Toilet Training Notes - How We Did It and What We Learned

Sharing My Notes On Ditching The Nappies/Diapers

When we toilet-trained our child, we read books, watched parenting videos, and made notes and a game plan. I share the plan as an example with you here.

We started toilet training when our child showed some basic signs of readiness, and we had a long weekend. We weren’t looking for perfection over 1 weekend. But, we didn’t want to attempt toilet training half-heartedly—we wanted to show our child that this was a new way of doing things, starting now.

So we made a plan, gathered supplies, and prepared for the process.

I spent 1 hour and 52 minutes writing my original plan and this blog. You need 6 minutes to read this.

Signs Your Kid Is Ready

Some signs that we noticed that matched the book descriptions:

Hiding to poop.
Telling you they are peeing/pooping or showing discomfort in a wet or dirty diaper.
Pausing activity when peeing or pooping.
Understand and follow basic directions like "come here" or "sit down."
Watches others use it or wants to flush.
Asks for a change or removes them on their own.
Your child stays dry for 1.5 to 2 hours during the day or wakes up dry from a nap.

How We Prepared

We set up our house and gathered everything we’d need so we wouldn’t be scrambling mid-process. This thorough preparation gave us the confidence to start the training process.

Equipment:

We chose a seat insert instead of a potty chair, and
kept a small step near the toilet to help with posture.
We stocked up on underwear,
comfortable tops, and lots of drinks to encourage frequent peeing.

Drinks:

juices,
milk,
coconut water,
babyccinos, and
even protein supplements.

Setting the place:

We removed carpets,
disconnected distractions like the TV, and
brought all toys into the same space so we wouldn’t have to move around.

We wrote out an activity list in advance with:

sticker books,
puzzles, and
simple chores like “clean robot vacuum cleaner” to keep the day interesting.

We also had a clear checklist for preparing the home:

adjusting the heating in different rooms,
closing off areas,
preparing breakfast early, and
hiding nappies (except one or two for sleep).

This helped us avoid confusion and set a different tone for the child from day 1.

We used calm, direct phrases like “We go wee-wee and poo-poo in the toilet” and avoided using timers aloud. We didn’t ask “do you want to go?”—we led our child with confidence.

“We go wee-wee and poo-poo in the toilet”

The 3-Day Toilet Training Process (Gabriela Terese)

Day 1

On Day 1, we started right after breakfast. Our child wore only a short shirt—no underwear or pants. We offered fluids constantly to create as many chances as possible. Every 15 minutes, we took him to the toilet without asking. If he didn’t go, we tried again every 5 minutes until he did or had an accident. When an accident happened, we calmly said, “Wee-wee goes in the toilet,” and picked him up mid-stream to finish on the toilet.

We praised any success, no matter how small. There was no scolding — just repetition, redirection, and staying in the living room near the toilet all day.

Day 2

We added underwear. That change alone brought some regression, which we expected. We increased the timer to 20 minutes and kept offering lots of juice. If there was no success at 20 minutes, we used a 5-minute interval again. When our child peed in his underwear, we still rushed him to the toilet to finish and praised if anything landed in.

We noticed that wearing underwear made him more likely to have accidents—just as we had read. Books said it feels too much like a nappy for children.

Day 3

We stopped using timers. We offered normal fluids. We observed and timed his natural rhythm. After breakfast, we went out for a short 30- to 60-minute trip to a shopping mall near. We made sure he peed before leaving, tried again upon arrival, and then once more before heading home.

We packed spare clothes and a portable potty. This helped us test the process outside the house, but without overcommitting to a long outing.

What Helped The Most

Calm, consistent language helped. We didn’t act shocked by accidents, and we didn’t over-celebrate success. We just made it the norm. For poop, we stayed in the bathroom with him, brought a book, and even sat beside him. We gently encouraged him with soft phrases like, “It’s coming,” or “You can let it out.”

We didn’t interrupt his activities to drag him to the toilet. If he was busy, we’d say, “Okay, I trust you to come tell me. I’ll be in the kitchen.” That worked better than repeating prompts or turning it into a power struggle.

Having simple activities like stickers, cleaning the robot, and puzzles kept him near us without screen time. When he didn’t want to leave a toy, we’d say, “Let’s show your bear how you pee,” or bring the toy to the bathroom.

Common Challenges & How We Handled Them

Poop delays:

He started holding it in. We expected this.

Squatting posture helped, so we raised his feet with books and sometimes used the potty chair.
Privacy helped too—we’d “forget” something and leave the room after he settled on the seat.

Accidents:

We never scolded. We kept our tone calm and said, “Poop goes in the potty. You are learning.” We didn't say, "It’s okay," because we wanted to teach—not comfort.

Refusal to pee:

Sometimes he said no.

We trusted him and made it low-pressure.
We reminded him that the activity would start as soon as he peed.

FOMO:

We helped him bring toys to the bathroom or reassured him that his toy would wait.

Phased Approach After the 3 Days (Oh Crap)

We followed the “blocks” structure from Oh Crap book:

Block 1: Naked, at home. All pee and poop in toilet, even with prompting.
Block 2: Commando (pants, no underwear). We stuck with this for weeks. Underwear felt too much like a nappy.
Block 3: Short outings. Pee before and after. Avoided poop windows.
Block 4: Underwear + self-initiation. Accidents returned here, especially when he got overconfident. We stayed calm, reduced distractions, and sometimes went back to earlier blocks for a day or two.

Over time, we handed over the prompting to him. We’d say, “There’s your potty,” or “I can see you need to go,” but stayed low energy.

For the first month, we made sure to respond within 10 seconds anytime we noticed a cue or our child hinted that he needed to go. That helped reinforce the pattern. After about three weeks, he began telling us on his own—and sometimes even went by himself.

Night-Time Training

We started night-time training recently. Here’s the plan we are following. The goal is to support bladder control during sleep while keeping the process simple and consistent.

Multiple sources recommend doing night-time training before the age of 3.5 years. Earlier is fine if naps are dry and daytime training is stable.

Evening Routine

No fluids 2–3 hours before bedtime.
Toilet visit 30 minutes before sleep, and again right before bed.
Keep a small cup of water near the bed—not a full water bottle. A small cup looks full but limits intake.

Night Waking (First 2–3 Weeks)

Use quiet phone alarms, not loud alarms.
Wake the child at 10 p.m. and again at 2 a.m.
Watch for restlessness in sleep. Tossing or turning usually means they need to pee. That’s the signal to help them go.

Skip bright lights and avoid walking to the bathroom. Instead:

Keep a potty chair near the bed.
Use two-piece pajamas for quick access.
Help them sit up or stand and pee into a plastic cup or container.
Whisper or softly “shhh” in their ear to trigger a pee reflex.
If they say “I don’t need to go,” pull up pajamas and let them go back to sleep—no pressure.

Backup Plan for Accidents

Extra pair of pajamas and a thick fleece blanket near the bed. If there’s an accident:

Change the pajamas.
Sit them on the potty to finish.
Do not change sheets right away to not disrupt the night sleep. Lay the fleece blanket over the wet spot and change sheets in the morning.

Gradual Adjustment

Once you figure out the usual night pee time, reduce to one night waking, slowly moving it later. At bedtime, say:

“Hold your pee until I come for you.”

This becomes the last conscious thought before sleep and helps build awareness.

When a child can hold pee until 2 hours before their natural wake-up time, they are close to being dry all night.

Now, I Need To Complete This

So far, I have read the content, taken notes, and implemented the daytime training. I have also started night-time training.

Next, I want to complete the night-time using these strategies and evaluate the results.

I’ll also be ready if I need to do this all again.