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Potty training in 3 days is what we have done with all four of our kids (three boys & a little girl). Potty training a toddler can seem harder than it actually is, so I want to shed some light on why it is easier and quicker than most people assume. It is very possible to potty train quickly and to even potty train in a weekend!
I always start by picking a 3-day span and then I go for it and we Potty Train in a Weekend. Weekend potty training works so well, so today I’ll share how you can get started, and I’ll answer some of the most common questions I hear about toilet training.
Update: This post about Potty Training in three days has recently been updated and republished with new information. I hope it is helpful.
Potty Training in 3 Days is not a new method
While 3-day potty training is not new, it has become something of the past.
- In fact, in the 1930s, most parents started potty training babies at 6 months old.
- By the 1950s, 95% of children were trained to use the toilet by 18 months and it takes American children nearly twice as long too complete toilet training now as it did in the 1950s.
- Today, only 10% are today toilet trained early and quickly.
Potty Training in 3 Days is not stressful
Our society makes toilet training quickly seem complex like it is too much to take on in the modern world that we live in, but the truth is that fast potty training does not have to be complicated all.
It isn’t stressful or forceful. It is a simple, positive experience that is very effective when done correctly.
The potty seat in the picture above is in the top 3 on my potty training comparison chart. It’s my favorite. Here is our affiliate link to find it.
How Does Potty Training in 3 Days Work?
The 3-day potty training weekend method is what worked for our family (and for thousands of others).
- It is effective
- It is positive
- It is quick
- It is all about focus and consistency
- It is a way to connect with your child so your child enjoys the process of learning.
This method, which is described in detail in my Potty Train in a Weekend book, was passed onto me from my Grandma (she taught her four children this way and her mother taught her that way).
When I was getting ready to potty train our first son, she told me exactly what to do. Because it isn’t “modern”, I didn’t have any friends training their kids this way, so I relied solely on her advice and my instincts.
My 3-day Potty Training Weekend Experience:
- I listened to my grandma’s advice. I tweaked it. I planned for it. I tried it. It worked.
- I shared my method with local parenting groups. It worked.
- I shared my method with friends & family. It worked.
- I wrote a potty training book about it to share it with the world. It worked.
The potty training methods that I did not use:
- I did not wait until my kids are self-potty trained.
- I did not give out rewards. They were self-motivated.
- I did not punish them for having accidents. I was firm but positive.
- I did not wait for them to be able to talk before I began potty training.
Can You Really Potty Train in 3 Days?
Yes! 3-day toilet training is often clouded with negative talk of how hard it will be or how you are forcing your child, but that is the case… at all. In fact, I found it to be extremely positive, effective and my children loved our weekend of potty training. It was just us, working on a goal together.
There is so much talk of “waiting until the child is ready to start”, but just like anything, we need to guide our children. Think of breastfeeding with a baby or teaching a toddler to eat: it is natural, but it is often very difficult and we need to guide our babies to understand how to do these things.
Potty training is similar.
We need to guide our children to learn how to use the potty. We can either let the child take the lead, or we can research the many potty training methods and teach our child. We have found that taking a long weekend or a 3 day time frame works best for our family.
I suggest reading Potty Train in a Weekend before you start potty training.
The book teaches you how to help your child go diaper-free without resorting to the pull-ups (disposable training pants), M&Ms, reward charts or any sort of rewards. Because I know that everyone can do early potty training with their child (and quickly!) when given the right method.
This is a method that naturally and gently, yet firmly teaches your child to go diaper-free and stay dry without rewards in 3 days. It is so fun to watch a child who pees in the potty chair and understands why this is a great thing. To watch a child have bowel movements in the toilet and cheer for himself.
About the Potty Train in a Weekend book:
I wrote the book Potty Train in a Weekend after I potty trained my first three children, my niece & nephew and many other children (my friends’ kids, my clients, etc…). After writing the book I potty trained our fourth child, our daughter.
I updated the book several times to answer questions and I also included a chapter on potty training a child with a disability. This chapter comes from experience working with my clients during play therapy.
♡ The book was written by me.
♡ It’s not fancy. It’s not filled with fluff.
It is to the point and it is direct. I want you to get the most of reading it. (I know you are busy!!)
