How to potty train a 3 year old (for real, no joke)

1) Wait til they're ready. If you want it and they don't, there's no point.

2) Introduce them to a cousin/friend/classmate their age who's already potty-trained.  Peer pressure works!

3) Find what your kid cares about.  For us, we had to give up on sticker charts. Stickers mean nothing. M&Ms, on the other hand, work wonders.  One M&M per potty visit = multiple voluntary visits per day.

4) Have them pick out their own underwear.  For us, Thomas the Train big boy underwear is AMAZING.

5) And lastly... I hate to say it, but the clincher has been unabashed bribery.  Buy a fancy new toy (in our case, a front loader with moving mechanical parts).  Put it in a place of prestige (in our case, on the fireplace mantle), still in its box, as incentive.  Make criteria (of days without accidents, number of times on the potty, etc), and stick to it before giving the reward.

Xander really wants the front loader.  And he loves his underwear.  In three days with no diapers - even at nap and bedtime - only two accidents!  He even got up twice in the middle of the night last night to tell us he needed to go.

Thank you, universe.