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A review by notgeorgecarlin
Oh Crap! Potty Training: Everything Modern Parents Need to Know to Do It Once and Do It Right by Jamie Glowacki
3.0
I loved how this book was written, it was a fun read honestly, which I was not expecting for a potty training manual. However, the approach outlined is a little too one-size-fits all.
The author takes care to clarify that every child is different and that you know your child best, but also consistently claims that her method is The Best Method and that if it doesn’t work for you, it’s probably because you were not paying enough attention to your child.
For example, she describes several “blocks” of learning, the first of which is consistently peeing/pooing in the potty when naked, with or without prompting. She claims this block will usually be achieved on day one, and if not, just stick with it. Well, four days later we still weren’t there. Upon further research found out that’s not uncommon! The fact that this method can take months is fine. Child rearing is a marathon, not a sprint after all. But for a book to claim that it is vital to do nothing but potty train for three days because it is worth it seems disingenuous given that many kids would still be stuck inside, naked from the waist down after Week Three, let alone Day Three.
I’d honestly give 5 stars if this were just a book and not a how-to. But given that this is a how-to on potty training, I had to lower my score because the way it is written, it very clearly tells parents that this approach will work for all children (even though all children are different) and actively discourages any alternate methods.
That said, I would still recommend this book and I do intend to read her other toddler parenting book, but I would also strongly encourage parents to remember that the author’s point of view is perhaps written too unequivocally, and to consider reading about multiple approaches before taking the author’s word that this is the Best Method.
The author takes care to clarify that every child is different and that you know your child best, but also consistently claims that her method is The Best Method and that if it doesn’t work for you, it’s probably because you were not paying enough attention to your child.
For example, she describes several “blocks” of learning, the first of which is consistently peeing/pooing in the potty when naked, with or without prompting. She claims this block will usually be achieved on day one, and if not, just stick with it. Well, four days later we still weren’t there. Upon further research found out that’s not uncommon! The fact that this method can take months is fine. Child rearing is a marathon, not a sprint after all. But for a book to claim that it is vital to do nothing but potty train for three days because it is worth it seems disingenuous given that many kids would still be stuck inside, naked from the waist down after Week Three, let alone Day Three.
I’d honestly give 5 stars if this were just a book and not a how-to. But given that this is a how-to on potty training, I had to lower my score because the way it is written, it very clearly tells parents that this approach will work for all children (even though all children are different) and actively discourages any alternate methods.
That said, I would still recommend this book and I do intend to read her other toddler parenting book, but I would also strongly encourage parents to remember that the author’s point of view is perhaps written too unequivocally, and to consider reading about multiple approaches before taking the author’s word that this is the Best Method.