Potty training in 3 days or less

Potty training in three days or less by Karen Zuercher Reviewed by the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board It sounds like a dream or a gimmick, doesn't it? The idea that your child could get comfortable using the potty in a few days – or even one afternoon – may seem unbelievable to parents expecting potty training to be a lengthy and difficult process. But "quick-training" works for many parents – and it isn't a recent trend. Psychologists Nathan H. Azrin and Richard M. Foxx published the book that started it all, Toilet Training in Less Than a Day, in 1974. Since then, numerous experts have spun off their own accelerated potty training methods. Here we'll explain one technique – the "potty training in three days" strategy outlined in Julie Fellom's Diaper Free Toddlers program – and give step-by-step instructions on how to make it work for you. One thing to keep in mind: Using this or other quick-training methods doesn't mean that your child will be perfectly potty trained in days. Instead, "success" is more likely to mean that your child is using the potty rather than diapers, but he may still have accidents and you'll need to help him with parts of the process. Helping your child become fully comfortable using the potty independently – and teaching steps such as how to pull his pants down and back up, empty the potty, and wash his hands – probably will take months of follow-up effort. (And some skills, such as pulling pants up and down without help, won't be possible for younger toddlers.) It's best to think of the three days as the kick-off to an ongoing process. The most important thing to remember is that there's no "correct" way to potty train your child – except for the one that works for you and your family. About the Diaper Free Toddlers program Fellom, a San Francisco preschool teacher, started Diaper Free Toddlers in 2006 after potty training more than 100 children. Her primary motivation is to keep disposable diapers out of landfills by helping parents potty train their children earlier. Her method can work for kids as young as 15 months old, and is most effective for those younger than 28 months, Fellom says. To participate in her program, parents (or a single parent and another supportive adult, such as a grandparent or caregiver) attend a two-hour class in the evening. Then each family has its own three-day potty training weekend at home. Within a week or two after the long weekend, Fellom says, children will be able to reliably go to the potty to pee or poop and have few, if any, accidents. If you can't take Fellom's San Francisco-based class, you can still put her method to work for you. See the "How to potty train in three days" section below. First: Are you ready for potty training? Fellom's technique requires commitment, focus, and dedication. It's a "bare-bottomed" method, meaning that for three months after you initiate potty training, your child will need to go naked below the waist when he's at home and wear just loose-fitting pants with nothing underneath when he's out and about or at daycare. Diapers and training pants are okay for nap time and bedtime, but if you rely on them more often you'll undo your potty training progress, Fellom says. "If you really want this to work, it only works naked," Fellom says. "There are absolutely no pants in the house for the first three months." That said, some parents aren't comfortable with this requirement and find ways to work around it. Check out the comments section at the bottom of this article for their tips. What you'll need for your potty training weekend You'll need standalone potty chairs to use at home (ideally one for every main area where you spend time, plus any bathrooms), plenty of water or diluted juice to drink, and snacks that encourage peeing (either salty ones that make you thirsty, such as crackers, or foods with high water content such as watermelon and Popsicles). You'll also want to have supplies for cleaning up accidents (such as rags, cleaning solution, and a plastic bucket) and several pairs of loose-fitting pants for your child to wear when you go out of the house. Optional: It's helpful to have a compact, portable travel potty to take out and about, though you could use a small standalone potty chair instead. You may want to put a small towel or absorbent pad over your car seat to protect against accidents. Some parents use products such as the Piddle Pad, but Fellom recommends a small sheepskin which you can find at discount furniture stores. Cut the sheepskin in half, then cut it to fit around the car seat straps and buckle, and you'll have a very absorbent, washable, reusable pad. Finally, if it's cold where you live, you may want to have space heaters on hand, as well as kneesocks or leg warmers for your child to wear so he'll stay warm while he's bare-bottomed at home.