Parenting advice on potty training

A new study has pinpointed the best time for fathers to start toilet training their children.

Researchers divided a group of 150 children into two groups, which included children between the ages of 4 and 12 who had experienced some form of urge incontinence. They determined that children within the group who received toilet training after 32 months of age showed more incidences of bed-wetting, day-wetting and other urge incontinence issues.

"It gives parents a guideline for the best time to begin training with their children," said lead researcher Dr Joseph Barone. "Parents do not need to feel pressure, but they can be proactive and start training exercises before the child is 32 months old."

Experts say there are signs fathers should look for that indicate that their kids are ready to start toilet training. They include imitating others using the bathroom, pulling diapers off when wet or dirty, communicating when their diapers are soiled and staying dry for longer periods of time.

Different strategies work for each child, but most parents agree that keeping a positive attitude about the task is important. Some say taking their children to the store to pick out a training toilet or "big girl" or "big boy" underwear was helpful. Others have used rewards like stickers or small treats to reinforce the positive behavior when their children use the toilet successfully.