Toilet training, as many parents will attest, can be a long and arduous journey.

By 32 months, the average girl stays dry during the day and the average boy by 35 months. Yet experts and medical professionals point out that children become diaper-free at their own pace, with many trained well after their third birthday.

And so, from start to finish, from the child's bemusement at the introduction of the toilet to Nirvana — consistent dry nights — toilet training is filled with roadblocks, twists, turns, setbacks and small victories. And some parents have declared victory to friends and family only to find themselves scrambling for advice and help once again.

Parents do not have to travel this road alone. There are enough toilet-training accessories, from advice books and Elmo videos to dolls and alarms, to address any child's idiosyncrasies and keep the process moving forward.

Potty gear

• Travel Potty

$21.95

Folds up to look like a briefcase.

For emergencies or the child who doesn't like public toilets.

• Flushin' Friends

$6.99

Plastic animal heads that go over the toilet handle. Encourages children to flush.

• P.O.D.S.

$9.99 for pack of 20

Also known as "Potty on discreet strips," this product is a padded insert for regular underwear that protects children and lets them know when they have an accident. A bridge for children almost-toilet-trained and eager to wear normal underwear.

• Corolle Potty Training Doll

$39.95

An anatomically correct doll with an internal bladder that empties. Comes with mini toilet seat. Trains children to use the toilet by allowing them to train the doll.

• Nite Train-r Wet Call bed-wetting alarm

$85.99

A small electronic bed-wetting alarm with a moisture-sensing pad. Helps the chronic bedwetter.

Signs of readiness

Experts say there are a few signs that parents should look for that may show the child is ready to start potty training:

Does the child know if he or she is wet or soiled? Does the child tell a parent before or after?

Is the child interested in the toilet and sometimes walks to it or sits on it?

Does the child have the ability and coordination to pull down pants or straddle a toilet?

Can the child follow simple instructions?

Source: Larry Kutner, child psychologist and behaviorist from Harvard University.

Resources

There are plenty of books and Web sites for parents at every stage of potty training. Diaper companies have Web sites and resources for parents and other companies offer tips and information, while selling potty-raining accessories. Here are a few:

• Potty MD — A group of doctors offering advice and products. www.pottymd.com or 877-POTTYMD.

• Potty Training Solutions — a one-stop Web site for 100 potty-training accessories.www.pottytrainingsolutions.com or 866-34POTTY.

• "Everything Potty Training Book," by Linda Sonna.

• "Keys to Toilet Training," by Meg Zweiback.

• "Mommy! I Have to Go Potty!: A Parent's Guide to Toilet Training," by Jan Faull.

• "Toilet Training in Less Than a Day," by Nathan Azrin.

• "Toilet Training: The Brazelton Way," by T. Berry Brazelton and Joshua D. Sparrow.

Roadblocks

Many parents begin potty training and hit roadblocks. Here are some suggestions if potty training is not working:

Is the child afraid of the toilet? Make sure his feet can touch the floor or a stool.

Examine your own attitude. Maybe it's time to back off for a few months and then try again. If you push on this, it becomes a battle of wills.

Listen to what you are saying to the child. Don't shame the child with reprimands such as, "How could you do that? You're a big boy." Instead, say — "Oh, you wet yourself. Let's clean it up."

Source: Larry Kutner, child psychologist and behaviorist from Harvard University