♡ I am a mom. I wrote this book, as a mother, for other parents, grandparents, and caregivers. Yes, I am a child development therapist, a teacher and I have a certification in play therapy for early childhood, but I gathered the most experience from simply training my own children and others.
♡ I created a Facebook Group for readers of this book. It is a private group on Facebook dedicated to helping each other. We ask questions, give answers, share stories & laugh together in this group. Everyone helps each other and no one is judging anyone because we are all in it together.
♡ This book was a best-seller on Amazon, which brought such joy to my heart to know that I was helping others.
♡ I do not claim to be the leading expert. I do not claim to have a book that will magically solve any childhood issue. I do not claim to have written a book without editing mistakes (in fact, when I wrote the book, I had just started this website, so I just asked friends & family to help me by reading it over & correcting my mistakes). It was just a way to share our story, steps & method with the world.
♡ I hope that you have the same success as so many others that have written and shared their success stories with me. It makes me so happy to know that I can reduce stress because honestly, potty training does not have to be stressful. It is a fun weekend with your child (or children) and it can be a great memory for everyone involved.
♡ You can find Potty Train in a Weekend here
How do I toilet train a toddler in three days?
As I said above, 3 day potty training isn’t the most popular choice anymore.
The delay of training is thanks to the invention of disposable diapers and diaper companies pushing diapers for as long as they can through marketing, commercials, and ads. It also lost popularity when Dr. Spock told parents to “Let the child tell you when they are ready”.
I’m here to tell you it really can work. Boys and girls everywhere are potty training successfully with this method.
Here is how I helped my children potty train in 3 days:
- I started them after 18 months (the golden window is 18-23 months, but using this method, any age works).
- I looked for readiness signs and I found a weekend when I was going to be ready to start.
- I cheered for them and praised them when they do well, but I was firm, as well.
- I trained them in three days.
- I went into it knowing that regression will probably happen and I came up with a solution.
- I understood the hurdles (like when a child uses the “day potty” but not the “nighttime potty” or when they pee but won’t poop. I have figured out how to overcome them easily.
- I helped our children to be proud of themselves, and excited to be out of diapers. They were eager to learn!
- I gave them opportunities to get excited about using the potty, by giving them coloring sheets and books.
- You can download this coloring book for free. This is a 13-page coloring book that I made. You are welcome to it for free.
Can you potty train in less than 3 days? What about potty training in 2 days?
While I tell my readers to allow three full days, I have potty trained several of my children in less time.
- One of our children was completely potty trained in the day by the end of Day one and also potty trained at night by the end of day three.
- My nephew was potty trained this was in two days.
- My neighbor was potty trained (by me) in one day.
So, yes, it is possible. It isn’t always the norm, but it is very possible that your 3-day potty training method might work quicker than 3 days.
How long does it take to be fully potty trained?
For a child to be fully potty trained, without any accidents, I would give it between 3-7 days, because every child is different.
Most children will have an accident here or there during the first week, as it is a newly developed skill.
Setbacks, along with accidents, are a normal part of development.
Potty training is not an exception to the rule.
However, based on the research that most children take 3-6 months to potty train when not using the Potty Train in a Weekend method, I am always excited at the thought of being done with potty training by this time next week.
You can say bye bye to diapers right away, but you will still need to remind your child to go to the bathroom often. While training, we have our kids go often when we are home or if we are getting ready to go somewhere (even big kids need to be reminded before leaving the house), and we take them to public restrooms if we are gone for more than an hour.
What Do You Need Before You Potty Train Your Child?
- A clock (to keep track of when to take your child to the bathroom)
- Cleaning supplies (for that first day)
- A training toilet (free comparison chart available with the purchase of the book)
- Patience
- Underwear (I will tell you the specific ones that I use).
- Baby Leggings (look at the bottom of the post for this tip!)
- Books or coloring books to keep in the bathroom.
- I suggest this 13-page coloring book. It is free for a limited time.
- Potty Train in a Weekend book with a break-down of EXACTLY what to do.
When Should I Potty Train My Child?
I started potty training my children after 18 months. This is the age when healthy children become ready physically and emotionally.
The golden window is 18-23 months.
