Potty training

While baby clothes and toys are the most popular gifts for new babies, baby's bottoms are increasingly being considered too. Research by Wilkinet Baby Carrier found that one in five adoring friends and family members went practical and bought nappies and wipes as gifts.

Potty training can seem to take forever especially if your child is not quite ready to begin with. In a survey by Poteez, the portable disposable potty brand, 95 per cent of the parents surveyed said they started toilet training their children before they reached two and a half, but almost half say that it took between four months and a year to complete the process, with 21 per cent of tots taking more than a year.

Dawn explains; whilst potty training may certainly take several months, leading experts in child development believe that starting when your child is ready regardless of age is often the key to success. There is no magic age but most toddlers will develop the necessary physical and cognitive skills between 24 and 30 months (though some are not ready until they're as old as 4). You can use the checklist to see how ready your child may be. They don't have to be doing all in the list but a general trend towards independence and an understanding of what it means to go to the toilet like a grown up.