Oh Crap! Potty Training Review: Jamie Glowacki’s Ultimate Guide to Potty Success

Picture this: Me, bleary-eyed, surrounded by wet wipes, sticker charts, and enough stuffed animal bribes to start a small toy store.

Potty training was my ultimate parenting challenge. Then came Jamie Glowacki’s “Oh Crap! Potty Training” – a book that promised to be my secret weapon in the great diaper-defeating war.

I’d tried everything short of interpretive dance to get my toddler interested in the potty.

Reward charts? Failed. Cute underwear with cartoon characters? Nope.

Endless YouTube tutorials? Nice try.

When a fellow mom handed me this book with a knowing wink, I was simultaneously hopeful and skeptical. Could this really be the holy grail of potty training, or just another parenting book collecting dust?



In this review, I’ll break down Jamie’s approach, share my personal trenches experience, and reveal whether this method is truly the potty training game-changer it claims to be.

Spoiler alert: Prepare for some unexpected laughs and maybe, just maybe, a diaper-free future.



Sale
Oh Crap! Potty Training
  • Glowacki, Jamie (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 304 Pages – 05/28/2024 (Publication Date) – Gallery Books (Publisher)

Jamie Glowacki isn’t your typical parenting author. She’s more like that brutally honest friend who tells you exactly what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.

Her book, a beacon of hope for parents drowning in diaper expenses, offers a refreshingly practical approach to potty training that throws traditional methods out the window.

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Published as a lifeline for modern parents, “Oh Crap! Potty Training” stands out in the crowded parenting book market.

Jamie’s philosophy is simple:

Potty training isn’t about rigid rules, but understanding your child’s unique developmental journey.

As a parenting coach with years of experience, she blends a mixture of professional insight and real-world parent survival skills all sprinkled in with a sense of humor.

What drew me to the book was its promise of a method that doesn’t require a Ph.D. in child psychology or the patience of a saint.

After countless failed attempts and enough laundry to make a washing machine cry, I was ready for a fresh perspective!


Forget what you’ve heard about potty training being a specific age milestone. Jamie’s approach is all about reading your child’s unique signals. She swears that “when” is almost more important than “how” when it comes to timing.

It’s EASIEST to potty train your child between the ages to 20-30 months. If you’ve waited past the 30 month mark, it’s not the end of the world, but it will be more challenging.

“Can they follow simple two-step instructions?”

Can your child throw a tantrum for candy at the market?



In my case, my son’s “readiness” looked like announcing his bodily functions with the dramatic flair of a Broadway performer. Mid-diaper change, he’d declare, “I POOPED!” with such conviction that I knew we were entering a new phase of parenting.

Jamie’s Tips

  • Watch for physical and verbal cues
  • Observe your child’s ability to communicate needs
  • Look for signs of curiosity
  • Is your child becoming independent?

Pro tip: Readiness isn’t about age, it’s about individual development. Some kids are potty pros at 2, others need more time. No judgment, just observation!




Buckle up for Jamie’s method – part strategy, part psychological warfare, completely genius.

She breaks potty training into strategic blocks, each designed to build your child’s confidence and independence.

Think of it like training for a marathon, but instead of running, you’re navigating toddler bladder control. The method isn’t about forcing progress but creating an environment of support, celebration, and minimal panic.

“Peeing and pooping while naked, either with prompting or without”

  • Goal: Your child, while bottomless, can sit to pee and poop on the potty.
  • Method: Keep your child completely bottomless to observe their cues and get them to the potty.
  • Key: Get your child to the potty or bring the potty to them!

Picture this – your kiddo running around half-naked as a jaybird while you stalk them like a hawk watching for every little wiggle and dance. You’ll become VERY familiar with your living room carpet during this phase! It’s all about catching those “tell me I need to go” moments before you have a lovely puddle to clean up. Fun times!


“Peeing and pooping with clothes on, commando, with prompting or without”

  • Goal: Your child can pee and poop with pants, shorts, or leggings – while commando.
  • Method: Wear loose fitting pants. Easy on & off. No undies.
  • Key: A few accidents may occur. If there’s too many, go back to Block 1.

