system, such as a star chart, might work well but it is important to offer rewards for using the potty and for letting you know they need to go rather than for being clean and dry. If potty training doesn't seem to be progressing well, you may choose to give yourself and your child a break for a few weeks by going back to nappies. Your child may not be ready yet - don't worry - false starts are very common. A child can be considered potty trained when they are able to use the potty or toilet fairly independently.  This means they know when they want to go and are able to react by using the potty or toilet.  Wiping can take a while longer to master and is quite difficult for most children, you will need to do this until your child is able - but you can introduce the idea and begin to practice when you feel your child is ready. Any advice on encouraging dryness at night when potty training? If your child is reliably dry during the day, you may start thinking about getting rid of nappies at night.  Talk to your child to find out if they would like to leave off their night-time nappy, especially if it seems to be less saturated in the morning.  Protect the bed using waterproof products such as those available from ERIC ( www.ericshop.org.uk ). Make sure your child has a last wee before you tuck them in