3 Day Potty Training

My daughter was daytime potty trained at 2 1/2 (nightime can be a different kettle of fish, because a hormone, anti-diuretic hormone, is involved).

I used the bare bottom method. I realized this would work for her one even when she was running around in the back yard "bare-bottomed." She asked to come in to use the potty, so I knew she was ready.

She went to pre-school, where clothing is not optional. As soon as she got home, I would take off her pull-up or whatever she was wearing and she spent the afternoon that way naked from the waist down. I had a potty chair in the family room (so she could keep on playing) and one in her room. When she was 2 1/2 she went to panties and only had a few accidents after that (a couple of times because a classmate told her she wasn't allowed to use the bathroom). We did have a couple of set-backs. My husband couldn't recognize her potty dance (a box step), so she had a number of accidents when my mom died and I was away for a couple of days.

Also, let her watch a "potty" video. It may help her out. The advice that I got that worked for my daughter was potty in the family room, bare-bottomed, potty video. Also, there is a saying, start potty training at 20 months, you'll be done by 30 months. Start at 28 months, you'll be done by 30 months. Two and half is the age most girls (but not all) have it, not two like our mothers insist.

Hello! First of all, don't beat yourself up, your daughter is still very young. I know daycares think every child should be potty trained before they turn 3, but sometimes children are not ready that early. The most important thing is to not frustrate your child. Too much pressure can do this. Keep it light and fun (even when its frustrating to you, I know, my son is 1 month from 3 and had been doing wonderful until we took at 10 hour road trip and now we are going maybe 1-2 times a day!) I am surprised that the daycare allows the pullups. In other daycares I have worked in, they prefer underwear and plastic pants. pullups are just like diapers and don't make them uncomfortable. as far as the ones that get cold, I think that is just silly (sorry if it has worked for someone)...it just seems to me that they would have already gone before it would "remind them" or whatever! Maybe not, I haven't tried them. Good luck, and all the happiness you can muster when they go, helps alot!

We just went through PT with our second girl, now age 33 months. I have been using cloth diapers for a long time with her and have never used pullups until recently when we had an all-day trip to the zoo, and we used them for just that day. It sounds like you realize that the pullups are the detrimental aspect of the whole experience for your daughter, so good for you - a lot of parents don't even realize it's just a new take on a diaper.

What has worked for us is to stick to cloth training pants, the kind with the thick crotch, and plastic/vinyl covers (Gerber makes both). This way, they have the immediate consequence of wetness but you don't always have to change their whole outfit for a little accident. Buy a lot, like another mom mentioned, and send several changes of clothes (even go to the thrift store if you can't/don't want to spend lots of money for so many things). That way, you are less apt to get annoyed at having to do laundry so often. If your daughter needs extra absorbancy, you can even get some old fashioned cloth diapers and put one in the training pant with the plastic cover on the outside. You should be able to buy all these supplies at Walmart or Target.

I think the key to the 3 day training is the readiness of the child and the parent's ability to provide the right circumstances to let the child achieve it. If the child is too young or otherwise not ready to do it or they're still in diapers most of the time, then there's no real reason to even approach it. Our daughter is very sensitive and does not handle change well, so we waited a little longer until she was fully ready and old enough so we could use some basic reason with her. We made the mistake of training our first daughter too early - all that accomplished was getting ME trained to sprint with my child to the potty every hour and tons of frustrating accidents. Just go back to reminding your daughter when you are at home for a few days and she should get back on track.

Setbacks are common - it will all be over soon!

If I remember correctly, the "3 day potty training" is more about getting your child to understand the feeling of needing to go and that they get wet if they don't make it to the bathroom. I think your daughter already understands that. The harder part is getting them to WANT to use the potty. That part was a struggle for us with 3 out of 4 children. The easiest was cild #2 (a girl). I knew she was ready but would only "train" when she decided she wanted to. So I asked her when she was going to use the potty. She picked the day (about a month away) and when that day came she started using the potty all the time and only had 1 accident. She was 2 years, 9 months.

Hi C.! I would say that 3 day potty training is completely possible if your child is ready. When we were ready, I told my son there were no more diapers and that the store quit selling them, so he had to wear underwear. He said that was ok. That day (Saturday) he had about 3 accidents, and went in the potty 3 times. The next day he only had one accident, and none the next day. We gave him stickers for going pee in the potty, and a sucker for going #2. He wears a pull-up at nighttime, but still gets up to go to the potty in the middle of the night. He has been potty trained for about a month now, with only about one accident a week. This all happened the weekend before his 3rd birthday, so he was deifinitely ready. We may have just gotten lucky, but we got it down in about a day and a half! Good luck! As long as your daughter is ready, you can definitely potty train in 3 days!

