Try our six top tips to get rid of nappies for good:

1. Get the timing right and success may come in days rather than months. When to start? When your child begins to let you know she has a wet nappy or when she stays dry for a few hours at a time.

2. Don't cut down on the fluids you give your child. It's better to increase them slightly so she can become aware of having a full bladder more frequently.

3. Expect puddles and wet clothes. If your child wets herself four times and gets to the potty once, it's still a great achievement. Keep calm and try not to show anger or impatience.

4. Don't compare your child's progress with others, or be pressured into starting potty training too soon. Make it fun, give lots of praise and encourage a sense of pride in success.

5. Use trainer pants as a midway step between nappies and pants. They're absorbent and comfortable, but they won't give your child the sense of being wet.

6. Teach your son to tuck his willy down into the potty, or when using the loo, how to aim into the bowl. Perhaps float a scrunched up piece of loo paper in the bowl as a target.