Getting a child out of nappies and onto the potty is something parents don’t anticipate when they’re still at that lovey-dovey, making-a-baby stage. And some of us never imagined how obsessed we’d get with our children’s bladder control and bowel movements, or how much time we’d spend chasing around after them with a potty.

Most kids should be able to start using a potty at about two years old and be trained by the age of three, while others will take longer.

Here are some tips to help you get through potty training with as much dignity as possible.

• Timing – The secret is to be there at the right moment, so to speak. So have a potty nearby at all times and when your child does something, get them on it with the minimum of fuss. Once you’ve caught the moment a few times, your child will begin to understand what you are wanting.
• Praise – When you manage to catch the moment, let your child have a look and heap them with praise. We used to keep a jar of jellybeans handy and when there was a successful "catch", our children would get a jellybean and lots of high fives. If you’re not into food rewards, then give your child a special stamp on their hand or a sticker. And don’t give the jellybean just for sitting on the potty. Otherwise you’ll have a child who spends all day sitting on the potty expecting a reward. You have to have a result for a jellybean.
• Consistency – Like any behaviour pattern, you need to praise every time, not just when you feel like it. So take the time to notice, gaze in wonderment at your child’s production and reward enthusiastically every time.
• Ignore – There will be many accidents during potty training. If you make a fuss or tell your child off, you will just end up confusing them. Best to wipe it up and move on with the minimum of fuss.
• Train at home – It is important to be consistent with potty training, but it is also good to do it in a relaxed environment where your child feels comfortable. So when you are out, let them wear pull-ups and wait until they are well advanced in their training before you start throwing them on friends’ toilets.
• Boys are slower – Boys tend to start potty training later and take longer than girls. So don’t stress if your son isn’t taking to the potty as well as his elder sister did.
• Toilet versus potty – Some kids are more inclined to potty train using the toilet because it makes them feel like a big person. If your toilet is centrally located in your house, consider getting a child's toilet seat that fits under a full-size one and a step to make it easy for your child to get up and down.
• Employ older children – Many older siblings will be more than willing to help encourage their younger sister or brother to go on the potty – especially if you pay them a coin for each success! This also means there are more of you on alert to get the potty out in time.
• Use a deadline – Sometimes children just don't get it. If your child is getting well past three, even close to four years old, then yo need to set a no-nappy day.
• Buy some flash new undies – Let the child choose, give them a week's warning and make no-nappy day a big event. (They can still have nappies at night though, if you think they'll need them.)