Well here is my experience with "3 day potty training". When I decided it was time for our oldest (who now 3) to be potty trained, I took away diapers and never went to pull-ups (during the day). We bought pull-ups for nigt time and naps. That was it. He was potty trained in about 3 days (during the day). Nights took a little longer. He was pretty easy. But our second (who is 2) is not the same. We have him in pull-ups, only b/c since we started PT, he has been sick (I swear like all the time.) He tells me after the fact, also. I really need to work on him, but htats a whole nother story. Anyways. I believe it is possible. Explain to her that she doesn't go in her big girl panties. Use a reward system if that helps. We did stickers and after so many, we went to dollar tree and he could pick an age appropriate toy. Explian that pull-ups are only for night time and naps (if she still takes them). I would send a change (maybe a couple) of clothes wih her to daycare. They should understand that she is in the process of PT. I hope this helps you out. All children are different, so it may take longer.

Oh and I dropped everything to concentrate on our first son, when I PT him, that may have helped in the long run. If u have any question I'd be glad to help.

Yes, it worked for us! My daughter was around 18 mos old when she started asking to go potty so I debated using pull ups, but thought I had nothing to lose by trying the three day system. I went out and bought tons of underwear (20 pair) and got some cheap pants at kohls (about 8-10 pair)and went from there. The first day she peed her pants and would then run to the potty. The second morning was the hardest because I think she was trying to control it herself. She would pee a little and then run to the potty, do nothing, and after I'd change her underwear she'd pee a little again, etc... She did this almost 7 times in the first hour she was up. I almost gave up at that point but the rest of the day was better. She'd pee a little and then hold it until she got to the potty. Finally day three she pretty much would run to the potty when she had to go. I have never used pull-ups (except naptime and bedtime - I haven't tried to train her for these times). She does have accidents when she is out of the house and in situations where a lot is going on - but I know her signals and can usually catch her before she goes (Dad is a different story!!) I figure if I have to change diapers, I might as well just change underwear, and pack 2-4 extra outfits if we are out for a long time. She also took some time getting used to public bathrooms (the flushing can be loud)but she has been 90% potty trained from 18 mos so I'm not complaining! Good luck!

it sounds to me like you know why she had the set back: pullups. i would take them away for 2 weeks. don't pressure her but ask if shed like to go and offere a sticker reward etc for going/trying. otherwise i think the feeling of wet pants is the best motivater. just say thats ok! to accidents. it may get worse a few days/a week before it gets better but i bet by two weeks she'll pretty much have it! good luck!

Hi, Our daughter actually potty trained in one day, but our son took several months and wasn't fully trained until he was over 4. Each child is different, when your daughter is truly ready she will go potty in the toilet. Our daughter had just turned 3 I believe and was starting to show signs of knowing when she had to go. So we said to her one day that it was time to start going like her big brother. We put underwear on her, she had one "uh-oh" because she couldn't run down the hall quick enough to the potty. After that she was fine, she never had any problems. Hope that helps and Good Luck!

poty training takes more than just one thing to work. the main hurdle is teaching your child what going potty feels like so that they know when they have to go. once they figured that out they have to want to go on the potty and not in their pants. many are too lazy and would rather keep playing or just dont want to give you the satisfaction. so in my opinion your daughter is potty trained if she already was going potty at home on her own. take the pull ups away and just bring extra clothes to daycare. if she pees then she will find out that she gets wet. dont let the day care worry you with the extra work they have to do...they get paid plenty to help teach your girl to pee in the potty instead of her clothes. after a few times or days of this she will start going where she should.

Well it took 4 days, but I just did it with my son (25 months). We let him be in underwear and pants, and it was annoying for the first 2 days... lots of cleaning up pee, but it was worth it. Some people will say not to, but our son is a little headstrong so we needed him to WANT to go on the potty. To make that happen we LAVISHED candy and gifts on him for successes and by day 4 he was doing it right every time. Now, here's the thing. We used pullups for nap and night. We called them night time underwear and he kept them dry until he had 1 accident and realized that they were essentially a diaper then he started peeing at night again. When it bled over and he actually peed during nap (in regular underwear) we realized that the pullups were untraining him. Unless you have a child who truly cannot hold it at night, I think I recommend gritting your teeth and changing the sheets a time or two. (I don't know, ask me in a week! :) ) Good luck, it will suck, but it is SOOOO worth it!! ............. Oh, and if you have any chance of doing it in just a few days you've got to get her favorite drink and let her drink it all day every day so she can have LOTS of opportunities to succceed. Her teeth can handle a few sugary days I'm sure!