5 Top Books on Potty Training

Give diapers the boot when you sit down to read these potty training books that are super helpful

The key to successful potty training: your child’s readiness. Beyond that, there are a lot of strategies to try. These books gives you the tools you need to ditch diapers for good.

Oh Crap! Potty Training: Everything Modern Parents Need to Know to Do It Once and Do It Right by Jamie Glowacki

Many parents swear by this six-step, gimmick-free process. It does not involve any rewards, and Glowacki recommends starting your kids in the 20- to 30-month window for optimal success. The book takes a straightforward approach to the topic and, as you can tell by the title, maintains a dry sense of humor.

Available on amazon.com, $14.

Diaper-Free Before 3: The Healthier Way to Toilet Train and Help Your Child Out of Diapers Sooner by Jill Lekovic, M.d.

This book is geared toward parents with babies as young as nine months and who are interested in a gentle, more organic way of introducing potty training. In her approach to ditching the diapers, Dr. Lekovic incorporates evidence-based methods that help children become aware of their body signals and boosts potty-training confidence (both for parents and kids). The book also includes sections on bedwetting, daycare, disabled children and how to potty-train older kids.

Available on amazon.com, $14.

Potty Train Your Child in Just One Day: Proven Secrets of the Potty Pro by Teri Crane

Make potty training fun for you and your child by throwing a potty party! Crane explains how to use a doll and a themed party to get your child to use the toilet in just one day. For those who are fine with rewards and aren't afraid to drop money on incentives and potty party supplies, this may be the right method for you.

Available on amazon.com, $10.

Stress-Free Potty Training: A Commonsense Guide to Finding the Right Approach for Your Child by Sara Au and Peter L. Stavinoha Ph.D.

The authors of this book recommend you take your child's personality into consideration when deciding how to potty-train. They also include solutions to common obstacles, including refusal to poop on the potty and sensory issues. In this approach, the process takes longer than a few days, which takes the pressure off (so to speak) and allows you and your child to have a more relaxed experience.

Available on amazon.com, $12.

Potty Training in 3 Days: The Step-by-Step Plan for a Clean Break from Dirty Diapers by Brandi Brucks

The author is a behavioral specialist who includes insights to help you understand what your little one may be thinking or feeling during the potty-training  process. The book gives parents a solid three-day, detailed plan, and she's a fan of caregivers committing to the process and recommends not going back to diapers once you've introduced underwear. 

Available on amazon.com, $6.

—Sarah Blight

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