How do I start potty training when I don't have a yard?
Potty training without private outdoor space or with unique reliability needs makes the initial steps feel overwhelming. This lack of a clear starting routine leaves owners unsure how to begin without proper facilities, preventing them from establishing reliable habits from day one.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- The most recent one is from October 2026.
- This comes up 19.5× more often in r/Parenting than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Setting a timer every 15 minutes for a week with treats and praiseDid this help you?
- 2Using tiny pieces of high-value treats like hotdogs immediately after eliminationDid this help you?
- 3Marking the exact second the puppy finishes with a clicker or a wordDid this help you?
- 4Taking the puppy straight to a designated shared grass spot on a leash every single timeDid this help you?
- 5Offering books and toys specifically for the pottyDid this help you?
- 6Asking which book she wants to read on the toiletDid this help you?
- 7Giving a toddler a break from potty trainingDid this help you?
- 8Bring a travel potty for road tripsDid this help you?
- 9Use sanitizer and antibacterial wipesDid this help you?
- 10Use a pull-up and do your bestDid this help you?
- 11Re-diapering for appointments and errandsDid this help you?
- 12Trying shorts or potty training underwearDid this help you?
- 13Using the every 20-minute methodDid this help you?
- 14Looking for alternative potty training methodsDid this help you?
- 15Accompanying the child to the bathroom for moral supportDid this help you?
- 16Setting clearer boundaries and structure around potty breaksDid this help you?
- 17Transitioning away from daytime pull-upsDid this help you?
- 18Waiting until the child is older (around 2.5 to 3 years old) and shows clear signs of readinessDid this help you?
- 19Using elimination communication (EC) or offering the potty casually around 10 to 12 monthsDid this help you?
- 20Following structured potty training methods and books like Oh Crap! Potty TrainingDid this help you?
- 21Using coaxing and bribing to get the child to sit on the pottyDid this help you?
- 22Putting a diaper on for mid-day naps allowing the child to hold itDid this help you?
- 23Giving a break from potty training for a week or two if no progress is madeDid this help you?
- 24Waiting until the child decides on their own terms at an older ageDid this help you?
- 25letting her sit on a little potty with tons of praiseDid this help you?
- 26letting her watch parents use the bathroomDid this help you?
- 27trying no diaper timeDid this help you?
- 28taking her every 15 minutes to encourage the linkDid this help you?
- 29Waiting until the child is older and showing clearer signs of being readyDid this help you?
- 30Relying on the older sibling to model the behavior so the younger one learns by observationDid this help you?
- 31Setting longer intervals (30-40 minutes) instead of 1-minute timers to reduce tension and hovering.Did this help you?
- 32Going cold turkey to underwear, offering salty snacks and drinks to induce peeing, and rewarding successes with stickers or M&Ms.Did this help you?
- 33Reading and strictly following the 'Oh Crap Potty Training' book method.Did this help you?
- 34Letting the child naturally learn by leaving the bathroom door open when parents use the toilet.Did this help you?
- 35Limiting liquid intake before bedtimeDid this help you?
- 36Using mattress protectors and waterproof sheetsDid this help you?
- 37Waking the child up to use the bathroom before the parents go to sleepDid this help you?
- 38Continuing to use overnight pull-ups or diapers until the child outgrows it organicallyDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“We're on day 3 of potty training our EXTREMELY independent 30 month old son.”source ↗
“He absolutely digs his heels in and straight up refuses to do things he doesn't want to do.”source ↗
“I am completely lost on how to navigate this with my little one because of how easy my 1st was.”source ↗
“He'll sit on it with some coaxing/bribing but he will not pee in it.”source ↗
“The one thing I can't figure out is how to potty trained when he goes down for a nap or bed.”source ↗
“My son is also a VERY deep sleeper. So there are times where he pees the bed and he is absolutely soaked and him being wet doesn't wake him up.”source ↗
“She is refusing to sit on the toilet despite having to go and signaling me.”source ↗
“My concern is she’s had a UTI a couple months ago, and with this refusal she is holding her pee for up to 8 hours.. STILL fighting me when I try to sit her on because she is doing a pee pee dance.”source ↗
“I am just having a hard time with finding a way to get her to willingly sit, and sit long enough to go.”source ↗
“She started holding her pee and I leaned into her holding her pee since she was doing elimination communication before this.”source ↗
“Now the issue at hand is that he is asking to go the toilet at least 3 or 4 times during every meal time. Each time he MUST remove all his bottoms, he MUST have his toy cars or some other specific toy with him. And then he doesn't wee or poo.”source ↗
“I feel like he's using this time we are with him in the bathroom as extra "quality time".”source ↗
“I just feel like we are stuck in block 1.75 after a week.”source ↗
“He never makes it to the potty without at least a couple drops on the floor.”source ↗
“I can't leave the house for more than 20 minutes and get lucky.”source ↗
“I don't want to give up potty training but am not sure this is the method.”source ↗
“I want to potty train her, that would be convenient but I’m not exactly sure how…”source ↗
“When they are that young their bladders are so small, your life is going to revolve around frequent bathroom trips and accidents.”source ↗
“And plenty of people end up locked in a power struggle with a 2yo - potty training is awful for that because at the end of the day, the kid is holding all the cards.”source ↗
“We tried at two. My daughter wanted no part of it. She potty trained herself at 3.”source ↗
“My daughter straight up refused no matter how many times and ways we attempted it.”source ↗
“I can’t seem to get her to connect the idea of needing to pee with going actually into her potty.”source ↗
“I did try the no diaper and she peed on the floor, so I’m just not sure if I should try something different or if perhaps she’s too young?”source ↗
“I'm wondering how much of it is genuinely that he's not ready versus us just being busy with 2x young kids.”source ↗
“My husband works away and trying to toilet train one toddler while chasing after another feels so much harder than it did with our first.”source ↗
“Mine is five and still doesn't wake up dry, he will be six in February. So trying to figure it out too 😮💨”source ↗
“We already wash the sheets pretty often, but there are times where he will literally sleep in a puddle without wake up.”source ↗
“I’m dreading going to public restrooms (extremely stressful for me as a germaphobe and of course he touches everything) but don’t want to lose the progress we made with potty training while traveling.”source ↗
“My question is why are so many people these days waiting until almost 3 to even start potty training? Is there some benefit to late potty training I am missing?”source ↗
“Timer goes off, we run to the potty, my child decides they need a bath toy on their way by, as they are grabbing it they pee onto the floor.”source ↗
“I’m feeling frustrated because we are RIGHT there at the potty and my child pees onto the floor.”source ↗
“I don’t want to become an angry parent, and I don’t want to FORCE them onto the potty I want it to be a good experience and not a traumatizing one. What am I doing wrong, is my child too young?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 5Kindergarteners coming to school not potty trained
- 6Why does my potty trained child have accidents only at home?
- 9Toddler refuses to use the potty and waits for a diaper
- 3How to handle potty training while out and about
- 4Is it safe to potty train a puppy on bare soil or grass?
- 8How to potty train a puppy with a busy work schedule