have to abandon the use of nappies during waking periods to avoid giving mixed messages.  It is very likely there will be a risk of soiled pants and puddles but if everything goes well these may be fewer than you think. Some people use trainer pants at this stage or put ordinary pants on under the nappy. Tell your child in advance you feel sure he or she will be able to wear pants instead of nappies and you could take a shopping trip together to choose which pants to buy. Put the potty in an accessible place and tell your child where it is. Ideally your child will be able to get it and use it without asking, but this will probably happen later rather than sooner. Encourage your child to sit on the potty every couple of hours, but never sit your child on the potty for long periods of time - a few minutes is usually enough.  Resist the temptation to ask your child if they need to use the potty every ten minutes as this could be irritating for both of you. Your child might need reminding at times though, for instance half an hour after having a drink if your child hasn't yet asked for the potty. What if potty training isn't going well? Give your child plenty of praise and encouragement. And, if you feel your child is almost there but is still having accidents, an incentive might just do the trick. A reward