By Olivia DeLong, former senior health editor at BabyCenter and What to Expect.
If you’re in the thick of potty training right now, I see you. The days can feel long and sometimes very messy, but I’m a few years on the other side of it now, and I promise: it does get better.
There were plenty of moments when we were greeted with a school-day accident or an inevitable nighttime mishap. But I’m proud to say it only took a few months for things to really click for our daughter.
We tried the whole “stay naked for three days” method, and while it worked at first, we quickly realized we needed reinforcements to keep the momentum going, especially once real life (like getting out the door for school) resumed.
Here’s what actually helped us:
We got a potty she actually liked to sit on
I’m slightly embarrassed to admit how many potties we tried. Some were immediate hits; others were total flops.
The biggest difference-maker? Finding one she genuinely liked sitting on. For her, that meant a fun color, a spot to stash books or little trinkets for distraction, and easy access to toilet paper or wipes. When the potty felt approachable (even a little fun) she was far more willing to use it. While we finally found one that worked, I’m confident that if this new Lalo 3-in-1 Potty was around when we were going through it, it would be a clear winner.
We used treats and snacks as positive reinforcement
We started with a sticker chart. It was fine… but sometimes we needed more.
So yes, we brought out the snacks.
A gummy, one M&M, or another small treat she loved became her reward for going on the potty at home. I’ll admit I once swore I wouldn’t go the “bribery” route. But reframing it as positive reinforcement made me feel better about it, and honestly, it worked.
There are lots of opinions about incentives, but for us, celebrating progress during a big developmental milestone made a difference.
We picked out some fun undies
When we kicked off our potty training era, one of the very first things we did was pick out the right underwear. And by right, I mean: whatever would make her wildly excited to wear them.
So I took her to the store and told her she could choose anything: princesses, Batman, Bluey, Peppa, Disney… nothing was off-limits. She ended up going with Disney characters and Peppa (of course), and you would’ve thought she’d just been handed a crown.
She was so proud to put them on.
Every morning, we’d remind her that she got to wear her “big kid” undies, and honestly? That little bit of excitement motivated her way more than I expected. Sometimes it’s the smallest things that make the biggest difference.
We did the potty dance
Any time our daughter successfully used the potty, we dropped everything and celebrated. I mean everything. We’d jump up, wiggle around, spin in circles, whatever felt festive in the moment. If it resembled dancing in even the loosest sense of the word, it counted.
And she loved it.
The celebration wasn’t elaborate or perfect. It was just loud, silly, and very enthusiastic. But seeing all of us stop what we were doing to celebrate her? That made her beam.
We had the “keep on keeping on” mindset
This one isn’t groundbreaking, but it helped me the most.
There were several times I told her teachers, “Maybe she’s just not ready.” But they gently encouraged us to stay consistent, and we did. We kept our routine, rewards, and expectations steady.
Eventually, it just clicked.
And when you’re in the thick of it, that can feel impossible. But progress often happens gradually… until one day, it doesn’t feel so hard anymore. You’ve got this, parents. Truly.
About the writer:
Olivia DeLong is the former senior health editor at BabyCenter and What to Expect. She’s been an editor, writer, and content strategist for over 15 years, holding staff positions at WomansDay.com and Sharecare prior to her role at pregnancy and parenting brands. After a traumatic fertility journey, she’s now a mom to her 6-year-old miracle girl, and lives with her family in Atlanta, Georgia. She loves digging into parenting, women’s health, and wellness trends with experts, and believes that speaking up about just about anything is so important for moms to feel seen.
