3-Day Potty Training Rules

How many times do you have to call your child before they respond to you? Being in separate areas usually means accidents are more likely. A few successful potty trips don't make your child an expert, or mean the new potty routine has been reinforced long enough for using the toilet to become a habit. Children will forget everything because essentially, their conscious mind is "turned off" when the TV is turned on. If watching TV and playing with iPads is absolutely necessary, then: Have your child sit on a towel, Sit next to them, Remind them multiple times to tell you when they need to go potty

The times when your child needs to pee are the only learning opportunities. If you miss these opportunities because you're playing Candy Crush on your phone, you'll have to give your child fluids again and then wait for the next time they need to pee. What a waste of effort. Stay present and focused - your child's success depends on your attention.

Complete supervision is essential during the initial training phase. Every moment away from your child is a potential missed learning opportunity. This intensive supervision is temporary but crucial for establishing the new routine.

Asking your child, "Do you want to go pee?" gives them the option to say "no." But really, what you need is for your child to have no other choice. You've put underwear on them, so they need to pee in the toilet - there's no other option. If your child is in the middle of playing with toys or doing something fun, they will never want to stop and go to the bathroom if you give them the choice to say no. Never. If you ask your child, "Do you need to pee?" They really can't answer honestly, so they'll automatically tell you "no." Their cute little kidneys produce about 10 drops of urine per minute, so they can actually squeeze out a little urine anytime they sit down and try - children just don't know that yet.

Instead, replace questions with the statement: "Tell Mommy when you need to go pee." When you say this, it doesn't really require a response from your child, but they still hear the information and now they can think about it and give you signals to let you know when they need to go potty.

When your child starts peeing/pooping in their pants, you'll need to pick them up and get them to the bathroom quickly. I'm pretty sure you don't want urine splashing all over your house. If you have carpet, consider putting a plastic sheet or towel on the floor when your child is playing. I know this sounds exhausting and scary, but try to think of it as a really wonderful bonding time with your child. Rediscover your house and play with old toys in new ways; act silly and have a dance party. When you play with toys together with your child, they'll pay more attention to the activity, and this potty training time will be a more memorable experience for both parent and child.

This is usually a private place or somewhere the child feels really comfortable, such as: Their bedroom, Inside a closet, Behind the sofa, In a private corner of the house, The playroom. If your child does this too, make sure they never have the opportunity to be alone in those spots when they need to use the bathroom; because they will still prefer to seek out those familiar, memory-filled places before they truly feel comfortable sitting on the toilet consistently.