"Some parents see potty training as the holy grail of toddlerhood—a magical milestone that promises relief from diapers and all the mess that comes with them. And think of all the money you’ll save! they add as if the cost of diapers isn’t sure to get gobbled up by some other expense du jour.
I, for one, am not one of those parents. I like the predictability of diapers. The freedom they provide me. The ability to pick up and go, anywhere, anytime, as long as we have our trusty changing kit in tow. But, alas, my 2-year-old daughter has displayed nearly all the signs of potty training readiness, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics: she can sit, walk, dress (with help), and pull her pants up and down; she can understand and respond to instructions; imitate others; and show independence (almost to a fault). She also seems to be on a more ‘regular’ bathroom schedule. And while she doesn’t stay dry during naps or overnight—something experts say can take years—she’s shown a keen interest in the toilet, having successfully used the little potty three times before we officially started training.
Despite recognizing these signals, I had some valid reasons to put off potty training. She was transitioning to a new daycare, and I didn’t want to overwhelm her with too many changes at once. I also wanted to ensure we had three consecutive days at home to dedicate to her training. But if I’m being honest, a big part of the delay had nothing to do with her—I was the one who wasn’t ready for the change.
After three weeks at her new school, one where most of her classmates were either potty trained or in training, I knew I couldn’t hold her back any longer, so I embarked on the 3-day potting training method.
What is the 3-Day Potty Training Method?
My husband and I did some research and came up with a plan based on Lora Jensen’s popular 3-Day Potty Training book. Published in 2006, Jensen documented the strategy she used to potty train her 22-month-old son in (you guessed it) only three days. We adapted our plan as follows:
Three uninterrupted days at home
No park, no playdates, and no plans. And never more than a handful of steps away from the potty.
No pants party
Our little one would be naked, at least from the waist down, until we introduced underwear on day three. The only exception would be during naps (where we’d use Pull-Ups) and bedtime (where we’d stick with overnight diapers).
Positive reinforcement only
No shaming is allowed. Lots of praise, prizes, and patience.
Our 3 Day Potty-Training Schedule
Day One: Nakedness and introduction
That first morning, we got started right when she woke up. We took off her pjs and diaper, explained what the plan was, and encouraged her to sit on the little potty. When nothing came, we set a timer for 20 minutes and continued to bring her in at regular intervals throughout the day. There were definitely some big wins, but I’m not going to sugarcoat it—it was a messy day. Keep the Lysol handy. At the end of the night, once my daughter was back in the safety of an overnight diaper, my husband and I questioned everything, from our daughter’s readiness to our own preparedness. But we decided to stay the course.
Day Two: Practice makes perfect
The next day was a carbon copy of day one, only it worked this time! Something had clicked overnight. We were shocked when we ended the day with zero (!) accidents. Had we just won a parenting gold medal? What a difference a day can make.
Day Three: Prep for the real world
Due to day two’s success, we added two new variables to “naked weekend.” First, we stopped reminding our daughter to go to the potty, wanting to see if she’d tell us on her own. Second, after her nap, we introduced her to underwear. This day was a rollercoaster of monumental successes and small missteps, but we ended the day feeling confident enough to return to daycare the next day.
What We Learned from the 3-Day Potty Training Method
Potty Training is a roller coaster of emotions
Two hours, six trips to the potty, and zero ‘deposits’ into day one, my daughter asked to sit on the “big” potty. I put the training seat on, helped her onto it, and miraculously, she started to pee. I was truly ecstatic, and when she looked up at me, I saw her beaming with pride. My eyes welled with tears—so proud of my little girl as she began to claim her independence and devastated to lose the baby who had been fully reliant on me. When she finished, we hugged and celebrated. Stickers were involved.
If life were a movie, this is where the scene would end. The triumphant mother. The proud child. We had looked potty training in the eye and mastered that wild animal. But alas, this is reality. So when we returned to the couch with a celebratory juice box, she took less than two minutes to pee on my lap.
You don’t need ‘special’ prizes
As we embarked on potty training weekend, I ran into our well-meaning neighbor. Having heard about our plans from my husband, he assured me that we’d be successful as long as we stuck to a thorough system of color-coded magnets, high-value prizes, and meticulous reward charts. I froze. My level of preparation had consisted solely of ordering character underwear and Pull-Ups from Amazon. But then I shook it off. My daughter didn’t need an elaborate system to succeed. She was ready, and finally, I was, too.
Don’t put pressure on the situation
After my daughter’s nap on day three, we introduced her to underwear. At first, she loved it, delighting in picking out which character to wear and even attempting to put on multiple pairs at once. But a few hours later, after successfully using the potty, she refused to put it back on. She also found an old toy with a pacifier and popped it in her mouth. I’m no therapist, but to me, it seemed like this little girl was saying, this is too much. So rather than force the issue, we let her stay naked and suck on the pacifier. After about 20 minutes, she was ready for the underwear and dropped the toy.
It’s OK to break your own rules
We only had three rules, the first being a strict stay-at-home policy for three days. But when our daughter had a code-red meltdown after a too-short nap on day one, we knew that a walk in the stroller was the only thing that would calm her down. We were torn: calm the baby and break the rules, or stay inside and endure the screaming. But then we remembered that we were the ones who made the rules, and it was OK to bend them when necessary.
Success is never final
While, overall, I would classify our three-day potty-training weekend as a success, we knew we weren’t done after three days. The following week was filled with many accidents at daycare, a toddler who learned to use “I have to go potty!” to get out of her crib at night, and a mother who memorized the bathroom code at every Starbucks on the route to school. Yet, despite the ups and downs, my daughter is now well on her way to being potty trained, which still blows my mind. It’s a process, but seeing her take this big step toward independence is incredibly rewarding.
Katie Cline, Contributing Writer
Katie Cline is mom, writer, traveler, and an award-winning public relations professional who has led global communications for world-renowned companies such as Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, Michael Kors, and more, in both New York City and London. When she’s not busy planning her next trip, Katie can be found trying a new restaurant with her husband, schooling her British-born toddler on the magnificence of New York bagels, or refilling the Prozac-prescription for her asthmatic rescue pup, Jack Daniels.