ahh, the dreaded potty training, as sick as it sounds, with my first child I really tried to use the same type of strategy I used with our puppies….seriously, it works.  It’s all about incentives and timing, just like they used to say about training your dog to go outside.  I use this metaphor because it tends to make first time parents feel more comfortable about what’s ahead of them and really tends to simplify things at the end of the day. 

The toughest part for me when attempting to potty train my first child was knowing how to look for the signs….that is, signs that your child is ready to make the big transition….trust me, they will let you know, but you have to know what to look for.  As Parents.com points out, there are definite signs they are ready.  I also really tend to rely on rewards and incentives…check out the part about using mini M&M’s as an incentive…..we actually used animal crackers…that seemed to do the trick. 

Check out more tips from Parents.com on this subject, and BE PATIENT!