Oh Crap! Potty Training: Everything Modern Parents Need to Know to Do It Once and Do It Right (Volume 1) (Oh Crap Parenting)

Wow! Not only is this a great method but I love the authors style. Practical, honest and it works. The only potty training guidance you’ll need.

My sister recommended this book to me, she used this method for both her boys under 2 years old successfully. I started my daughter on this at 20 months old, and six weeks later she is potty trained and uses the loo with a loo seat insert - always asks to go for a wee/poo now as she can't pull her knickers and trousers down by herself. Only once in a while now, no more than once a week, she pees in her pull-ups at night and this is usually first thing in the morning if I don't take her for a pee immediately on the loo (we get up for a pee at about 3am and that means she is dry and has no pees in the night). It was hard work and stressful for the first couple of weeks as you really do have to watch them like a hawk, Jamie reiterates that a lot at the beginning and she it is so true! My daughter goes to nursery 4 days a week so I had to get nursery staff on board but they were really great and we just took our potty to nursery so it was always available for her and that really helped massively. You need to give it your all for a few weeks but it is seriously worth the effort and the time! My daughter is so excited and pleased with herself for going to the loo now and I feel like it has really made her grow up a bit more too at the same time. It saves lots of money on nappies, we just use one pull up a day now at night time (put it on just before she goes to sleep after her last pee) and it is only for just in case, she still asks to pee/poo when she is wearing it which I was quite surprised about. So many people say they will just wait until their child is 2 or 3, or they say we don't want to push them too much, but now I have done it this way I would really recommend this method as quick and effective. A child of 20 months (in my experience) is totally capable of being potty trained, and it doesn't pressure the child at all, it just makes your intentions totally clear so they get is quickly and thoroughly.

This book is excellent at teaching the fundamentals of potty training however I really don’t like the way the author actually writes she’s got a weird attitude and she refers to girls genitalia as yonis?? What on earth

I can’t recommend Oh Crap! Potty Training enough! As a mom of a strong-willed 3-year-old who had zero interest in ditching the diapers, I was feeling overwhelmed and honestly kind of dreading the whole potty training process. This book was a total game-changer. Jamie’s approach is so practical, down-to-earth, and reassuring. She breaks everything down into manageable stages and helps you understand what your child is going through — emotionally and physically — during the transition. I appreciated the no-nonsense tone and the encouragement to trust my instincts while also sticking to a clear plan. We followed the method pretty closely, and within a few days, we were seeing real progress. It wasn’t magic (there were definitely a few messes and meltdowns), but this book gave me the confidence and tools I needed to stick with it and stay calm. Now, just a couple weeks in, my little one is proudly using the potty like a champ! If you're on the fence or feeling nervous, do yourself a favor and read this. It's supportive, smart, and actually kind of funny. Total lifesaver!

This book offered practical, well-researched advice on how and when to start potty training toddlers. As a first-time parent, I appreciated the calm, non-judgmental tone and the realistic tips based on child development rather than pressure or deadlines. It covers everything from signs of readiness to common setbacks. – Step-by-step potty training plan – Tips for gentle, child-led toilet learning – Encourages patience and consistency Although I purchased it used, it arrived in like-new condition – no markings, clean pages, and a solid cover. A great resource I’ll be referring back to.

I’m one of those people who likes to follow the rules, stick to a process and then it will be bound to succeed. Unfortunately for us, following this ‘3 block’ plan (masquerading as the 3 day plan that’s already cited everywhere) didn’t work at all. Day one got off to a good start, we had successful wees in potty, proud happy boy and impressed parents. But day two, when he realised this was for life and not just a day, and we had many many ‘accidents’ and tears. We tried everything the book recommended, putting him on the potty mid-wee (absolute disaster, he was inconsolable), backing off completely (also didn’t work he just weed on the floor and sobbed), and every other trick in the book. Literally. On the morning of day 4 after 3 days inside with no clothes on (him, not us, although maybe we should have been the amount of my own trousers I had to wash), we happily took his nighttime nappy off and pointed out the potty incase he should need it, casually leaving him to it. This resulted in him weeing all over the floor and sitting in it, sobbing and saying ‘sorry’. Absolutely awful moment for us. So we have given in and out his nappy back on (we asked him and he nodded sadly). We will give it a couple of weeks and try again but this book is definitely not for the faint hearted or for all children. It’s also very American, very patronising, positively offensive to dads (there’s a chapter at the back which consists of 2 pages of things dads can do to help mum because let’s face it, she’s going to be doing all the hard work) and doesn’t contain an ounce of ‘child-Led’ mentality which has worked for us very well up until now. I’ve given it 3 stars because some of the psychology and fundamentals are worth a read but take it with a pinch of salt and remember no one knows your child like you do!

I don’t usually write reviews but thought this was worth it in the hope it may help other parents. My son is 32 months. We had tried potty training earlier and did the no pants thing which he was great with but as soon as he had trousers on he just wet them and continued playing. No real acknowledgement of what he did. We therefore stopped and waited a month. In that time I was given this book to read. Yes there are some things I don’t agree with and also it seems to be the end of the world if the kid isn’t potty trained by 3, but actually it is a really good easy to follow book. And it is what gave me the motivation to try again. Jamie explains that your toddler is never going to say ok I’m ready to sit on a potty and it’s all about your determination and just continuing with it. And do you know what, our little guy smashed it. As we had been doing no pants time before bath for a while he was already used to going potty naked so day one was a breeze. On day 2 we went out and about with the potette. He did a poop outside our house but again aced it. We had 2 accidents. And on day three zero accidents. There were a couple of leaks where he hadn’t got to the toilet in time but he knew where he was going and what he wanted to do. I think there was a bit of poo withholding but again we just kept going and eventually he had no other option. He now loves to admire his poop and tell everyone about how big it is! We celebrate that. Our nursery were on board. Before we started we explained the book we would be following and also the commando time. They were happy to go along with it including saying to him that from Friday we are throwing away nappies and he knew it. We are two weeks in and all good. We were also planning to put off night training for another few months but he is already having dry nights and waking up to tell us he has to pee so after buying more mattress protectors we are persevering with that too. I’d say the book is good if you need motivation and also just to know that you can go back and start again. I think some stuff just needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. You know your child best and what they can achieve but there is a lot of sense in this book. I think the key is not to put too much pressure on yourself. Like I said we put it off for a month as it clearly wasn’t on his radar when he was peeing and not noticing. But when you do start then just keep going. They will get it. Good luck!

Bought this book on the recommendation of a friend, just as we are beginning to potty train our 27 month old - and so far it has been enormously helpful. Sets out every phase clearly, with chapters dedicated to particular issues (e.g. night training, nursery, etc.) so you can skip to the relevant parts. I particularly like how decisive and objective she is about certain issues (sadly a rarity nowadays with parenting advice). I.e. she clearly states what works, what doesn't work, and most importantly why. She is clearly qualified to make these statements given she is a professional potty trainer, her advice makes sense as soon as you think about it - much more so than contrasting advice I've heard elsewhere. Hugely recommend for anyone wanting to successfully potty train and needing a little bit of guidance, like me!