What Is the 3 Day Method for Potty Training?

It's where you strap your kid to the potty for three days until they finally realize that's where the poopie goes!

No, not really, but it's the first thing that popped into my mind when I read your question. Move along... nothing to see here! I'm all knee-jerk reaction today. I'll look it up and edit with a better answer.

/EDIT - Ok here's a better run down of the idea. The gist of the 3 Day approach, mommacan tells me, is that "you throw away all the diapers in the house, dress you child in big kid underwear, give him liquids, and rush him to the potty when you catch him in the act. Within those first three days of staying home and being focused on your child, something will "click" and your child will just get it!""

So it's sort of like strapping him to the pot until he gets it... just with less strapping and more hawk-watching and dumping all the diapers completely and dealing with messes as they crop up.

The 3 day method is Lora Jensens 3 day potty training http://www.3daypottytraining.com/

I had a daycare client parent approach me about this a few years ago. I was game if she was. She had to do the initial stuff. I always hated the mention of toilet training until this. Now its the go to method I push parents to do and in the last few years ALL of my daycare kids have been trained with the method. Ages 22 months to 28 months. ALL succesful. Sometimes poo comes along later as fully successful, but mostly its a done deal all around.

My great neice did this over this past weekend. She turned 22 months on Monday. The first day was HELL. then at 10 pm, with mommy sleeping on the floor next to her bed....little K woke up going MOMMY POTTY..and from that point on, NO accidents.

You set aside 3-4 days. No ERRANDS..you do not leave the house. No housework, no big tasks. Have easy meals to do, no distractions. Stay totally microfocused on the child the whole time. No big football games, or shows to catch. Nothing. Its vital really.

And you leave the potty in the bathroom. Why anyone allows a child to pee in the living room or kitchen is totally beyond me! Just my opinion. But encouraged in this literature as well. And you never make a child go potty. Never make them sit on the toilet. They are in charge. You use constant (almost harrasing..LOL) statements. "I can help you go potty" "remember to let me know when you need to go potty" "I am here to help you go potty"...never a question "do you need to go pee", etc. They will usually say NO, then pee on the floor.

I also did ONE M&M for a success..none for a try. You had to produce something to get the treat.

I know many are nay-sayers about how a 24 month old can do this, but they do. Kids are capable of far more than most adults give them credit for. I see it everyday and know dozens of kids who have been very successfully trained this way. It is hard...the first day can be hell..even into the second, but it does "click" and success follows.

Good luck!

We did a 3 day method with my son and it worked really well, but it's best for pee training. If you've got that down and are only having trouble with poop then I don't think it's your answer. For most kids the first poop in the potty is a little scary, once they get one in they rarely have more accidents. Nicole P gave a pretty good representation of the method, but there are variations and none of them (to my knowledge) involve making them sit on the potty for extended periods of time.

We loved this method. It worked great for my 2 1/2 year old boy. He was completely pee trained in the three days but the pooping took about a week and a half. We never put a diaper on him to let him poop - we would just clean up the mess and dump the poop in the potty and remind him that is where it went. We were lucky because he always hid behind his train table when he had to poop so we were able to grab him and take him to the potty as soon as we saw this "sign".

I used this - heard it on Dr. Phil one day and it was amazing! (My mom called me at work to make sure I got home in time to see it) My son was 3 yrs 3 mos at the time and although he knew how to use the potty he was too distracted and couldn't have cared less about having a wet butt. The Columbus Day, 3 day weekend was coming and we started Friday evening and by Monday he was using the toilet and had only 1 or 2 mistakes after that.

It's based on positive reinforcement. Instaed of punishing, disciplining their way to toilet training, it's all about being upbeat. Tell them how youare so excited that they are going to be using the potty all the time. Tell them that you're going to have a party for them when they're through with diapers. Figure out what wouldmotivate your child as small every time rewards and as a big reward. For us it was m&m's and power rangers.

EVERY time my son used the toilet that weekend we made a huge fuss - "yay! I'm so proud of you - wow you did it! - excellent job! Here's some m&m's!" and he'd get like 10 m&m's. We told him when he used the toilet for the whole day we'd arrange to have a power ranger call him! (my husband's a cop but he liked Billy Blazes the fireman - go figure) So at the end of day 1, my husband left the house and "Billy Blazes" happened to call him to congratulate him - tell him "what an awesome thing - you must really be getting to be a big guy now!" Day 2 now my son was on the program. We made cupcakes together, went to the store together, bought soda and some chips and got him excited about the "party".
We continued with the accolades that day whenever there was success. confetti, huge "woohoo's", m&m's, etc. I think he had an accident - but the trick is to almost ignore it - no big deal, clean it up, quietly, change his clothes and move on. No punishement, but very little comment other than, let's get changed out of these wet underpants - feels kind of yucky I guess. Very under-played.
The third day make sure you have grandparents, aunts & uncles, favorite cousins or best friend lined up for a late afternoon party. When he's made it through that day break out the soda, chips & cake. Put a few candles on it (what 3 yr old doesn't like to blow out candles on a a cake?) and sing "for he's a jolly good fellow".

My son was ready and at a late age for toilet readiness. We made sure to use underpants that weekend so he'd feel the wetness and we made sure to be home and around the house all weekend.

Good luck on this - it was amazing!

This will work with pee, not necessarily the poop.

We picked a 3 day weekend. Put son in underwear, just underwear and spent the 3 days doing nothing but watching him and cleaning up. By the 3rd day he was pretty good about peeing in the potty.

We did have to move it to the laundry room because he was afraid of being in the bathroom alone.