I’ve potty trained all three of my children in three days. Yes, seriously! If you are like me you’ve probably seen things about the 3-day potty training method online and wondered if it could possibly be true. That was me about 8 years ago.
My oldest son was turning two and I had heard all kinds of horror stories about potty training. With the way some moms talked about it, I was pretty sure it was going to be a horrible experience. I read various things online about 3-day potty training and jumped right in. Guess what? It worked! Three days later I was happily reporting a completely day and night potty trained child. I tweaked a few things, but followed the same 3-day format with kid #2 and got a great result again.
Enter child #3. My adorable, passionate, strong-willed little guy. I knew he was going to be tougher than the other two. So much that I waited about 4-5 months longer to potty train him. He is two years and seven months old. Spring break was this week, so I decided to once again block off three days and go for it. I am happy to report that we were once again 100% diaper-free in three days!
It goes without saying that all children are different and respond differently to potty training. My kids all have very different personalities and of course I monitored and adjusted the process for each of them. If you are ready to be completely rid of diapers and not drag out the potty training process for weeks (or months!) then keep reading.
What you will need:
- 3 Days with zero activities/meetings/to-dos
- Underwear
- Potty chair (we used one like this and recommend getting one with a detachable seat that you can place on your toilet when your child is ready. It is also a stepstool.)
- Snacks
- Paper to make a sticker chart
- Stickers
- Lots of patience and a good attitude
What you will NOT need:
- Anywhere to be for 3 days!
- Pull-ups
To start getting my kiddos used to the idea of using the potty, we started talking about it a couple months ahead of time. As soon as they start waking up dry, ask about going potty, or start showing any interest in toilet training you will know you are ready to begin. Of course you need to be sensitive to any stressors, big changes (like a new sibling, etc.) that might be coming up for your child. I recommend getting a potty training book to read to your child. My little guys had this one (It’s Potty Time) and my youngest carried it around for over a month before we started potty training.
First choose a nice long weekend or take off a day of work to make sure you have at least 3 full days to potty train. I was lucky to have several days off for Spring Break, so this was perfect. Do not plan to leave the house for at least 3 days. With all of my boys we were ready to take short trips out of the house by day 2, but you may very well need all three days.
Next, set up the party! I usually blow up some balloons, decorate a little, and get something special for breakfast. This time we went with a chocolate sprinkle donut! As soon as your child is up for the day, put them in underwear and say good-bye forever to diapers. Remember, whatever happens, DO NOT put a diaper back on them. It will be tough at some points, like really tough, but do not give in. I promise you will be happy you stuck to it. This goes for nap and night time as well. I put a towel down under the bed sheet just in case there are any accidents. I feel it is important to make sure they have transitioned to a “big kid” bed as well. If they are not able to get out of their crib, they don’t have the option of going potty on their own, so the risk of an accident is higher.
The key to this method is to create an area that is fun and easy to contain your child for a few days. I just spread out blankets and towels in the living room and place fun toys like blocks, race tracks, and books to keep us busy. The potty sits on a towel right there with us! It is important to give your child snacks (salty is best) so they will keep drinking often. Ideally, you want to have them sit on the potty every 15-30 minutes. My little guy was really good at holding it, so he occasionally went 45 minutes in between, but we just kept trying. You should start noticing the signs that they need to potty. Grabbing themselves, pulling at their underwear, even funny facial expressions are clues. As the day goes on, they should become more aware of the sensation of needing to use the toilet…with your prompting of course.
All of my kids have liked using a sticker chart to celebrate their success. With my older two I made a cute potty chart with their name and decorated it. This time (because three kids) I just wrote his name on a piece of paper and picked up some fun stickers at the dollar store. He absolutely loved picking out the sticker and placing it on the paper. We are on Day 7 now, and he still occasionally asks for a sticker. My husband also picked up some M&M minis candy and we gave those as some extra motivation. No need to use candy or food as a reward, but hey whatever works!
You have to be able to give them your undivided attention. This is the hardest, yet most rewarding part of the process. I was brought to tears several times this week, as we had so much precious one-on-one time. This is rare with three kiddos, and a full-time job, so it was really special. The one-on-one time is why potty training is actually one of my favorite milestones with my kids.
Be prepared for accidents. I had to remind myself of that even this third go-round. I was starting to get frustrated and stressed out after a few accidents. But this is part of the process! I think on Day One we had three accidents, which was pretty successful. Don’t worry if you have more than that, just keep going.
Day Two- the hardest day. You wake up hoping that they will just take to it again, but often this is the day of “I can’t” or “No, Mommy!” My son was just not having it on the morning of day two. I realize that he was wanting to stand up to pee, and so we transitioned to the big toilet. He was a little scared to pee and verbalized that he did not want to. I thought of putting Cheerios in the toilet to make a game out of it, but we were out. I sent my nine-year-old in to find something and he came back and tossed a Goldfish cracker in the toilet. My two-year-old laughed hysterically, said “I can pee on that fish,” and just like that he took care of business. I can’t believe it, but we continued to toss in Goldfish for the next two days, and he promptly peed (or pooped) on the fish. Genius! Be open to what might motivate your child, no matter how silly!
It is important to really pay attention to the amount of liquids your child it taking in during the process. We cut off drinks about 45 minutes before nap and bedtime to avoid accidents. My son sleeps anywhere from 10-12 hours without an accidents, so don’t be scared of nighttime. Even if your child has an accident, you don’t need pull-ups or nighttime diapers. Think about how confusing this would be for your child. It’s okay to pee your pants at night, but not during the day? Such a mixed message for a little person.
By Day Three you’ll be ready to venture out of the house for sure. Take walks, go to the park, or take a quick trip to another favorite place. It is intimidating to think of putting a child in the carseat with no diaper, and you have to plan ahead to stay close to a toilet. My son did have an accident at the park because we didn’t make it to the restroom in time. This will happen. Just be sure to have extra clothes and to keep your cool. It isn’t the end of the world if they pee their pants in the check-out line of the store, or as you run for the potty somewhere…I’ve experienced both and besides being a little embarrassed, no harm done.
If you follow the plan and truly put your best effort into the 3 days, you will have a potty trained child at the end of the process. If you have to leave your child to work, etc. just make sure you have carefully explained your process and expectations for your child to their daycare provider. You don’t want them to put a diaper on them or cause you any other setbacks.
Just think how freeing it will feel to be completely diaper free in 3 days! Your wallet will certainly thank you when you aren’t spending money on diapers anymore. You will feel accomplished and your child will be proud of their new “big kid” status.
It was hard to put my whole plan into words, so please message me with questions or comments. I am happy to explain in more detail! Now get busy planning your potty party! You’ve got this!
This post does contain affiliate links.
Follow me on social media:
