Child Development

On the blog

Potty Training Safety: The Thing No One Talks About (But Every Parent Should Know)

Baby Grinding Teeth and Sleep Bruxism: Tips to Quiet the Night

Tassia O'Callaghan

What are the Best Potty Training Toilets? Tips from the Expert

Allison Jandu

How Long Does Potty Training Take?

Katie Mill

Bedwetting in Kids: Causes & What to Do

Allison Jandu

What to Do About Potty Training Regression: Your Essential Guide

Allison Jandu

Signs Your Toddler Is Ready for Potty Training (& Signs They’re Not)

Allison Jandu

7 Essential Social Skills for Kids and Fun Ways to Build Them

Keshia Sophia Roelofs

Toddler Behavior Charts: Helpful Tool or Waste of Time?

Tassia Agatowski

Baby Ear Infection vs. Teething: How to Spot the Difference

Tassia Agatowski

What are the Best Teething Foods?

Keshia Sophia Roelofs

Nighttime Potty Training: Your Expert Guide

Tassia Agatowski

Potty Training: Your Complete Guide

Tassia O'Callaghan

When to Start Potty Training

Tassia O'Callaghan

How to Potty Train A Girl: 20 Tips from Real Moms

Tassia Agatowski

Potty Training Boys: 16 Tips from Real Moms

Tassia Agatowski

From the community

Recent discussions

Potty training my 16 month old

Hello. I have started potty training my 16 month long old and it’s been going good so far. However I wanted to see if other moms have experienced a similar pattern as me. Day 1 full of accidents as expected. He does sit on the potty for long periods of time with no protest. Day 2 only a few accidents and used the potty. Day 3-4 my son is holding his pee for longer periods and isn’t making it to the potty. We sit on the potty together every 30 minutes and he won’t use it at all. He will sit with no protest and when directed he will run to the potty. But nothing happens. Then later he will be walking and say “uh-oh” while peeing. I feel like this is just part of the process but does anyone have any tips of getting a child who is comfortable sitting on the potty together actually correlate bathroom use to sitting on the potty.

Baby dentist appointment

For those of you mamas that already have babies with teeth—did you schedule their first dentist appointment? Are you brushing their teeth w fluoride toothpaste?

Teething

My 11 week old has been very unsettled this week crying and screaming. She’s very rosy cheeked, chewing her hands constantly until they’re red and this is her mouth, the little white spot on the left. Could she be teething? I’m a first time mum in the trenches right now 😩

Potty Training

Is anyone else's 3yr old still not potty trained?

My boy has been in his pants on a couple of occasions when at home, and has been good with going for wees on the toilet when I remind him, but he is doing his no.2s in his pants, which is obviously very messy.

He is still heavily reliant on nappies and I think it's more of a "me" problem, in that I don't give him enough nappy free time at home for him to learn. I've not taken him out of the house in just his pants.

It's really difficult as we have an older child and we are always running around after them with school and clubs, that we struggle to find decent time to potty train our youngest.

I know we need to just crack it -- he's at nursery 4 times a week all day, so my only option is to potty train at home.

Little boy - huge emotions - toileting issues & a new baby brother

My son (born Feb 2023) has been potty trained since May, however has never been the strongest when going for a poo. He is a very bright, confident, loud and also loving little boy.

He used to go to a childminder and I found as he was nearing the end of being at the childminders he was pooing himself out of what seemed like rebellion because he was bored being there with no other children.
He spent 4 weeks at home in the summer holidays and we got on top of the pooing on the toilet situation. However he has now started at a nursery and is loving it, he always comes out smiling and the teachers say it’s like he’s always been there.

But he’s soiling himself and now weeing himself either multiple times at nursery or coming home and then doing it. At the same time as him starting nursery, he also gained a new baby brother so I understand there’s been a lot of disturbance to his usual life, but he’s happy, has a very loving and stable home, I’m just finding this very hard to navigate and I’m so worried about him. His behaviour is also challenging, and has been for a lot of this year. He presents with anger and frustration a lot, and can lash out and do things that just seem down right naughty. I try very hard to be patient with him, but he is ALOT!

I’m venting, I’m not sure what I’m looking for here, some advice? Or just somebody to say it’ll be ok 😣

Stressed out momma of 3 (6,3,10days)

Dentist

What does a first dentist visit look like for a baby? And did anyone manage to get on the NHS? I think we'll go private because the wait times are crazy otherwise

Toilet training

After so many attempts i managed to finally get some progress toilet training my LG over the summer, she had the odd accident, when we went out and she was out playing having fun she still.went weather i took her or she asked, she started pre school last Wednesday and she's having nothing but accidents tot he point today when I picked her up they said she's not getting it, her nursery said this the last time we tried thats why we stopped and took a break, but I feel so emotionally defeated cos she fine at home and when we go out so im at a loss what to do, they want to put her on a care plan like she has some sort of learning disability but I dont know why she's just gone so far backwards.

Any advice or suggestions? Anyone else gone through this and ended up ok?

Teething?

What’s everyone’s teething signs been? My LO has been a bit moany lately, almost like he’s humming but seems in pain? And dribbling a lot and biting his bottom lip. He chews everything too but has done that for a while. I can’t see any teeth so I’m not sure if it is actually teething but I’m not sure what else it would be

Diaper Changes?

So, while I was changing my son’s diaper, I started wondering if I don’t change him frequently enough? For starters, we use pamper swaddles, which literally holds onto to pee for EVERRR😅 I can give my son 5oz of water before bed, and he can pee through the entire night (about 10hours) and that pamper would be dragging on the floor full of pee, without a single drop sitting on him. His bum is always dry, even with the fullest diaper! With that being said, he normally gets about 5-6 diaper changes throughout the day… If we’re out for a frequent time, it can change to 4-5 but I try to keep the minimum 5… Is that too little?? He doesn’t get rashes or anything, but i guess since I don’t know the normal, Idk what to look for and ofc as a ftm, im finding random shit to freak out over😅🤦🏾‍♀️

Teethers

Which ones are we all getting?

Burping tips

Has anyone got any magical tips on burping? My son isnt too bad during the day but at night time i find he struggles a lot more to get any up and hes a bit stiff like and just seems uncomfortable

Potty training advice!

I need some advice to help potty train my toddler. He has a potty chair but doesn’t want to use it. I help and encourage him and let him use it after every meal or drink but he sits on the potty and uses it beside the potty instead of in it. Any tips!!

Teething

Could my little one be teething as he's chewing on his hands more and is drooling loads and when he's upset and I tried putting my finger on his gums he stops crying could he be teething he's my first so I don't know

Does it bother you when people without children, or children younger than yours, say babies, give you parenting advice?

My brother with 1 baby age 8 months gave me some potty training tips for my 2 year old when I said we were about to start.

Don’t get wrong, I would say “I read xyz..” and share information that way.

Bed wetting

Please don’t judge me.. my three year is fully potty trained. He was a late starter but we managed to get him on the potty. He goes himself and he knows when he needs to go. The only thing is he cannot let go of his nappies at nighttime. He’s fine during a nap time he can have his underwear on, but at night time after he’s had his milk he doesn’t want to go bed without a nappy. We’ve tried EVERYTHING. We have bought him the ninja nappies they have that feeling like a nappy/undeewear but he just leaks the bed. I’m genuinely so tired of him wetting the bed. He will come into our room half through the night and we will wake up and our bed is wet. I’m just drained. I wish he would just understand and wake himself up to go toilet. What advice can you give? Am I doing anything wrong? Is there something you can suggest that I haven’t already tried. Honestly at this point I want to throw my mattress in the skip and his. My husband is currently ordering a new mattress as I’m typing this 🥴

Teething signs

My 18 month old has suddenly become really fussy and is throwing the biggest tantrums ever after nursery. He is drooling more and tugging his ear a bit. Has anyone else experienced teething at this age yet? If so did it affect your LO’s mood? Hard to know if it’s teething, dealing with big emotions or if he’s unwell. Temperature is fine but he did have his vaccinations a week and a half ago…

Fact-checked by experts

We work with acclaimed women’s health experts and leading voices in fertility, motherhood, and pregnancy to ensure our content is medically reviewed, expert-approved, and written with care.

Learn more