How I Potty Trained My Toddler in 3 Days
Last week, my toddler and I paused our full day adventures and hunkered down at home for potty training. I fully expected this to take at least a full week but, to my surprise, my toddler only needed 3 days to potty train. (Thank goodness because my toddler and I are NOT made to stay home all week long.)
Let me tell you…
That feeling of buying the last pack of diapers is BLISS.
Potty training is one of those “milestones” that really varies from kid to kid. I have friends whose kids were ready to potty train at 18 months and others who were ready at 3 years old.
So, this is NOT meant to be a thorough how-to guide (there are plenty of those on the market). I trusted my gut, read a few articles, talked to friends, but never purchased a “guide” about potty training. You know your child best and do what works for them!
What I Didn’t Do:
Force Potty Training
My toddler has used the potty periodically from 1.5 years old until when we fully potty trained. When we tried to potty train before, it just wasn’t working or clicking yet- she just wasn’t ready.
Use a Reward System
I didn’t offer charts, stickers, toys, or treats. Just lots of encouragement and praise!
Push Water Intake
Some potty training “experts” recommend having your toddler drink a lot of water to help them use the bathroom frequently to drive the potty training. We encourage her to listen to her body, so if she wasn’t thirsty, we weren’t going to push it and instead let her drink what she wanted and then go potty when needed.
Use Pull-Ups
I switched her to training underwear on the first day that we began potty training. No Pull-Ups (even when driving!) and only use them for nighttime now.
What I Did Do:
Wait Until Readiness Signs
Some kids can potty train by one, and others wait until three, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It was more important for me to recognize the signs of readiness, rather than her age. Such as showing interest, communicating that she needs to go (or if she was going in her diaper before training), being able to undress herself, staying dry for longer periods of time, and being able to follow instructions.
Get Familiar with the Potty
We had my toddler sitting on the small toilet and big toilet (with a child’s seat added) way before jumping into potty training. It was available to her any time she wanted to or showed interest.
We also read several different kinds of kids potty training books before, during, and now after training. Some of the content we read focused on helping establish what the toilet is, how to use it, and what it feels like when you need to go.
Encourage Listening to Her Body
I encourage her to listen to her body, and don’t force her to go. I did check in with her almost every hour and before leaving the house.
Immediately Switch to Underwear
Target drive up for the win! I switched my toddler to training underwear the first day of potty training.
Praise!
Lots of praise for going on the potty, even when she tries and doesn’t end up going! I gave praise for washing hands and every other step too. Basically, being her biggest cheerleader (per usual lol).
Read All the Books
Even reading while on the potty seemed to help!
Invest in Potty Training Tools
I purchased some items to make potty training easier for both of us. Items like an on-the-go potty, small potty for home, etc. I have them linked on my Amazon Storefront.
Good luck, mama, and you got this!
