Best potty training books, and the charts that go with them

Books for the parent and books for the child

A potty book does two different jobs. One job is for the parent: it teaches the method, the timing, and the words to use. The other job is for the child: it makes sitting on the potty feel normal and even fun.

A parent method book is read before day one, usually on the couch after the child is asleep. A child's book lives in the bathroom and gets handled, drooled on, and read a dozen times a day. You need one of each, not six of one.

Most families buy one book and expect it to do both jobs, then wonder why the child won't sit still. Pick a method book for your head and a picture book for the potty. That pair is what works.

The parent book: Oh Crap! Potty Training

Oh Crap! Potty Training by Jamie Glowacki is the parent book on this page. It lays out a clear method in stages, starting with naked at home and building up to pants and outings. The method itself does not use rewards, which is fine.

This book suits parents who want a direct plan and are ready to commit a long weekend. It also helps if you have tried before and watched it fizzle, because it tells you exactly what to do when a sit goes wrong.

A chart fits with this book as an optional extra, and only for the sits themselves. The book gives the structure; the chart gives the child a reason to stay on the potty for two full minutes. You can print a free potty chart tonight and add it to the plan.

Potty books for 2 year olds

These are the books your child will actually sit with. Each one works for a diferent reason, so match the book to what your child needs most.

1. Potty by Leslie Patricelli: a board book with short, funny text and a big-eyed kid who figures it out.
2. Everyone Poops by Taro Gomi: takes away the fear by showing that every living thing does it.
3. P Is for Potty! (Sesame Street): lift-the-flaps and Elmo's face keep little hands busy while they sit.
4. Big Girl Panties and Big Boy Underpants by Fran Manushkin: the step from diaper to underwear, told simply.
5. Daniel Goes to the Potty: a Daniel Tiger book with the familiar song that helps a child relax.

Which chart goes with which book

Pair the book with the chart that matches its job. A simple chart works for a first-time sitter, while a sticker chart with more boxes suits a child who needs a longer routine.

You can print any of the printable charts in letter or A4, in color or ink saving. The boxes fit a 1.5 inch round sticker or a 1/2 inch star sticker, so no special supplies are needed.

For the Daniel Tiger book, a nighttime chart works well because the routine usually happens right before bed. For the underwear books, use the boys chart or girls chart to mark each successful change.

Reading on the potty without a fight

Reading on the potty can turn a power struggle into a calm sit, but only if you set the rules first. Here is a simple system that works.

1. The book stays in the bathroom, not in the toy bin.
2. You only read it while the child is sitting on the potty.
3. The child turns the pages, not you.
4. Stop reading the moment the sit ends, even mid-page.
5. Swap the book weekly to keep it interesting.

What a book cannot do

A book does not train a child. It can explain, distract, and comfort, but it will not make a child pee on command. The schedule, the sits, and the reward do that work.

The chart takes over where the book stops. After the last page is read, the child puts a sticker on the box. That sticker is the reason to try again tomorrow. The book starts the sit, and the chart finishes it.

If the chart loses its pull, see the homemade potty chart ideas or the best potty training rewards for fresh ideas. Keep the book in the bathroom and and the chart on the wall, and the routine will hold.