There is a lot of information about potty training and this can be gained from a variety of sources, there are literally hundreds of books, magazine articles and web pages dedicated to this subject. It probably seems like just yesterday that you as a parent/guardian/carer changed your baby's first nappy and now you have to make the decision as to when to start potty training.

Along with all the other sources of information are family and friends; all who seem to have a word of advice on the subject and all seem to think that their method is the only one that works (resist the pressure, potty training techniques have changed in the last 40 years!!), for most parents, especially first timers all this information can be confusing and sifting your way through can be time consuming.

While there's no magic age at which a child is ready to start using the potty, most toddlers will develop the necessary physical and cognitive skills between 18 and 24 months of age (though some aren't ready to start until they're as old as four and boys tend to start later than girls).

How do you know if your child is ready for potty training?

Here is a check list amended from a list published by BabyCentreTM you don't have to wait until you've checked off every item to start training; rather, look for a general trend toward independence and an understanding of what it means to go to the bathroom like a grown-up.

Your child may be ready to start potty training if they:

• Have regular, soft, formed bowel movements
• Can pull their pants up and down
• Imitate others' bathroom habits (likes to watch you go to the bathroom, wants to wear underwear, and so on)
• Make a physical demonstration when they are having a bowel movement (such as grunting, squatting, or telling you)
• Have words for stool and urine
• Can follow simple instructions (such as "Give me the toy.")
• Understands the physical signals that mean she has to go and can tell you before it happens
• Dislikes the feeling of being in a dirty nappy
• Has "dry" periods of at least three or four hours (this shows their bladder muscles are developed enough to hold urine in and store it)

So you have looked at the check list and your child has met some of the prerequisites, what next? Ensure that you have the right equipment, some children prefer potties others prefer the toilet; others think that the toilet is going to swallow them, so find out what is comfortable for your child.

Potties come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colours and designs; when it comes to buying include your child, test it out in the shop (well sit on it fully clothed at least!) they are more likely to use it if they chose it for themselves. For those who want to use the toilet there are covers that can be placed over to help children feel more secure.

Leave the potty around the house where your child can see it and get to know what it is for. Let your child see you using the toilet and explain what you are doing.

If your child regularly opens their bowels around the same time every day, maybe after breakfast, or before their bath, or whenever else they likely to have a bowel movement take of your child’s nappy and suggest that your child tries to use their potty/toilet. This allows them to get used to the potty and accept it as part of their routine. If your child does not appear to have regular patterns still encourage your child to sit on the potty several times a day with their nappy off. The goal for your child is to become comfortable sitting on the potty with their skin against plastic.

For every success don’t forget to praise your child, your child will be looking for positive reinforcement for having developed new skills. Tell your child how proud of them you are and that they are doing well, you may want to buy them some new underwear with their favourite character on it to make them feel like they have achieved. However don’t be excessive in your praise as this may put pressure on your child to succeed on every occasion, and when they don’t they may feel like they have let you down.

Accept that there are going to be accidents, several accidents in fact; this is just normal for children developing a new skill. Your child will have only recently learnt that there is a muscle that they are able to control and this takes time, and often when they are playing with there friends they forget until the last moment by which time it can be too late. Don’t punish them, clean them up and encourage them to use the potty next time.

There is an argument for and against pull ups during the potty training process; the discomfort that a child experiences if they are wet or dirty can be the driving factor to get them out of nappies; by increasing their comfort you the parent may be minimizing the motivating force to get them clean. However if your child is seeking independence then the ability to go to the toilet quickly without the need for a parent to remove a nappy may help stimulate some children to progress through this stage rapidly.

With most children this is just another stage within their development, they will be delighted to have learnt a new skill, and hopefully the process shouldn't be too painful for you either, and you won't have to think about it again — at least, not until the next baby..!