This is the easiest age to potty train your child because they are old enough to understand, but young enough not to be stubborn or set in their own ways just yet. With that being said, when you use the 3-day potty train in a weekend method, you can potty train your child at any age with success.
What are the signs that your toddler is ready to potty train?
There are certain signs that your child is ready to be potty trained. I’ve listed several below, but more often than not… the question is: are YOU ready to potty train your child? Are you ready to walk step by step with your child to meet this next milestone: Potty Trained Toddler.
- Pulling at a wet diaper
- Pretending to go to the bathroom
- Pretending to wipe
- Interested in body parts
- Having a dry diaper for more than an hour
- Interested in watching others use the bathroom
- Wanting to flush the toilet
- Interested in toilets
How Do I Toilet Train a Boy in 3 Days?
Q: Is it easier to potty train boys or girls?
A: Research (and experience) shows that potty training your son can be easier than potty training your daughter.
I know that people say it is easier to potty train a girl, but in my experience & based on the research that I’ve done, boys were just as easy (some were easier) to potty train than the girls. I teach them to use the potty sitting down, just like I would for a girl. Eventually, we will transition to standing, but first, we just want them to master the skill of emptying their bladder into the toilet.
I have an entire post about how to potty train boys, as well as why I think girls may actually be harder to potty train than boys.
What Age Should a Child be Dry Through the Night?
Nighttime potty training is completely different than daytime potty training. While it is possible and several of my children were nighttime trained by the end of our weekend of potty training, I remind parents not to stress over nighttime training.
As a child development therapist, I have talked to many doctors and experts in this area and I know that it is not uncommon for children to have accidents at night years after they have been trained during the day.
There is such a wide range of ages when it comes to bedwetting.
While many children are toilet trained between 18 months – four years of age, they are not able to stay dry until years later.
In fact…
- 15% of six-year-old children wet the bed nightly.
- Around 5% of children will still wet the bed at the age of 10-12.
- 2% of adults wet the bed, so don’t stress about your child wetting the bed just yet. Plus – you just might be the one to blame for it (it’s hereditary)!
It is well known that if mom or dad was a bedwetter, there is a very high chance that the child will be, as well.
Other factors include low levels of the hormone that regulates the production of urine at night (called Vasopressin), a small bladder or if your child is a very deep sleeper.
How Do I Get My Toddler to Pee in the Potty?
Check out these helpful Potty Training Resources that will get you started:
- Potty Train in a Weekend ebook
- A potty Training Coloring book (free)
- Potty Training Toilet Comparison Chart (free)
More About the Potty Train in a Weekend Book:
As I mentioned previously, I wrote the book after I potty trained my first three children and other’s children. It’s been updated several times and contains a direct and to the point instructions.
About me (the author of the book)
- I am a child development therapist
- I am an elementary & early education teacher
- I am a mom of four
- I hope that you have the same success as so many others that have written and shared their success stories with me. It makes me so happy to know that I can reduce stress because honestly, potty training does not have to be stressful. It is a fun weekend with your child (or children) and it can be a great memory for everyone involved.
You can find Potty Train in a Weekend here
There is also a paperback version of Potty Train in a Weekend available on Amazon, but as I said earlier, I can’t help you with your order if it is done through Amazon (they take care of all of it).
If you order the Potty Train in a Weekend ebook from me directly with this link, I can help you with any issues that you have along the way. Just e-mail me at becky@yourmodernfamily.com and I’ll be glad to help you. ♡
Ps- A Helpful tip that I forgot to mention: I use these BabyLeggings when I potty train! I can keep them naked, but warm. (If you go to BabyLeggings and use the promo code YMF5, you will get them for FREE!)
This is great advice and can’t wait to try it with my 2 1/2 yr. old son. Now do you have any advice for getting him to sleep in his big boy bed? Lol.
haha! I do! https://www.yourmodernfamily.com/crib-to-bed/
I received the free book but I never got the potty book. Thank u
Regina- email me at yourmodernfamily@gmail.com and I’ll figure out what happened. 🙂
My girl just turned 2 years old and we gave this method a try. She can understands ‘pee’ and able to tell us after she has done a poo. However, when we took off her diaper one morning, she just refused to pee or poo all morning! As a result, I had a very upset and cranky child. I gave up in the end and as soon as I put her diaper on, she filled it up. So clearly she was holding it in. So any advice on how to encourage them to use the potty?
