Lately as i have been surfing on Minti....I have noticed the amount of toilet training questions that have been posted.
I thought perhaps posting a little advice on how to motivate children and to try and avoid mishaps may help some people....as i am also currently going through the

process. Please read.

When starting your child on a potty, let your child be comfortable. I feel that as parents we tend to just want the job over and done with, but lets face it.... the toddlers are alot smaller than we are and we need to allow them time for getting comfortable.
A good idea may be to sit your child in front of the television for a while... or if you have a comode chair, use it as a reading chair. Let your child feel for it with clothes on, then gradually take their nappy off....let them adjust at their own pace.
Once your child has gone to the toilet....don't over praise....just use simple praise like -Nice try, or we'll try some more later.
If you overpraise your child may think the job is done and not want to continue.
Use rewards charts with your childs name on it. Have things on it like whether your child can pull their pants up and down independently, sit on potty/ comode chair independently, and each time your child succeeds with these things...give them a star sticker to put on chart...followed by a hug.
Also, when toilet training....your child will let you know if she/he is ready to start. They will use simple words as wee wee and poo and then head towards the bathroom or something.
To avoid the holding back number 2's (thanks for this merle) give your child a diet that is high in protein and high infibre....with not too much cheese, as cheese can constipate. Also give child a warm drink of boiled water every night before bed and you will be guaranteed that child will be regular wanting to poo!
You will need to be patient....don't rush your children. Let them do things at their pace. Let them be in charge because they want to feel "Grown Up". Make them feel capable. And also, give them a little privacy.

I hope this has somehow helped someone!

Cheers, Kayla.