Potty Training in One Day

Nothing seems better than potty training in one day. Many books have been sold with one day potty training systems and even Dr. Phil has taken a stab at one day potty training on his show. Potty training in one day seems to have similar elements no matter who is demonstrating or writing about it. Think your preschooler is up for potty training in one day? Check out the basics of the one day potty training strategy.

Clear the Calendar for Potty Training

To potty train in a single day, your focus must be on potty training 100%. This means any other major distractions must go. Schedule your potty training day for a time when the other kids are at school or with your spouse. Avoid any appointments or errands that would require leaving the house – and the potty. Then get ready for a very full day of potty training.

The Bare Minimum for Potty Training

Clothe your preschooler in the bare minimum. If that means nothing, by all means, let him run free and wild – for the day. The goal is to get your preschooler on the potty without pants as quickly as possible, so if he’s not wearing pants, you’re simply one step closer to the goal.

Potty Training in Earnest

Potty training in one day begins the moment your preschooler wakes up. When he wakes up, he most likely is ready to use the potty. Wake him up gently, hand him his juice or milk, and then sit him on the potty. If it would work better and be less out of the norm, sit him on the potty in front of his typical morning cartoons or sit down with him to read a story or sing songs.

Put the potty in a comfortable place. You’ll be spending a lot of time together on the potty today. Hopefully you can catch the first pee-pees of the day and let the one day potty training begin in earnest. But if not, never fear, there will be plenty more opportunities. Simply put on a dry diaper or underpants and let him loose. Encourage him to tell you when he feels like he needs the potty and keep a very close eye on him to see when he starts looking uncomfortable.

Regular Potty Time

Hopefully your preschooler will play along and let you know when he feels like he might need to go. But whether he tells you or not, put your preschooler on the potty at a regular interval. Perhaps once an hour on the hour, you make the trip together to the bathroom or just sit on the potty in the middle of the living room. The location doesn’t matter – the presence of the potty does.

Help your preschooler stay on the potty for as long as possible in hopes that he will go, but if he starts to resist after five or ten minutes, diaper him up and let him go. You don’t want to turn potty training in one day into a battle of wills.

Pass the Juice

Keep your preschooler well hydrated. Push juice, water, milk, and any liquid he’ll drink. The more fluids entering his body, the more fluids will exit his body. And those are the fluids you’re looking to catch in the potty.

One Day Potty Training Rewards

The biggest part of potty training in one day is to have a big reward for success. Mention the reward frequently, and if it’s something he can see, put it on display and casually mention your preschooler can have that reward when he goes on the potty. Give him plenty of encouragement each time he tries, and possibly even a small reward for each attempt. But save that big reward for when he finally makes pee-pees in the potty.

The big reward along with your praise and encouragement will help solidify the experience in his mind. The more positive encouragement he gets for his efforts, the more he will try. And the better the rewards, the more consistent he will be. The big reward is for the first successful trip to the potty. But be sure you have plenty of other smaller rewards for each successful trip.

Potty Training for Life

Don’t forget that once you begin potty training, especially a potty training in one day program, you can’t go back to diapers just because you feel like it. Consistency is essential, so once you are determined to use the potty, don’t slack off after the first successful trip. Help your preschooler use the potty over and over the first day, and then continue with the dedicated assistance the second.

The real training occurred in that first intense day of potty training, but your efforts and attention will be needed for many more months to be sure that your preschooler makes it to the bathroom on time, doesn’t have trouble with his clothing, and consistently avoids accidents. Also, remember that night training can take much longer than day training, so pull-ups at night are fine while day training; just be consistent during the day.

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