Potty Training: The 3 Day Method Worked For Us!

I’ve thought about potty training since before my daughter Ridha turned 2 years old. It’s been a topic of discussion in our home, and I along with everyone wondered when she would finally be fully potty-trained. I did try it a few times for about a year, and just gave up on it because I felt she wasn’t ready.

And then this crazy winter storm happened, and we were pretty much home for days because of the freezing temperatures, and I thought it’s the perfect time to just give it another try. Plus, Ridha turns 3 this month and I was really hoping she would be potty trained by the age of 3 (a personal goal of mine).

So I made up my mind and thought let’s do this thing!! First let me explain the signs that assured me my child was ready to be potty trained…

Signs your child is ready to be toilet-trained:

1. She wakes up dry during naps, and even at night time. I first noticed this in August 2017, but I didn’t try potty training her because of her transition to nursery, and I thought it would be too many new things for her at the time. Waking up dry is a huge sign that your child is ready.
2. She knows all the steps of using the toilet. My daughter knows everything from start to finish about using a toilet and this is mainly because of the episode of Daniel Tiger on repeat, as well as me explaining/showing it to her over and over. Just because she knows doesn’t mean she showed interest in doing it herself, but it is a good sign.
3. She can communicate to me about her potty/pee. Again, just because she could tell me, didn’t mean that she did. But I knew that when the time comes, Ridha would be able to clearly communicate to me that she has to go.

Again, this is all of my experience and it varies with every child. I had gotten many tips from other parents who’s kids were potty trained at various ages, much younger than Ridha, and it always made me conscious. But I stood my ground and convinced myself that I would not push her until she was ready. In my experience, going to preschool has only helped because they teach my daughter how to do do many things independently.

So what happened next? We followed the Three-Day Potty-Training Method, which I found here. My daughter was not interested in potty-training until I told her she would be getting a BIG surprise if she successfully did it, and it worked like a charm. Of course the pretty character underwear helped too.

Three-Day Potty Training Method and How It Worked:

Step I: Don’t leave the house for three days. This thing needs to be banged out at home, all day long, just you and your child making frequent trips to the bathroom and having plenty of accidents at home. I knew that if I was going to seriously do this thing, then I needed to invest the time in it.

Step II: Leave out the diaper. I used regular toddler underwear, nothing special just the kind you get anywhere in a child’s clothing store. I didn’t leave her naked because it’s freezing, and since she needs to get used to wearing underwear, might as well start now. I kept extra pairs nearby in case of accidents.

Step III: Take frequent trips to the toilet. I think I took my daughter every 1-1.5 hour to the toilet. This helps to familiarize with the process, give her space and freedom to sit and relax on the toilet. And reminding her again and again that she does not have a diaper on, she can’t go potty in the underwear, and she needs to do it on the toilet.

Step IIII: Accidents will happen. Don’t freak out! We had plenty of accidents. On Day 1, we had two pee accidents before she finally got it. And then on Day 2, we had a potty accident. It’s perfectly normal and there’s no need to freak out. If you’ve got a nice persian rug you don’t want to spoil, put it away, that’s what we did! Luckily though, both of our accidents were in the bathroom because she didn’t get there in time. So if it happens, just clean it up, change the clothes, give a bath if necessary and keep going with encouragement. Accidents are part of the learning process!!

That’s basically it. I started on Thursday, for three days, we went from morning to night in an underwear. That first day, she went all day without peeing/pooing in the toilet, but then two accidents later, in the evening she finally went. And it is the best feeling! Now every time she goes number 1 or 2, she’s elated and tells me “Look Mummy i’m doing it!”
I think the key to remember here is to just dedicate a few consecutive days [that’s right, doesn’t have to be 3, do however many days it takes] and at the right time for your child. I always dreaded it, and I was one of those moms who thought my daughter is going to start Kindergarten, still wearing a diaper!

So don’t fret, just wait for the right time and I hope you try this method and it’s a success! I applaud all moms who have done it, it is not easy!

What method worked for you and your child when it comes to potty-training? Any tips are welcome! Leave your comment below 🙂