Oh Crap! My Review of Jamie Glowacki’s Potty Training Method Part 1 by Brittany Nelson

02 Nov Oh Crap! My Review of Jamie Glowacki’s Potty Training Method Part 1 by Brittany Nelson

First off, let me say that I was terrified to potty train my two year old son. I thought he was probably ready when he turned two, but I put off potty training for a few months because I gave birth to my second son. Or maybe it was because I was just plain scared. Regardless, I decided to potty train him when he was 26 months old (should you even say their age in months after they turn 2?!).

When it came time to potty train, I was at a total loss of what to do. Since I’m the direction following type, I decided to use the book “Oh Crap! Potty Training: Everything Modern Parents Need to Know to Do it Once and Do It Right” by Jamie Glowacki. This method was so amazing and worked very well for us. Not going to lie – the first few days of potty training tested my parenting limits. But two weeks later, I had a fully potty trained kiddo and couldn’t be happier.

I was going to just write one short blog on potty training, but I realized that there is so much to cover that I have to make this into a multipart series. So if you’re looking to potty train soon or just love stories about pee and poop, this series is for you! Throughout this three part series, I’m going to explain briefly how this method works and my experience. I highly recommend this potty training method – Jamie Glowacki is a genius!

So what the heck is Oh Crap! Potty Training? In basic terms, you throw away the diapers and your child runs around naked learning to use the potty. Sounds like a disaster, right? It’s not if you do it right! There’s actually a lot more to this method than just running around without bottoms. I’d recommend getting the book from your local library because she does a great job of both mentally preparing you and detailing the steps to success. My library had the audiobook so I listened during nap time or while I worked out.

The reason this method worked for me is because I was mentally prepared. Seriously – it took some preparation on my part because I was terrified! Everyone talks about potty training so negatively that I

just kept wanting to put it off. But the author convinced me that I could do this, that it was a primal instinct so my child should be doing it, that he was smart enough to do it, and that I had the strength to make it through any difficulties during the process.

I also liked that Glowacki discusses your child’s readiness. I always hear people say their child isn’t ready to potty train, but she made the point that you could claim no one is ever truly ready. She argued that instead you need to evaluate capability. Her examples of this included: can your child sing the ABCs, can he ask for something like water or a snack, does he ever hide while he goes poop in his diaper? All of these are signs that your child is capable to potty train. If they can hold a conversation, they’re obviously smart enough to use a toilet! My child was a “yes” to all of the capability questions so it was time to stop procrastinating and do this thing!

Your child is capable, but how do you start? If this method sounds intriguing to you, stay tuned! My next blog will discuss in more detail how this method actually works and our first few days of potty training.

Brittany Nelson is the co-founder of GWG. After many years of volunteering in international ministry, she became excited about helping other young women discover their passion. Brittany is a Jr. HR Generalist at a consulting firm in the DC area. She spends her free time exploring DC and going to Washington Wizards games with her husband, Paul.

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