How My Three Year Old Potty Trained Me

Pictured above is "D.D"., my youngest of four. As an educator, I told myself I could not return to school in August and my son not be potty trained. Well, it turns out, I got potty trained in order to indeed train him! Subsequently, the event pictured above my baby boy peed on my feet and himself at my husband's summer concert at the park! We're not perfect, but we're trained and here's how we did it.

My husband and I were decent at asking constantly, "D.D., do you have to use the bathroom?" D.D. always said, "NO!" We would make him go sometimes and that was our routine. We lectured, withheld privileges, pleaded. We could not understand why other little boys and girls were mastering this milestone of life and not our brilliant three year old.

D.D. always knew the right things to say in that he was not going to wet or soil himself. He was going to use the "pot". D.D. did not use the pot. He used him training pants and even went and hid for number twos! He did not care that other little children younger were potty trained before him. He was comfortable wearing diapers and having to be changed.

This summer I grew angry, tired, and impatient with the expense of buying training pants for a child I knew was capable of being fully potty trained. No more of the hit and miss visits to the toilet. I resolved to making D.D. go to the bathroom every 30 minutes to make him as annoyed as I was. That 30 minutes was later extended to 45 minutes and then an hour and finally an hour and 10 minutes.

I believe my biggest success lied in even following this timed schedule, using my iPhone alarm, even when outside of the home. Again, that was key for me and ultimately D.D. No more of the casual questioning of D.D., when I knew he was going to say he did not have to potty. Honestly, I did not want to take him anyway! No more of the inconsistent trips to the commode where D.D. only sat for two seconds and was up again and off to playing.

D.D. and I took trips to the restrooms even in the more undesirable locations. I taught him to cover the toilet seat, wash his hands, and watch where he stepped! Within two weeks of that, I noticed D.D. began to go the bathroom on his own. I was floored and thanked God! My husband was so relieved that the day finally arrived when our youngest, who can be the bossiest in the house, now was a "boss" himself!

Not only did D.D. begin to take himself, he began to communicate the need to go to the bathroom. He even did number two in the toilet and wipes too! That was a hurdle that seemed we'd never, ever cross. Well, it came with the package of timed visits to the pot!

It is just that simple. I took full responsibility for enabling my child who had the ability to be potty trained, but lacked the disciplined push from his mommy. I guess that is how I succeeded with my other three. It just seemed so long ago (really wasn't). I too had to be trained to be an effective potty coach and I am proud to say I'm ready to move on to the next parental feat!