I’m potty training my second child and here’s why I don’t find it any easier

Toilet training is one of those things parents dread.

On the one hand, it signals the end of nappy changes but then there's accidents, temper tantrums, bribes and more accidents to contend with. It's a messy time in general. When it came to potty training my eldest child, it was far from straight forward. As a May baby meant he started school a year earlier than we were expecting which didn't give us a lot of time to make sure he was toilet independent before going to playschool. Because of this, I personally think, we tried to train him too early which caused him to dread hate toilet training and making it a far more difficult process. When it finally seemed like we had a handle on it, he had a bad flu which knocked him back meaning we had to start again from scratch. It also didn't help that family members kept remarking on how he was still having accidents making him feel self conscious. Thankfully, he's much older and well past that stage but now his little sister is two and honestly I don't know where to start. I made a complete mess of potty training the first time around so I have no idea how I'm going to approach it this time. When it comes to the second child, usually you know what to do because you've already done been there. You know how to wind them, change them, how to fold the buggy with one hand and that you should never buy them anything that sings. Unfortunately, when it comes to toilet training I find myself feeling clueless as there was no skill involved. We just eventually got lucky. Just about the only thing I did learn was not to rush it. Let them decide when they feel ready to take to the toilet. So far she's only shown a mild interest in her actual potty but that's probably because she likes to copy everything she sees adults do and well, we don't do that. She is keen to try sitting on the actual toilet itself so that's what we've been letting her do. Still, two kids in and I'm still searching for tips and tricks to encourage her so we can get this show on the road a lot quicker than the last time. I suppose the one saving grace this time is that she actually seems eager to learn. I'll still be winging it when it comes to the actual potty training itself... Did you find toilet training difficult? Are there any tips you would advise other parents to try?