Potty Training: Round Three
Potty training can be a real shit show. Literally and figuratively. It’s messy and can be stressful for both the trainers and the trainees. In fact, I potty trained the twins (now 8) over a long weekend when my husband was out of town because I knew we’d end up bickering ourselves and I wanted to make the environment as “stress free” as possible. If that doesn’t happen in your house, then having extra help is great (and please send your marriage tips to me STAT). My control-freak ways operate better solo in these types of situations. Knowing that was my first win. LOL.
Let me start by saying that I’m not a potty training expert. They do exist and I’m not one of them. All children are different. What works for one child (or family) may not work for another. I can only share what worked for us in case it might be a good match for you and yours. I used this system for our twins, and again, six years later with number three. All three kids looked a little different throughout the process but in the end were successful. It’s called ‘Three Day Potty Training’ by Lora Jenson. For my daughter, she picked up everything almost instantly. The boys, not so much. They picked up the pee portion after three days, but the poop took longer. But after three days they were over the major hurdles and not in need of diapers anymore. EVEN AT NIGHT. Hallelujah.
Griffin had started showing interest in using the toilet so we picked three days to dedicate being home and decided to go for it. I’ve always been a “rip the bandaid off” kinda mom. I don’t like doing things half way and dragging it out for a long time. I do like the idea of committing and knocking it out. This is not true for many people so do what works for you. A couple days before we started, I talked about the ‘potty fairy’ coming to give big boy underwear. (This is not part of the program but I like the idea of setting expectations and I think it added a little excitement). I also shared that the potty fairy takes away all the diapers and gives them to babies that need them. My third, Griffin, didn’t like something being “taken away” so I killed that part and focused on the “getting” new underwear part. My older two loved helping “babies” so we played that part up with them. Apparently my third is more greedy. Lol. I let him tell me what type of underwear he wanted and I ordered the biggest value pack I could find. Keep in mind that a couple of these may be thrown away, so this is not the time to buy designer underwear.
This is what the potty fairy brought Griffin:
Toddler toilets- one for each car. Even after a child is trained, they give very little notice to use the bathroom and it’s so convenient to not rush to a public restroom, especially if you have other kids in tow. We will keep ours in our cars for 6 months to a year.
A new sippy cup and a favorite drink. Part of the program includes drinking a lot of fluids to create more learning opportunities while you are training. A new sippy cup and a drink he did not normally have access to (watered down Gatorade) kept him drinking more than usual.
M&M’s (or some small treat). This is the reward for successful potties in the toilet. Griffin got one for pee and two for poop. Pretty simple.
Fiber. A few days before we started, I increased his fiber. I wanted to easily control the amount, so I used fiber gummies. We did not do this the first time around and paid the price with constipation. This is not unusual when kids are fearful of using the toilet to poop. Fiber will not prevent fear obvisously, but I wanted to have all things working in our favor.
LOTS of underwear. Trust me you will need these. Accidents happen a lot in the beginning and you don’t want to have to do laundry in the middle of it all.
Doggy Pee Pads. These were so helpful while we were at home training. I used them on the couch and under his crib sheet. I even put one under him while he was playing legos in one spot for a long time. In the initial days after they are “trained” these are great for the car seat and stroller as a back up. It’s one less thing to clean should things go array.
There will be accidents. No need to wait. Get your gear out now. If you have a pet, you most likely have the goods.
From there we just followed the program. I won’t detail the program because it’s a quick read and easy to follow. The e-book can be found here. It’s a very worthy read that has clear steps based on POSITIVITY and empowering your child. I will just say, we spent a lot of time at home playing games, reading and yes, watching TV. By the end of the day 3, we were READY to leave the house. The first trip is always super scary. I’d plan those initial “post training” days cautiously. We kept our outings to the park and quick errands. No long roads trips or visiting friends with white couches. Duh.
It’s super weird to post an unsightly picture of our children’s toilet but I wanted you to see how we set up our temporary “headquarters”. Some people use toddler toilets or urinals (like the ones we use for our cars). Other people use nothing. To each their own. I knew I didn’t want to “transfer” anything if I didn’t have to. So we comprised with this potty seat. It provides a little extra security with nothing to transfer. Most of the accidents occur in the bathroom, ironically. Save yourself a trip and bring your stack of underwear in the bathroom. Same with the Lysol wipes. It’s amazing how much chaos occurs in these four walls. I also kept baby wipes handy for extra child clean up. DO NOT FLUSH THESE DOWN THE TOILET. The last thing you need is a plumbing issue in the mix. Even the flushable ones are questionable in my opinion. We kept a lined trash can within arms reach (not shown). I also kept the M&M’s in plain sight. It helps for them to keep the eye on the prize, literally. We had to up our “poop prize game” for both our boys. When we did, we kept the prize in the bathroom.
For some kids, like my daughter, potty training is much ado about nothing. For others, it can be a super stressful experience and when you are in it, it feels like your child will NEVER get it. Here is one thing I do know after three kids: THEY WILL. I do not know any adults that wear diapers (for non-medical reasons). So just remember, this too shall pass. Good luck mamas!
To learn more about Lora Jenson’s 3-Day Potty Training Method please visit her website.
Disclaimer: I love sharing all the things that that make my life easier, better, more enjoyable. These are 100% my own opinions and my real life experience. That said, I do participate in affiliate programs where I may earn a small commission from purchases made from these links. I appreciate you following along!
~ Kim