I’ve talked to many moms and this seems to be a dreaded event in most households. If only there were a smooth, painless, and accident-less transition between the convenience of diapers and using the potty. Unfortunately, there isn’t, and the whole potty-training business still makes parents anxious even with books, and gadgets galore in the U.S. What are the trends around the world?

Germany Parents introduce the potty between 16 mos. and 2 yrs.old, but are lax on a timeline. The children are allowed to go at their own pace. Most are fully trained by age 3.

Cuba Children are potty trained much earlier, by 1 or 1.5 years old. This is most likely because children almost always exclusively use cloth diaper since disposable diapers are expensive. Since children feel wet and uncomfortable more readily than those absorbent disposables, they are more open to “doing their business” in the toilet.

England There is a fierce debate between the older generations on the issue of potty training. The older generation think children should start their training as early as 6 mos. While the younger generation prefer to start much later, at around 2 years old. Again, older generation used cloth diapers, and had more children closer in age. The younger generation have fewer children, spaced further apart, and have the luxury of time to keep them in their nappies. However, some young moms don’t wait until 2 yrs. old and prefer to start at 6-9 mos. like the older generation did. I was surprised to see my friend’s baby, the same age as my daughter, using her “potty” at 9 mos.!

India & China It is customary in both countries to start the process very early. They condition the child to associate a sssshhhh or similar noise with potty training as young as a few months old, while holding them over the toilet. Also, most parents do not use a child’s version of the potty, but go straight to the big throne, so to speak. As a result, children are independent in their bathroom trips as young as 2, making use of the customary split in their pants to make things even easier. I have also heard of anecdotes where some children are held in the streets to go poop. Right now, western influence is slowly introducing diapers to the Chinese, so we’ll see if this practice survives the western assault.

United States Pediatricians advise parents to watch for signs that the child is ready for training like watching mom/dad with interest when they go to the bathroom, understanding what the potty is for, etc. However, the same method that is prevalent in India and China is being advocated by a few parents here and books are now available explaining the process.

I’ve always been fascinated by other cultures. The different food, how the people dress differently, their beliefs about family, education, money. My husband and I love traveling, and before the baby came we often planned either a big international trip or several mini-trips across the country. From Morocco to London, to Italy, to New York City, we found many things to fascinate us.

Now that I’m a parent, there’s an added interest in my study of different cultures: parenting differences and similarities. What we take as a given in terms of how to raise one’s child here in the U.S.A. can be quite different in France, England, China. When I realized these differences, it made me confident that there really is no ONE right way to parent. Certain practices are advocated here by the American Pediatrics Association, but the opposite in other countries. Yet children in both countries grow up perfectly healthy. It gives me peace of mind that I can parent how I’d like even if it is against societal or cultural norms.

With that said, this series is meant to not just instruct but to definitely entertain. I, for one, am tickled pink with Italy’s version of Peanut Butter: the hazelnut chocolate spread called Nutella. I first heard of this brand when I was in grade school surrounded by second-generation Italians for classmate. They often had Nutella on toast, or Nutella on bananas, even Nutella on pancakes. It was a breakfast staple their parents, who grew up in Italy, brought back from their mother country. Of course, I had to ask my mom to buy me one too. The first bite on toast did not disappoint. Nor did the second, or third one. In fact, I liked it so much that I have often just taken scoops of it with a teaspoon and eaten right out of the jar (bad practice I know).

I have since converted my husband into a Nutella eater, and just yesterday he brought a jar to work. Once his Italian co-worker spied the container, he immediately raved about Nutella. In his words, he and all his friends, siblings, and cousins, grew up on the hazel chocolate goodness. Just imagine your childhood memories of Peanut butter, or sometimes Peanut Butter and Jelly (PB&J for short). