Imagine it, No stinky diapers lounging in the trash. No wiggling child desperate to escape, whether cleaned or not. No weekly expense at the check out for diapers, wipes, ointments, etc. But then, reality sets in. How does one get to this pot of gold at the end of the potty training rainbow? The answer is as different as each child.

First, you must make sure your child is even ready for this step. Regardless of what Great Grandma Grace says about training Uncle Archie at twelve months, almost every child-rearing book I have ever read says: don't even try until twenty-two months, as their bladders aren't mature enough to accomplish this difficult task.

Then, there are some little signs that tell you that you are getting close. For example: staying dry for a couple of hours and/or waking from a nap dry, they want to start wearing underwear, they can understand 2-3 step directions, they have the verbal skills to tell you when they need to go, and the physical skill of pulling their pants up and down. Also, they'll watch you or sisters/brothers and try to copy what you/they do in the bathroom are some of the main ones. Trying a dry run can help determine readiness also. I did this several times with my youngest and was about to give up until this latest time when she surprised me. She is now waking up dry and only having an occasional accident. If they are ready, it really isn't a terribly difficult experience at all. This always depends on personality, of course theres always a really stubborn one in the bunch.

Next, I did a big build up to the whole process, like it was going to be a big trip to Disney or something. Hey don't laugh, it worked on two of my kids! I'd start saying things like "Pretty soon you'll be going to the potty like mommy/daddy. Pretty soon you'll wear underwear all the time like (stick the name of your child's favorite person here)" and "pretty soon we will go to the store and you can pick out some underwear of your very own!"

Everybody is excited, right? Now you need a little incentive to go because, be honest, it is much easier to go in a diaper then it is to remember to go in the potty, even though they want to be like a big kid. You can use anything from cheerios for little boys for target practice, to a sticker chart to colored water in the toilet bowl. You may have to use all these ideas and more, because all kids are different and respond to different things.

Get excited when they achieve their goal and get the rest of your family involved as cheerleaders. I'd call my mom so she could give her a "great job" cheer. My son and other daughters gave her high fives and as soon as my husband came home she gave him a tally of how many times she succeeded that day.

Give a gentle reminder every hour or two and don't get angry at accidents. Just tell them to try again next time. Occasional accidents are normal until around age 5, so relax! Above all, remember love and consistency goes a long way in this endeavor.

In the end it is a process of practice makes perfect and patience. A bottle or two of fabric refresher doesn't hurt either!