This was incredibly helpful and I was left with so many positive techniques to try on my 2 year old!

This has some good advice for potty training. This is something I continue to struggle with with my son.

Good to Go by Gia Gambaro Blount and Laura Birek couldn’t have landed in my hands at a better time. As my little one started showing interest in using the restroom, I found myself overwhelmed by the lack of solid, practical resources—until this book. I only wish I could sit down with Gia and Laura in person, but this book truly feels like the next best thing.

What sets Good to Go apart is the introduction of Value Centered Parenting (VCP), a framework that goes far beyond potty training. As both a parent and an educator, this approach resonated deeply. It helped me pause and reflect: What do I value in this moment? How can I model that value for my child and reinforce it consistently? VCP has already shifted the way I parent across the board.

As a second-grade teacher, I’m constantly asking, “What is the why?” Gia and Laura not only understand this question—they answer it. They tackle developmental expectations with such clarity that I found myself nodding along, grateful for the insight.

The format is thoughtful and practical. The chapter summaries are pure gold, perfect for quick reflection or sharing with others who are supporting your child through potty training. The combination of Gia’s expertise and Laura’s relatable, often humorous, real-life anecdotes makes this book both informative and enjoyable to read.

Yes, there are a few strategies my 27-month-old isn’t quite ready for, but that’s the beauty of this book. It offers tools for now and for later and honors the individuality of each child’s journey.

This is the textbook of potty training, and it does it all with a gentle, values-based lens. I can’t recommend it enough.

This book indeed offers a fresh take on potty training - see for yourself if you have already done potty training at least once.
In that sense and thanks to its positive outlook, Good to Go is a great guide for parents and carers of little ones.
It is very-well structured into chapters and a step by step approach.
Each chapter demonstrates the advice in visuals and the chapter reviews are handy.
This is an academic book in its essence (co-essence) which is also accessible.
I liked the focus on readiness on both sides and the values-centred approach.
The graphics and tables appealed to me a lot.
They were a great addition, summarising, highlighting or adding in information.
The evidence-based and scientific approach is awesome.
Also, there is an inclusive appeal to this book - there are notes on neurodiversity and potty training (it is not exhaustive, extensive nor the focus on this book. I hope the writers or the publisher can address that topic in a separate specialised book.
I would like to see a more visually based summarised version of this book to recommend it to more parents.

This is a must have guide to all potty-training parents! It is full of easy to implement ideas and strategies to help our little ones with confidence and love. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

Before I read Good to Go, I genuinely felt like my three-year-old would be in diapers forever. I was stuck, overwhelmed, and honestly a bit hopeless. This book was completely outside my usual genres, but I’m so glad I took a chance on it.

Let me just say after devouring Good to Go, my child is now consistently using the potty!

The ideas around core values and “upskilling” blew my mind. I especially loved the graphics that illustrate the cycles of skills and values, they made it so much easier to understand and apply the concepts. Laura Birek explains things in a way that makes you feel like you’re getting kind, practical advice from a longtime family friend. The stories she shares are so relatable, too.

What really stood out to me is how deeply the author breaks down potty training far beyond just “potty, wipe, flush.” There are so many micro-steps and moments to notice and build on. Once I learned how to break down our routine into these smaller parts, that’s when our success really started.

Overall, I will absolutely be recommending this book and gifting it to all my mom friends. To the author: if you ever read this, you did it for us, and I’m forever grateful.

ARC Review – 4⭐️

As a parent in the thick of potty training with my 2.5-year-old daughter, this book came at exactly the right time. I’ve been down this road once before—my son was trained before 3—but this time around, I’ve got a very different kid, and we’ve been stuck in the “ditch the diapers” phase for months. My daughter uses the potty perfectly when she’s naked from the waist down but has near-constant accidents in underwear, which daycare (understandably) requires. I was really hoping this book would help us bridge that particular gap.

The standout strength of Good to Go is its emphasis on bodily autonomy and collaboration. It reframes potty training from something a parent has to push—or a child has to figure out alone—into a shared process. That approach felt refreshing and validating, especially during the tougher days when it’s easy to feel like you’re failing. The gentle encouragement and reassurance peppered throughout the book genuinely helped me feel more grounded and less alone.

That said, the graphics didn’t add much for me. A few felt unnecessary or even a little confusing—more filler than functional.

My biggest critique is that the book didn’t address one of the most common stumbling blocks I’m currently facing: the underwear-toilet disconnect. For families like mine who can’t let a child go commando due to daycare or preschool rules, we need more practical advice for how to support a child through that specific transition.

Bottom line: This is a thoughtful, respectful guide that centers the child and offers much-needed validation to parents navigating a stressful milestone. It doesn’t have all the answers, but it’s a solid companion for parents wanting to slow down and train with intention. If you’re looking for permission to step back from power struggles and trust your child’s timing, this book delivers.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.