Think loose pants, no undies – giving your little one just enough dignity to not be totally nude but still feel when nature calls. This is where you’ll perfect your lightning-fast sprint to the potty while carrying a squirming toddler. Who needs the gym when you have a potty-training toddler?


“Peeing and pooping in different situations, with prompting or without”

  • Goal: Going potty in various different places, with clothes on (no undies) with prompting or without.
  • Method: Practice using the potty in various settings, both familiar and unfamiliar.
  • Key: Be patient! Potty training isn’t always a transferable skill.

Now we’re getting brave! Short trips out of the house where you’re mentally mapping every possible bathroom location within a 5-mile radius. You’ll never look at a store’s “Restrooms for Customers Only” sign the same way again. Your diaper bag is replaced with 17 changes of clothes and a portable potty in your trunk.


“Peeing and pooping with underpants, with prompting or without”

  • Goal: Introduce underwear and help the child develop a sense of independence and responsibility.
  • Method: Adding underwear to the mix, knowing accidents will occur.
  • Key: If your child has more than 2 accidents, go back to commando.

This is where your tiny human starts putting all the pieces together. They’re wearing actual underwear (possibly backwards half the time, but hey, they’re trying!), and you’re not having heart palpitations every time you leave the house. You might even make it through a Target run without a bathroom emergency – dream big!


“Consistent self-initiation”

  • Goal: Empower your child to recognize their own potty/pooping cues and initiate the process.
  • Method: Child will start going on their own or ask for help.
  • Key: This is typically 3-8 weeks after the start date.

The promised land! Your little one can handle the whole bathroom situation solo, though they might still announce their accomplishments to the entire grocery store. But you know what? You’ve earned those proud moments – shout it from the rooftops, kiddo!


“Night and nap”

  • Goal: Help the child stay dry through the night.
  • Method: Monitor fluids a couple hours before bed, dream pees are necessary. Pilta pads on bed for accidents.
  • Key: Can be a complicated topic. Reference the book.

The final frontier! Where you pray to the potty training gods that your child’s bladder will develop that magical ability to hold it while sleeping. Pro tip: invest in mattress protectors. Not one. Several. Trust me on this one.


My favorite part? Her emphasis on connection over correction. Accidents happen. Like, A LOT! But instead of shame or frustration, you’re encouraged to view each “oops” moment as a learning opportunity.




Let’s get realpotty training is basically parenting’s version of an obstacle course. Regressions, public accidents, stubborn resistance – Jamie covers it all with the wisdom of a seasoned general.

Her strategies for managing setbacks are pure gold:

  • Stay calm (easier said than done, right?)
  • Maintain consistency
  • Celebrate small victories
  • Remember: This is temporary!

When my son had his fifth accident in a public playground, I heard Jamie’s voice in my head:

This is learning, not failing!” Deep breaths became my mantra.


Sale
Oh Crap! Potty Training: Everything Modern Parents Need to Know to Do It Once…
  • Glowacki, Jamie (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 304 Pages – 05/28/2024 (Publication Date) – Gallery Books (Publisher)


Perhaps the most revolutionary aspect of the book is its focus on the parent’s emotional journey. Potty training isn’t just about the child – it’s about managing your expectations, fears, and moments of doubt.

Jamie’s advice? Cultivate patience, maintain a sense of humor, and remember that your child will, eventually, use the toilet independently. Promise.

And that notion of a timeline you have for your child to be potty-trained? Yeah, get rid of that.

Do yourself and your child a favor and clear your schedule. E-mails can wait, laundry, you can also wait your turn.

Your focus needs to be on potty training, period.



No method is perfect. Some of Jamie’s strategies required creative adaptation for our family. The key is flexibility and understanding that potty training isn’t a one-size-fits-all adventure.




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Potty training is a wild ride, but you’re not alone. Jamie Glowacki’s “Oh Crap! Potty Training” isn’t just a book – it’s a lifeline, a laugh, and a much-needed perspective shift.

Remember: This journey is temporary. You will survive. And one day, you’ll look back and laugh.


Ready to thank Jamie Glowacki for saving your sanity—or send her a virtual high five for ditching diapers? You can find her at jamieglowacki.com, where she shares even more tips, tricks, and encouragement. Who knows, maybe she’ll be the first to give you a gold medal for surviving the potty training trenches!

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