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Our family recently went through its first round of potty training. Our daughter is two and it was becoming increasingly apparent that we just needed to do it. Potty training wasn’t really something my husband and I had discussed in the past. He generally leaned toward the thought that we’d just “wait until she was ready,” after all, it’s what most of the parents we knew had done, and it wasn’t like she wasn’t going to learn eventually. However, I wanted to be more proactive. I did not want two in diapers (I’m pregnant) and I felt like we were a bit overdue for handling this task at 26 months.
According to a lot of the moms in my various Facebook groups, the overall theme for success was the Oh Crap! method. Hubs was hesitant, but I bought a copy of the book via Audible, and he agreed to give it a listen along with me.
I instantly understood why it had such a following. The author (Jamie Glowacki) was funny — ya know, potty funny, thoroughly embracing the peculiarities of her profession — and direct with her communication, placing responsibility for timely training where it belongs: with parents. It also came along with a fair amount of potty mouth (actual swearing), which this snarky mama can appreciate. But beyond the writing style, I also appreciated its contents for the following reasons:
It prepared us for what to expect
Does anyone really know what to expect from potty training? Can it really only take three days? Are incentives a good idea? What about candy? Should I set a timer and make them sit? Why can’t I just “wait until she’s ready”?
These are all questions that are addressed within the book and plenty more. The author has potty trained thousands of toddlers — each one different from the next, but most experiences have had a similar theme. She breaks potty training down into blocks and helps you brace for those first few chaotic days. She also encourages wine (which you’ll definitely need, assuming you’re not pregnant… woe is me).
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It shifted our language surrounding the potty
How we present things to children plays a large role in how they perceive it and whether or not they accept or reject it. The book put my husband and I on the same page regarding how to try to get her excited about it, how to address her stubbornness (and other emotions) surrounding the task, and how to address accidents. It also meant that I had to stop saying, “gross!” to farting in order to make sure it stayed normalized (insert eyeroll and grumbling).
Tips and Troubleshooting
There are a lot of anxiety-producing potential scenarios in potty training for both you and your toddler. I’m not one to be embarrassed if my two year old loudly declares that she needs to poop in the grocery store, but traveling, daycare, play dates, and public restrooms are all potentially overwhelming and should be as thoroughly prepared for as possible — not only for your little, but for you, too. In the contents of the book, the author gives lots of tips to handle these things, as well as tips on items like teaching your child how to undress, how to handle constipation, and what to do if your child is insolent or if they just don’t get it.
So, without getting into the nitty gritty of the task:
- Was potty training our daughter using this method successful? Yes. We’re three weeks in and (knock on wood) we haven’t had an accident in over a week. By and large, the rough parts were over in just a few days.
- Am I glad we went this route over “slow and steady” or “waiting until she’s ready”? Yes. I’m an all or nothing type. Do it and get it over with. This was by far the best fitting approach for us.
- Will I use it with my next child? Hell yes, and we’ll probably potty train a whole lot sooner. The author recommends between 20 and 30 months, so next time I’ll be aiming for the same time of year, which will land him around 22 months old. And next time, there will be wine.
Good luck on your potty training adventures! I wish you much success.
— Funky Crunchy Mama
We tried Potty Training earlier this month but it really wasn’t successful. Everyday my daughter screamed and panicked when peeing. She held her pee from 8:30-4:30 on 2 days. I got scared and backed away from it. I’ll have to check out this book though.
Karen || http://www.ouririshfamily.com
Oh no! That sounds miserable for everyone. I hope the book helps! It was really nice to have a road map.
Ooo! I may have to try this method when my youngest is old enough for potty training! I’m always looking for tips and tricks in this department! Thanks for sharing ☺️
My pleasure, mama! Good luck!
Very impressive! My son is going to be three in one month and we are still struggling although it seems he is finally getting it. I have a 4 month old and that kinda deterred us from going strong like you did . For our second I really want to do it different . Will definitely check out this book . Thanks !
I totally understand postponing. It’s such a daunting task! You can do it (and so can he)! Good luck!
Congratulations on the potty training! I hope the next one works out well also. Each child is different in their own way, I have 6, all grown with kids of their own. I did the training on my own without any books…they all trained fairly easy but a book would have been nice.
Thank you for the well-wishes! A map was definitely key to our success — especially for my husband and I working as a team.
Potty training can be so stressful for both parties. This method sounds promising. I have potty trained 3 and have one more that I will have to go through it with. I may have to try this. Thank you for the information!
No guarantees that it won’t be less stressful, but the author is a wealth of knowledge on the topic. We certainly had much more confidence going into unchartered territory after listening to it. 🙂
This book sounds great! I’ll have to keep it in mind for when we potty train our next child. Potty Training is something I’ve always wished I could outsource 🙂
Don’t we all…. 🙂
I have to potty train my daughter soon and this was so helpful! I’m going to look into the Oh Crap Potty Training book!
I hope it works as well for you as it did for us!