As a working mother of five with only weekends available for potty training, I quickly realized how challenging this milestone could be. Initially, I believed the reassurances of preschools promising to assist with potty training. However, I soon discovered that my child needed to be completely accident-free and fully independent in the restroom to move on to the 3-year-old class. This included pulling down pants, sitting on the toilet, pulling pants back up, and washing hands—all without a teacher’s help.

This realization sparked a journey that was far from easy. Each of my children had unique potty-training challenges, turning what seemed like a simple task into a recurring nightmare.

My potty training journey as a parent has been shaped by the very real and varied challenges I faced with each of my children. My oldest daughter transitioned to urinating on the toilet with minimal effort; however, she developed an intense fear of having a bowel movement on the toilet. This led to nightly meltdowns that were emotionally exhausting and left a lasting impact on both of us. My second child experienced gastrointestinal issues that caused frequent, involuntary accidents. Though these incidents were beyond his control, they were deemed unacceptable by his preschool, which even recommended holding him back a year. Despite seeking professional help, I received only vague diagnoses—ranging from constipation and leaky gut to possible gluten sensitivities—but no actionable solutions. My third child, fiercely independent and strong-willed, refused to use the potty unless it was on her own terms. Following the common advice to “wait until she shows interest” only prolonged the process and reinforced her desire to stay in control. Ultimately, I had to take extended time off work to address the issue intensively at home. While she became accident-free at home, she continued to struggle in the preschool setting—an inconsistency that added to the challenge.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that I wasn’t alone, despite every mother I spoke to insisting their methods were easy and foolproof. Determined to find better solutions, I read every book on potty training I could find. To my surprise, many so-called experts had only trained one to three children or simply documented other parents’ experiences. Frustrated, I abandoned the “how-to” books and dove into understanding the physical, psychological, and behavioral aspects of teaching this life skill.

What I discovered shocked me. Contrary to popular advice, most children know where pee and poop belong—they just need help breaking the habit of using a diaper.
 
I tested my methods on over 100 children in my home before opening Potty Training School. My mission was simple: educate parents while making the process fun and engaging for children. Twelve years later, Potty Training School has helped over 4,500 children become accident-free in 48 hours or less, with a 97% success rate. Our graduates leave confident, independent, and free from adult prompting.​