potty training

Would you let your child poop in the potty in a restaurant?

That's just what one Manhattan woman did at an outdoor restaurant, allowing the boy to do "No. 2" right next to the table while others were dining nearby, Today reports.

Even if you needed to keep your child on a strict schedule, Today show hosts Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb suggest moms choose less offensive options, like taking the potty to the bathroom and having the child use it there.

After all, Gifford says, "Children on a potty are adorable, but . . . "

"Not what happens after, which is the wiping portion," Kotb concludes.

You've heard that a critical factor in potty training success is waiting until your child is ready . . . but what exactly does "ready" mean? Keep reading for five signs that typically indicate potty training readiness.

Wondering what the growing diaper-free trend is all about? Keep reading to find out!

Would you consider forgoing diapers altogether?

As reported in The New York Times, a growing number of parents are joining a no-diapers trend, choosing to raise their babies completely diaperless. The "elimination communication" potty-training method consists of letting infants go diaper-free and using timing, signals, cues, and intuition to address their need to eliminate waste.

Needless to say, it's not pleasing everyone, and the news has triggered strong reactions from parents around the country who disagree with the controversial potty-training method. What do you think of the trend?

Frustrated that your child isn't potty trained at night? Dry nights are often the last frontier of potty training. Even after becoming day-trained, it may be months or even years before a child is fully potty trained at night. In addition to patience (since a large factor in nighttime potty training is a child's physical readiness), Circle of Moms members suggest the following helpful tips for toilet training at night.

Keep reading.

I've had many people ask me the very same question posted by Marcy H. here on Circle of Moms: when is the right time to start potty training? Since I've potty-trained six kids, they figure I'm an expert. I'm not sure I'm an expert, but I do have a wealth of experience in the diaper-changing arts. So, I came up with a list of the things I consider most important when deciding when to start potty training.

Keep reading.

Although many potty-training tips apply to boys and girls alike, potty training boys does pose some unique challenges. Whether you're wondering when to start potty training boys, whether to teach sitting or standing first, and how to encourage good aim, Circle of Moms members have offered great toilet-training tips to help you potty train boys with confidence.

Keep reading.

We're happy to present this article from our partner site Yahoo! Shine:

Yes, that's a cat on a toilet. And yes, he does look pretty pissed about it. The whole Internet has just discovered the Litter Kwitter, a potty training system for cats that was—up until this point—known only to a rare breed of ambitious cat owners.

Created by a woman who toilet-trained her own cat, the Litter Kwitter works like this: You put a color-coded litter-filled ring with a very small hole on your toilet bowl. As your cat learns to jump on the porcelain throne every time he needs to relieve himself, you switch to a ring with a larger hole. This goes on until your animal suddenly realizes he's standing on a toilet bowl, praying he doesn't fall in.

Related: 10 Least-Trendy Cat Names of 2013

It's great idea, but according to the people who write reviews on Amazon about cat toilet training, it's not that easy.

Please take a moment to enjoy some of the comments posted about the Litter Kwitter, because they are brilliant: