3-Day Potty Training

I have to write about this crazy experience before I forget, although I can't imagine ever forgetting. Ever.

I put off potty training for a long time. The boys have been interested and we've had potties for months but it took me a long time to fully commit. And really, my main motivation was that they had to be potty trained before they started school this year.

We decided to go with the 3 Day Potty Training method. I read the online book a few months before we started (because my neighbor, Beth, recommended it and used it with her boys and they've got it down so that works for me) so I knew what I was getting myself into but, still, finding 3 straight days when you can stay at home and go absolutely NO WHERE? That's tough. But, we put it off long enough and finally made the commitment.


We had been really talking up the potty training for a couple of weeks and they were excited (well, as excited as you can be about potty training) to pick out their "big boy" underwear and throw away their "baby" diapers. So, first thing that Friday morning we walked around the house and threw away all the diapers and that was that. Let the potty training fun begin!


I bought at least 5 million pair of underwear for this weekend-o-fun and I'm pretty sure we went through all of them by about noon on the first day. Oh. My. Goodness. All I did was wash underwear all weekend.

And without going into every detail about ALL the accidents and ALL the times Jack and I looked at each other and wondered what we'd gotten ourselves into, I'll just say that pretty much by day 3 they knew that they go pee-pee and poop in the potty and not in their pants. That does NOT mean that they went every time in the potty (and still don't) but, for the most part, they do.

So, overall, here's what I learned:

1. Potty train sooner rather than later.
2. Don't expect that it will be smooth sailing after day 3. It won't be.
3. Always be prepared for an accident no matter the time or where you are.
4. Potty training is not fun. Period.