Should You Use the 'Oh Crap' Potty Training Method?

I'm the type of parent who likes to research everything and figure out what works best. Potty training was no different. Before my infant even started pulling up to stand, I was tuning into conversations about potty training. Time and again, parents would rave about the "Oh Crap" potty training method.

My interest was piqued by how many other parents enthusiastically recommended it, and after reading the book, I noticed that it fit my values. There are no rewards for peeing in the potty and the learning process prioritizes the toddler's own pace. It also lines up with the Montessori philosophy of child-raising, promoting toddler independence within an adult-prepared environment.

Mom potty training toddler

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When I first picked up the book, I hadn't been planning on training my daughter yet (I was working and she was still quite young), But while reading, I found myself so intrigued by the approach that I decided to test it out. What happened blew me away. My daughter zoomed through all of the steps and became a potty pro—all while learning about her own body's cues.

Ever since my potty training experience, I have been sharing what I learned with other parents. I also had the opportunity to sit down with Jamie Glowacki, who penned "Oh Crap Potty Training: Everything Modern Parents Need to Know to Do It Once and Do It Right," to discuss why her method works so well for so many families—and how others can implement it themselves.

What Is the "Oh Crap" Method of Potty Training?

The "Oh Crap" potty training approach teaches children to recognize their body cues and take action (i.e. get to a potty and sit on it!). It's not a quick-fix method, so it might take longer than some other training approaches. But many think the result is worth it: you'll end up with a child who can tell you when they need to pee, as opposed to a child who pees when you tell them to. This promotes more independence in the long run.

The "Oh Crap" method consists of a series of "blocks" through which your child progresses. Blocks aren't completed at a designated age or for any set amount of time. You start when you feel that it's time to potty train, and you stay in each block for as long as it's needed.

  • Block One: Your child is fully naked, which means you need to stay home with them all day. During this stage, you keep a close eye on your child and watch for body cues that signal they need to use the potty. When you spot one, move them to the toilet.
  • Block 2: The child can wear clothes but no underwear yet, and they go on very short outings.
  • Block 3: The outings get longer.
  • Block 4: Your child can start to wear underwear.

The "Oh Crap" potty training approach teaches toddlers to recognize their body's cues and move to a potty when they need to go. To use this method, parents take diapers away once and for all, then spend a few days at home with a naked toddler, helping them associate the toilet (instead of diapers) with peeing and pooping.

Benefits of the "Oh Crap" Method

Below are some advantages of the Oh Crap" potty training method.

The method offers flexibility.

One of the best parts about the "Oh Crap" approach is its flexibility. It encourages you to go at your child's own pace, and it can be adapted to meet the needs of different families.

"I am a realistic potty trainer in that I don't want your kid potty trained by a certain time," says Glowacki. "I lay out the options of whether you are working, whether you stay home, if you are potty training before 20 months or after 30 months. There is flexibility and realism in my process."

It's often easy for the child.

Removing the diaper can actually make potty training more straightforward for the child. "The body awareness you get when you take off the diaper can make it easier for children to learn how to recognize when they have to go more quickly," says Rachel Koransky-Matson, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, family nurse practitioner and clinical coordinator at Regis College.

It's easy for parents, too.

Many parents also love the ease of the "Oh Crap" potty training method. "Little to no equipment is needed, and there's no clothing or diaper in the way when the child needs to go," notes Dr. Koransky-Matson.

The child feels empowered.

Perhaps best of all, the "Oh Crap" method is empowering for the child. From the get-go, parents place their trust in their toddler's abilities and they guide them through a learning process that promotes independence.

Drawbacks of the "Oh Crap" Method

Potty training is never easy or mess-free, and a few things can make the "Oh Crap" approach challenging for some families.

Parents might worry about hygiene or messes.

Going naked or bottomless can be anxiety-provoking at first. Some parents might worry whether it's hygienic for their child to sit on furniture without underwear or a diaper. For others, the mess is the biggest concern, especially for those with carpeted floors.

The method controls your schedule.