This will sound crazy, I’m sure, but our daughter LOVED to sit on the potty because I put her potty by the TV and put FROZEN on. I only let her watch frozen if she was on the potty. WE did this for the first day & by the end of the first day, she got it. 🙂 On day 2, I moved it back into the bathroom. lol. (She doesn’t watch ANY TV, except Frozen… she just LOVES it!)
She just turned two, as well. 🙂
my son is 13months old now. whenever he wakes up dry or has a dry diaper after a long time, i sit him on the potty and go “ssssss” and he’ll pee! when he first did this several months ago, i thought i had a little potty prodigy on my hands. i’m already seeing some of the signs you talk about, but really, he’s just now starting to walk confidently on his own, so i haven’t tried any serious potty training yet. we have a cruise planned in january and he’ll be fifteen months; i’d love to have him trained by then so i don’t have to take diapers on the trip. i have a week off at Christmas and i’m thinking about making it potty training time. do you think going on a trip so soon afterwards would wreck any progress that we make?
I think that going on a trip will make it harder, but its still possible. You might want to buy those thick training pants for the trip (because if you are on a plane, or in line to check in and he has to pee… that will be hard.)
My dear friend’s daughter was trained at this age using my weekend book method, so I’d give it a shot. 🙂
Hello,
I’m a SAHM of a fiercely independent 19 month old boy. He has been showing signs of being ready to potty train ie: interested in what mommy and Daddy do in the bathroom, says poo poo when he goes in his diaper, taking diaper off when soiled, and the hardest one for mommy he throws temper tantrums when I change him. Huge screaming and kicking fits. That’s what spurred me to start today. He’s done really well. He’s been naked all day and gone pee and poo on the potty multiple times now, but also had many pee accidents where I am rushing him to the potty. When I do that he clams up and stops going. I think it just surprises him and he can’t go then. Is there a better approach than just sweeping him off his feet and/or sticking the potty in front of him?
Thanks so much,
Dana
Do you have the book? I share a few other little ways that have worked with our kids when they wouldn’t go. It can be different for each child- each of our four were so different. 😉 LOL!!
Read the chapter on ‘pee but won’t poop’ on the potty… it has the same advice that I’d give you about when they clam up (b/c that is JUST what our daughter did!)
My son is 18 months old, and we are on day two of your program. Yesterday started off great. I just had him in leggings, and he had one accident, but I was able to get him on the potty to finish. We celebrated and I gave him a raisin for going pee pee in his potty. He had one more accident later, and I just calmly said, “oh, we go pee pee in the potty, not the floor,” and sat him on his potty. He had one more accident around 1pm, and I responded the same way. The problem is that he then started holding it in the afternoon until his nap time, and then he woke up with poop and pee in his diaper. The same thing happened again between his nap and bed time. This morning he held it again (for 2 1/2 hours) until nap time. My husband picked up toddler underwear, as we were thinking maybe my son just needed that closeness of material to feel comfortable (all he’s known is going potty in his diaper, besides the handful of times he’s gone while having “naked baby” time). I was even HOPING for an accident so we could have a teaching moment. Nothing. He didn’t pee or poo at all. He’s now down for his afternoon nap with a diaper on. I don’t know what to do to encourage him to go potty without a diaper. Help! Anyone?! I don’t want him to develop a UTI.
Do you have the book? Our daughter did this, too. We waited about two months & tried again. It made all the difference.
If you get the book, read the chapter on “pee but won’t poop” because I followed that to a T and it worked for her.
ps- My kids always waited to poop until nap time, but that doesn’t last long. 🙂 Just a month or so before they stop doing that.
Hey, I just found this when looking for the reason that my 18 month old woke up with a dry diaper! We have been doing potty training off and on lately. I just take her and sit her on her potty when I go. She used it twice already, both times right after waking. Today her diaper was dry! So maybe this means we are doing good with the potty.:) Thanks for the extra advice. Here’s to hoping I can potty train my girl by Christmas! 🙂
good luck!
