tone you use is vital throughout this whole process.
The reason you skip breakfast is that a lot of the time when they are eating. Their bladders are relaxed. Which makes them more acceptable to peeing. This would be a confusing time to start training them. You’re better off starting right after breakfast.
After breakfast, it’s time to change into underwear! I sat Emma down and explained to her again that we’re putting on big girl underwear and when we throw the diaper away. It’ll be the last diaper you ever wear. Reassuring her that this is because she’s a “big girl”, etc.
It’s important to have underwear that has characters on it. Emma loves Disney princesses so that’s what I chose. The reason behind this is you’re going to instill wet/dry by telling them.
“Okay, you’re wearing Cindarella. You need to keep her nice and dry. She does not like to be peed on and get wet”.
Sounds crazy, but I’m telling you. It works!
The first time she peed in her underwear, she said “oh no! Cinderella got all wet” She would tell me throughout the day “Moana’s happy because she’s nice and dry”, “I won’t poop on Bell”, etc.
Haha, I probably 100% ruined Disney princesses with this method. But, regardless of the fact. It works and is VERY effective.
Day one is going to be the hardest. You’re going to be learning your child’s cues for when she/he needs to go to the bathroom.
Place your child in just a shirt and underwear. You want a shirt to not be too long. You need to be watching and pick up if your child might start to have an accident.
Start with taking them to the bathroom every 15 minutes for the first entire day.
They are going to have accidents. That’s why your eyes literally don’t leave your child. I’m serious. No phones, no leaving them in another room for “5 minutes”. You’re by their side from the moment you wake up until the moment they go to bed. I know that sounds harsh. But, it’s going to be worth it. I promise you!
When your child has an accident. You need to hurry and scoop them up. Place them on the toilet and let them finish peeing on the toilet. Remind them you don’t pee on (whatever character) you need to pee in the toilet.
When and if your child goes poop in their underwear. Remain calm, poop is a big deal for your little one. Pick your child up and rush them to the toilet just like you would do if they went pee. Whatever poop is in the underwear. You need to place that poop into the toilet and tell your child (calmly) that poop does not belong in the underwear. Poop goes in the toilet. Gross, I know, trust me. This is important though. A lot of kids are shy and refuse to poop on the toilet. So, the moment your little one poops on the toilet. Make an extra big deal about it.
Your child might hold its poop for the first 1-2 days. This can be normal. But, this is also why it’s important for your child to have mushy poops prior to potty training.
NAP-TIME
Naptime and bedtime. This is the time you’ll place a pullup on your child. Only for nap/bedtime is your child to wear a pullup. It’s important to not call them diapers. It’s also important to not place underwear over the pullups. The first sleep, they will probably have an accident while they are asleep. That’s normal. Their little bladders are not used to holding it that long and they are still learning to have control of their bladder. So placing underwear over a pull-up is giving the notion that it’s okay to pee in your underwear while you sleep. After your child has 4-5 nights/naps of no accidents. You can then transition to just underwear. Then, you are to explain to your child why they do not require pull-ups anymore and only wear underwear to bed now.
Congratulations, day one is complete!
DAY 2
Day two gets a little easier, especially closer to the end of the day. Same routine. Day two you want to start the moment your little one wakes up. Do not skip breakfast. You will be able to start and identify more clearly your child’s cues, along with how often they actually use the bathroom. For day two, especially at the beginning, I recommend you taking them at least every half hour. Continue to push the fluids and encouragement.
You might see some hesitation in your child. They are tired too and feeling big emotions. This is a BIG change for them. So, give yourself and your little one a lot of grace. I promise, come day three it will get a lot easier.
Your child might also try to ask for his/her diapers back. Whatever you do, do not give in. It’s going to be hard, there is most likely going to be pushback and tears. You both will get through this and come to the end of day three. You’ll be so proud of yourself and your little one.
Today you can venture outside. I would recommend taking a bathroom break at least every 30 mins. Children love nature, it can be easy for your little one to become distracted and forget they need to go to the bathroom.
Confession, the first time I took Emma outside, we lost track of time and were outside for 45 mins. She had an accident in her pants and I honestly only had myself to blame. This is why staying on track is so important.
If you want, closer to the second half of day 2. You can place pants on your child. I personally waited for day 3.
Another tip that’s helpful throughout this process. Do not ask your child if they need to go to the bathroom. Instead, tell them. Say something along the lines of “okay, in 5 minutes we are going to go to the bathroom and try to pee/poop. Then we can come back and finish coloring” You give them notice, this will prevent a breakdown and make them more open when they know what to expect. Then if 5 minutes. Say “okay, it’s been 5 minutes. Now it’s time to go to the bathroom and try and pee/poop”.
DAY 3
Today gets easier. Your little one is starting to pick up on their new routine. Today you can leave the house. Like, farther than your front yard lol. Make sure you take the toilet insert with you anywhere you go. Stick to your same routine as if you were at home. I’m talking about still taking breaks every 30 minutes to go to the restroom.
I would not recommend being gone the entire day. Now’s not the time to go to the zoo or somewhere like that. Keep it simple. This will also help you little one get used to different restrooms. Most likely they will be returning to daycare and school after these 3 days anyways. So, a new environment with you there will help them feel safe and comfortable.
SOME DO NOT’S
- Do not ask if he/she wants to go to the bathroom
- Do not expect your child to tell you when he/she has to pee (in the beginning)
- Only give rewards if successful
- No TV/electronic devices during first 3 days
- Do NOT show anger or frustration when your child has an accident
- Stay off your phone
- Do not leave your child alone in a room
- Do not let your child tell you “no”
* this column was obtained from the book we used (mentioned in the beginning of the blog)
NO FRUSTRATION
This one is hard. Especially, if you become bothered quickly. When you potty train. You need a WHOLE lot of patience. Hence, why I suggested the wine for the end of the day 😉
It is vital to not show frustration. Your child will have accidents. You need to remain calm and explain to them the proper way. It’s our job to teach. Our children feed off our energy. If we become frustrated with their accidents. Then, this will snowball into your child’s emotions rising and push them farther away from wanting to become potty trained. You need to remain calm, especially when it’s hard. Do not say things like “no, that’s bad, we do not pee on the ground” simply replace that with “Emma, you peed on the ground. Is that where we pee?” she’ll hopefully respond with a no and then you say “where do you go pee”? And then hopefully she says the toilet. You get the point.
CAREGIVERS
So, caregivers. It’s important to be very clear with your current routine. Most caregivers have your little one’s best interest in mind and will go along with your process. It’s your job to be very clear on how often, reward system, etc you have in place for your little one.
CONCLUSION
That about wraps up three days of potty training a toddler. Like I said in the beginning. The preparation and anticipation leading up to potty training are the most intimidating parts of actually potty training your little one. Remember also, each child is different.
You know your child the best. What will motivate them. Ways they learn, etc. This process will be so rewarding for the two of you once it is all over.
If you have any questions I did not cover in the above. Please feel free to comment below. I would love to help.
