By now you’ve surely heard lots of potty training tips from other moms.
Most of this advice is from moms sharing what has worked for them, what worked for someone else, and what they heard somewhere else.
There is always a plethora of advice and several different potty training methods to choose from but remember every method won’t work for every child.
It can be confusing knowing which method to use for your toddler, so to make it easy on you, let’s go through some of the most popular methods and discuss how they work below.
- Wait it out method
- Child-led method
- 3 day potty training method
Potty training methods that actually work
Wait it out method
Most people buck at the idea of the wait it out method because they are tired of changing diapers and they want it to be over now.
This is understandable, but there is a case for waiting until your child is older to potty train them.
What is it?
The wait it out method can also be called wait until your child is around three years old to potty train.
This is so that your toddler can better understand what it means to pee and poop in the potty and better control those functions.
How it works
Purposely hold out on potty training until as close to three years old as possible.
Continue to change diapers as usual. The exception is if your toddler asks to use the bathroom—definitely let them.
Once they are around three, start introducing the potty and having “potty talks” with them. Tell them about peeing and pooping and how everyone does it.
Talk about how they’ll start to go in the potty and will not be using diapers anymore.
The idea here is that since your toddler is three at this point, the conversation will go a lot smoother, they will understand the concepts easier and they they’ll be able to control their bodily functions.
Child-led potty training method
Child-led potty training is another option many parents aren’t use to and may not want to try.
What is it?
Using the child-led potty training method means waiting on your toddler to become interested and take the initiative to start using the potty on their own.
How it works
If your toddler is not ready, don’t try to force it. Let them take the lead and let you know when they are ready to start using the potty.
You won’t need to create any stress or deal with hesitation when using this method because your child will be the one initiating all contact with the potty.
You can encourage her when she shows interest and let her know that you are happy about her decision, but don’t force it.
3-day potty training method
This is a popular method that many parents have used to potty train their toddlers with great success.
What is it?
The 3-day potty training method is a method where parents take three days out of their schedule to focus almost exclusively on potty training.
How it works
To do the 3-day potty training method, you need to set aside a few days during the week where you can laser focus on your toddler and getting them to use the potty.
Many parents don’t leave the house during this time so they cancel appointments, have others available to pick up older kids from school, etc.
Once you have all the potty gear you’ll need gathered, the next few days become all about toilet training.
You may set a timer to help signal when it’s time for your toddler to go and you may let them roam the house without clothes to make it super easy to make it without accidents.
This method is popular among parents who work and need to potty train quickly over one weekend.
How to choose a potty training method for your toddler
So now it’s time to decide what method will work best for your toddler and your situation.
Ask yourself these questions to help you choose:
- How much time do you have? – Do you work and only have weekends or evenings available?
- Is your toddler cooperative or resistant? – Is she showing potty readiness signs or completely resistant to the idea?
- Are you on a deadline? – Do you need to have your toddler potty trained by a certain date to be accepted into preschool?
- Has your toddler shown interest in the potty? – Have you noticed her watching you in the bathroom, asking more questions about the potty, or sitting and pretending to do what she sees you doing?
- How hands-on do you want to be? – Every method requires some hands-on work, but allowing your child to take the lead or initiative may require less work for you.
The bottom line
Although these are not the only potty training methods available, these are very successful methods with proven track records.
And there’s no rule that says you can’t try several of them.
Try the 3-day method and if that doesn’t work, take a step back and allow your child to lead the way and let you know when she’s ready.