Hi, I just bought your book on my kindle. I noticed you mentioned above we would have access to email you. How can I go about doing that? Thanks!!
Just email me at yourmodernfamily@gmail.com if you have any questions. 🙂
I think my 18 month old may be ready to try this, I’m very nervous because I had MAJOR problems with potty training my twins. My question is because our house is cooler now that it is winter, I don’t think I can leave her completely naked for a day, she will be too cold. If I wait til next spring will I “miss the window” I hate to wait, she really hates diapers.
I used to use those baby leggings on our kids when it was cold (use the code YMF4 to get them for free at babyleggings.com) and then just a short (like to their belly button) shirt w/ long sleeves.
I’m doing this but my son won’t poop. How do you get them to feel comfortable to go poop on the potty?
Do you have my book? I have a whole chapter devoted to it b/c our son was the SAME way. lol. Its so hard to get them over that hump… but they get there. 🙂
Hi, I wanted to know if my 19 month old is ready to use the potty. At around 15m he started taking off his diaper every once in a blue moon, the first time he had a poppy diaper and had poop everywhere so now every time he takes off his diaper I freak a little BC of the poop everywhere thing. About 18m he started telling us he poopy while grabbing the back of his diaper but before that at around 15m almost every time he pee’d he would grab the front of his diaper. And for the past 3 night he hasn’t been peeing in his diaper, first morning he woke up and about 20 min later he peed in his diaper, second morning he got in the shower with his dad about 15 min after getting up and peed in the shower, this morning he didn’t pee until after breakfast time (after 8:30) and he had a bunch of juice throughout the night (he was having a rough night and the juice was the only thing that soothed him) but after all that juice he still didn’t pee until after breakfast. He sees his dad pee all the time and his brother (age 5) just a few times when he leaves the door open. He enjoys flushing the toilet. Just want to make sure he’s ready for the potty. Your advice would be greatly appreciated. angel_lowder@yahoo.com
19 months is young, but my neighbor trained her daughter at 18 months with complete success, using my book. I think it can be done. 🙂 You could give it a try for a few days & see. Usually if they are that young, it takes an extra day or two, but it might be worth a shot! 🙂
My boss trained all her kids at 18 months and she use to teach in a class and she would tell the parents once the kids turned 18 months not to bring in any pull ups just underwear
🙂 awesome!
we started day one today and have been doing great. We’ve had our accidents but have gone in the potty multiple times now, however he cries the entire time he is on the potty. He just doesn’t want to sit down. He know he has to go but seems scared of our potty. Do you think I should try a different kind of potty, or do you have any tips to get a toddler to stay seated long enough to finished peeing.
Our daughter did that, too, but she stopped after about 2 days. I bought her the Frog Potty (sold at Target) and she LOVES it!!! My friend told me to get it for her & it worked. 🙂 You might give it a try 🙂
Ps- in my book, I share a ton of tips ( a whole chapter) on how to get them to stay on the potty b/c our son didn’t want to sit long either.
Good luck!!
My stepson will be 3 years old in May. He absolutely refuses to go potty. He doesn’t like to sit on it and when we tried to put him in underwear so he would be able to feel the wetness, he went through 5 pairs in one hours. Any advice…?
I just do the completely naked method and take them to the potty often.
In getting ready to train my 19mo old twin girls. What kind of underwear did you use starting at the end of day three? The regular big girl panties or the padded training pants? Thank you! 🙂
The padded ones are perfect but I always used regular because I couldn’t find the padded ones. IF you can find those- I’d get them, because they make cleaning up any accidents so much easier!
My oldest decided she was done using a diaper at 15 months. She spotted a potty that she loved at Big Lots and asked for it, so I got it, we went home, she sat, she went, and good bye diapers. I got off easy that time. But, this is exactly what I did with the other two… 3 days home, and they were done. I think you’re absolutely right that there’s a window and you don’t want to miss it!
That’s awesome!! 🙂
Hi! I wish I had found this sooner…my daughter is almost 3…35 months old….is it too late to do this? We’ve tried to train her before, and she can go on her potty…but she doesn’t want to. It should be noted that I just had a baby in December and she broke her leg at the end of the fall…so she completely regressed.
Help! 🙂
No- its never to late! 🙂