This block of learning should be about solidifying the skills. Don’t
confuse days with blocks. Block Three might start on your second day
of potty training. More likely, though, it’s going to start somewhere
around days four through ten. I’m only mentioning days because I
know you need a marker. Seriously, try to let the day thing go. Block
Three brings more of the same—watching and prompting. By this
time, you can have any combination of things happening. You could
have a clear sense of your child “getting it,” or you could still be
lingering somewhere else on the confidence timeline. It’s all good. A
few days ago, your child had no concept of where pee and poop went.
As I discussed in Block Two, resistance could potentially kick up.
Alternately, you could be all set to take an eight-hour cross-country
flight without diapers. The important thing is to stay calm no matter
where you find yourself in the process.
There’s no better way to help your child hone her potty skills than
to take her outside the norm. In this case, that means actually
leaving the house for longer than a short walk around the block. For
many of you, this is going to coincide with day care. Day care, like
poop, can be one of the most frustrating aspects of potty training. So,
also like poop, I gave it its own glorious chapter (see chapter 12, “Day
Cares and Other Caregivers”).
Leaving Home for Bigger Chunks of Time
When heading out for a longer time, be sure you get a good pee
before leaving the house. I’m not suggesting bugging your child to
pee. Rather, wait to leave till you get that pee and then hit the road.