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My sister's son potty trained in 1 week. My son took almost a year. And it drove me crazy… But it turns out, she had something up her sleeve the whole time. A potty training cheat code that could have saved me months of stress… but I was too stubborn to ask. Because my sister and I have been super competitive our whole lives. Sports. Grades. Board games. It didn't matter, I always tried to beat her at everything. And I usually did… But when it came to potty training… she completely outdid me. Last year, my sister and I started potty training at the same time. Both of our sons are the same age, so of course it became a competition. I bought the rewards, the sticker charts, the fancy potty, everything I could to give myself the best chance. We even started on the exact same day. Day 2, she texts me: "Theo sat on the potty for the first time today! He's picking it up now!" My son Blair peed on the floor 5 times and pooped twice that day. I texted back: "Wow that's so good. Keep it up." But I'd be lying if I said I was actually thrilled about it. Day 5, another text: "He's sitting on the potty most of the time now. Only one or two accidents." Our day 5? Tears. Tantrums. Puddles on the floor. I didn't even respond to her message. A few weeks later, we were at a family BBQ. Theo runs up to my sister and says "Mommy I'm going to potty now." He takes himself to the potty completely on his own. Blair? Still in disposables. My sister had this smug look on her face. I didn't even want to make eye contact. I couldn't bear it. We left early that night, and on the drive home I didn't say a word. Just stared out the window feeling completely defeated. They were the same age. They started on the exact same day. So why did her son train in a week and mine is still in diapers? So I kept at it. Every day for months. The Oh Crap method. The 3-day method. Encouragement. Still multiple accidents a day. He'd say he didn't need to go then I'd turn around to him standing in a puddle of pee. We were ten and a half months in now and still no progress. I was exhausted. The daily routines. The methods. The cost of pull-ups adding up every month. And I still had nothing to show for it. So I did the one thing I'd been avoiding for months… I FaceTimed my sister. How did you do it? I asked her. How did you potty train so fast? She laughed. "Honestly, I can't take the credit for it. All I did was change what he was wearing." She explained how she had spoken to a child development expert before starting, who had told her that diapers can prolong potty training. They absorb moisture in seconds so kids can't actually feel their accidents. And if they can't feel it, they can't learn. They stay bone dry, so their brain gets no feedback that they've peed. He said that the solution is to remove the disposables immediately. But don't just switch to regular underwear. Because while they do help kids feel wet, they just soak through and ruin their clothes or your furniture. You need a specific type of underwear for potty training. Ones that help kids feel wet while keeping everything contained. They're called UpAiry training pants. They have this special Feel & Learn technology that holds wetness against the skin, sending a signal to the brain and providing sensory feedback. But the outer layer is leak resistant so they don't soak through. I just stared at her through the phone. Ten and a half months. That's how long I'd been avoiding this call. She wasn't smarter than me. She wasn't a better parent than me. She just knew something I didn't. That's why Blair would say he didn't need to go then pee on the floor right after. I was asking him to recognize something he couldn't feel. So I ordered them. Day 1: Blair was playing with his blocks when he just stopped. He ran to me and said "Mommy, I feel something." He peed and he could feel it on his skin. For the first time he was starting to recognize it. Day 4: He sat on the potty and peed. Still a few accidents throughout the day, but now he was starting to realize that using the potty could stop the yucky wet feeling. Day 9: He was using the potty EVERY TIME. No accidents. No puddles. Nothing. I FaceTimed my sister again and thanked her. We just laughed. It was such a relief. I didn't even care that my sister had beaten me at something (for the first time btw). I was just so glad to be diaper free. So if you're potty training right now, and it's taking longer than expected, don't blame yourself, or the methods. Start with what they're wearing. Diapers and disposables keep kids dry so they can't feel their accidents. Training pants give their brain the feedback it needs. That can be the difference between 1 week and 1 year. Hope this helps another parent out there in the same situation. I'll drop the link below for anyone who wants to check them out: https://www.upairy.com/pages/training-underwear