Staying home all day during the initial blocks can be another barrier for some families. Scheduling might also prove challenging, especially if there are two working parents in the household. "In my consulting practice, I see parents who think they can take Memorial Day weekend to potty train and then send their kid back to daycare, but that doesn't work," notes Glowacki.

It takes commitment.

If you only have a long weekend to train, you will need to have other caregivers on board who can help continue what you started. "This way of potty training takes commitment," says Dr. Koransky-Maton. "Family, nannies, or daycare providers will need to be able to focus for as long as it may take."

Daycare can create a barrier.

Daycare itself can make it hard to use the "Oh Crap" potty training method. Many daycares won't get on board with keeping kids commando for hygienic reasons, and providers can't necessarily put enough of their attention on just one child to keep up.

How to Use the "Oh Crap" Potty Training Method

To begin, remove all diapers from your home. You can keep a stash for nighttime if you don't want to train overnight yet, but the general idea is that you're saying "bye-bye" to diapers.

Then, with your child completely naked, stay home and watch them like a hawk. When you see them start to pee or poop, grab them and move them to the potty. It's great if you can catch them before they start, but it's also fine if you move them mid-stream. The purpose is to help your child make a connection between the feeling of needing to go and using the toilet.

When using the "Oh Crap" potty training method, here are a few things to avoid:

  • Having your child sit on the toilet and wait to go. This takes away from the connection between "I need to pee" and the actual process of getting to the potty.
  • Making a huge production or giving out rewards for using the toilet. Toddlers are intrinsically rewarded when they master a new skill, especially one that lets them do what the big people do. Plus, Glowacki warns that things can go south fast once you try to pull the toys or treats.

You can move to Block 2 once you're getting an idea of how often your child pees and poops. Ideally, you'll also recognize their "tell," which is a sign that they're about to pee or poop. The "poop tell" is much easier to spot than the "pee tell." You might not be able to figure out your child's pee signs, but you'll likely start to recognize their pee schedule.

At this point, you can put clothes back on your toddler, but no underwear yet. Glowacki suggests keeping your child commando for about a month after you begin training. The idea is that underwear feels too much like a diaper and that muscle memory can lead to accidents.

Slowly you can begin to leave home; first, for short periods, and then progressively longer. Little by little, your child will begin to self-initiate and eventually become fully toilet-trained.

What Should I Do If My Child Regresses?

At some point after potty training, your child may regress and start having accidents. This is sometimes caused by a major life change, such as a new sibling.

The first step is assessing whether you're child is truly regressing. "A day of accidents is not a regression, but accidents over a period of three weeks might be," notes Glowacki.

If your child is truly regressing, try to address the root cause. In the case of a new sibling, for example, Glowacki suggests putting a potty training seat next to you before feeding your infant. "Take the toddler’s pants off and say, 'I’m going to feed the baby. Here’s your potty and you can come sit right next to me,'" she says. "I often have parents make physical contact. Even if you're nursing the baby, stick out your toe to feel your toddler's toe so they are connected to you even though you’re feeding."

My Experience With the "Oh Crap" Method

After I read through Glowacki's book, I couldn't resist trying out her ideas. I bought a little potty online and, following the book's guidance, I took off her diaper. Whenever I thought she might pee—or when she started to pee—I moved her to the potty.

I kept up the practice. Whenever we were at home together, I kept her naked from the waist down and I brought the potty chair into whatever room we were in. She picked things up faster than I expected, so I decided that I would go all out with the method. At 17 months old, my daughter wore a daytime diaper for the very last time.

The book says that night training is optional, but that it's easier to train during the night and day concurrently. That said, I followed my sleep consultant's advice to put off night training so as not to negatively impact the sleep habits we were (still) working on solidifying. At that point in motherhood, I still hadn't slept a full eight-hour night. Getting enough rest was the priority for both me and my toddler.

Eventually, I did night-train my daughter, again turning to the "Oh Crap" book. When she turned 3-and-a-half and still woke up with a soaked pull-up every morning, I reopened my book and followed its advice exactly. After a couple of weeks of waking up in the wee hours to lift her out of her crib and plop her on the potty, I was able to eliminate the nighttime pee.

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