[UPDATE 2024 This book is no longer available. Instead there is an app where you can purchase the book for (as of writing) $37. Follow the link below to get the app.]
Potty training in 3 days by Carol Cline was the first book I got when doing research on potty training. I had a lot of use of this potty training book.
I especially remember one time when I was happy to have read the whole book. My daughter was potty trained and had been using her potty for months. We still used diapers when doing longer journeys since if she would fall asleep there could be an accident.
Then we went on holiday and all was fine for several days until one day, when we were traveling by car, she pooed in her diaper without telling us. I didn’t put much thought into it since I assumed it just was a onetime accident. But then it happened again and again! I panicked! Not knowing what to do I started to think about the books I had read and was pretty sure Carols book had mentioned what to do in cases like this. I looked it up, found the right chapter and followed her advice. After a few days things were back to normal. 😊
I have read several books after reading Potty training in 3 days which were good too. However, this is the most comprehensive book I got with lots of useful content. Even if I don’t agree on everything she writes I think it’s an excellent book and it was very well spent money.
Who is Carol Cline?
Carol Cline is a mother of 4 running her own daycare. Running her own daycare meant that she could experiment and get input from other parents what actually works. She also did a lot of research on her own and after a few years all of this ended up in her own method “Potty training in 3 days“. Parents in the daycare talked about Carols method with other parents who then also wanted to get hold of the method. In the end Carol was known as the Potty Training Expert!
What does the book cover?
The book is very comprehensive and covers pretty much everything you can think of. There’s a chapter with a lot of facts regarding potty training history, how potty training differs around the world and how things have changed over time. This is not necessary for the potty training itself, but it puts things in perspective and makes you understand why potty training has become an issue today. I found it very interesting to read.
The following chapters covers what age is good to start potty training and how to know when your child is ready to start potty training. There are lots of information about preparation, what equipment to get and how to plan for the 3 days of potty training.
The 3 days method covers 5 chapters (day 1, 2, 3, naptime and nighttime). The instructions are clear and easy to follow. Everything is very detailed and it also covers what to do when things don’t turn out the way you’ve expected.
After that there’s a lot of “bonus material” like how to learn your child how to start wiping themselves, difference between boys and girls, differences between peeing and pooing, how to handle different ages and more. The book also covers what to think of when leaving your home and visiting parks, malls, pools and when traveling etc. There’s a whole chapter dedicated to what to do when things are failing.
The book even covers very special cases like how to potty train twins, multiple children, adopt children, children with Autism, Asperger’s, Downs or other disorders.
There’s more but I think you see that the book is very comprehensive and has a lot of information covering pretty much everything you could think of. 🙂
What do I like about the book?
I really like that it’s so comprehensive. Carol covers everything you can think of. It’s easy to understand and follow her instructions. Potty training in 3 days has a logic structure and it’s easy to find what you are looking for.
I also like the way Carol writes. You get the feeling that she knows from experience what she talks about. She gives many tips and advices along the way which I didn’t think of before.
I especially like the background chapter and “bumps in the road” chapter. I found the background chapter very interesting and it gives you several aha-moments. The “bumps in the road” chapter will help you solve all kinds of problems that might show up. I went back and read it several times whenever a problem occurred. “Out into the world” chapter is also very useful. It’s kind of an extension to the “bumps in the road” chapter but only about how to handle situations outside your home.
When we were going on an airplane for the first time after potty training or just visiting a restaurant, many questions and concerns arise. Things that you don’t think about until you’re standing there. Then it was very helpful to have Carol’s book available.
I also like that it’s digital, this means I could take it with me wherever I went. As long as I had my smartphone with me I could look things up in the book. This book was very useful for me and I went back and read it several times while figuring out my own method. I also used it after potty training when I wanted to look up something particular.
What could be better?
I think this book is great but there are some things I think you should be aware of. First of all, Carols potty training technique isn’t unique or something secret. Don’t get me wrong, her method is something she has put together into “potty training in 3 days”. But if you spend some time you could probably find the different parts in other books and on the internet. What she has done is to take parts she believes in, test them and if they work she added them to her method.
The book is built on her own values and experiences, not so much from science and published studies. This isn’t necessary a problem in terms of succeeding in potty training, however it might not always be the best way to do it.
For me it didn’t matter, I didn’t follow this method step by step. I used the parts I liked and also took parts from other resources and created my own method based on my values and studies I have read. I’m very satisfied with Carols book and it gave me lots of perspective and insight in other ways to look at potty training.
Does potty training in 3 days work?
Yes and no. It depends on your expectations. If you expect your child to be accident free after 3 days, then you will be disappointed. It’s very unlikely that your child won’t have any accidents after only 3 days. No potty training method can guarantee that.
If you expect your child to be diaper free during naptime and nighttime as well as daytime, then you will be disappointed again. It’s not possible to train your child to be dry when waking up after sleeping. You can read more about nighttime potty training here. In short, this is something that comes with age. It has to do with hormones and being physically ready. However, studies have shown that the earlier you start daytime potty training, the earlier they get dry during sleep.
So what will we achieve in 3 days? Carols potty training in 3 days method will make your child use the potty rather than diapers. There will still be accidents and she is unlikely to be dry during sleep. Your child will know when and where to poo and pee. If you follow some of Carols other tips she will also have founded a basic routine to clean herself and wash her hands.
If your expectations are realistic then yes, this method definitely works. I have potty trained both my children and it didn’t even take 3 days for them to get the hang of it. As I’ve explained earlier I didn’t follow this method step by step. I took the parts I liked and used them in my own method. But I’m confident that this method works as it is as well.
Should I purchase potty training in 3 days?
If you are serious about potty training and you want a method that’s been proven to work time after time, then I think you should definitely buy this book! Potty training in 3 days by Carol Cline is one of the most popular potty training books out there. It was the first potty training book I bought and I have read it several times.
If you don’t want to spend the money, just looking for some advices and perhaps want to try your own thing, then most of the essential things in Carol’s book can be found elsewhere. You would have to spend some time though since it’s very comprehensive and well written.
If you are still unsure whether you should buy Potty Training in 3 Days or not, you can buy it and get your money back if you’re not satisfied. If you use my link below to purchase the book you will get a 60-day money back guarantee. The purchase is protected by a third-party site called ClickBank, they will hold the money for up to 60 days and during this time you can ask for a refund if you are not satisfied. Isn’t that great? 😊
Avoid scams and buying the wrong book
There are many potty training in 3 days books out there. Some cheaper and some more expensive. The book from Carol Cline is by far the most popular one and it has a standard of its own. If you decide to purchase it be sure to use an official source to avoid being scammed.
ClickBank is from where I purchased the book. It’s the official sales channel Carol Cline uses to sell her book. I believe she mentions this in her sales video I have linked to below, please check it out! Using ClickBank means that your purchase is protected by a 60-day money back guarantee!
If there’s any ongoing promotion or discount you can be sure to always get the best price by using the link below.
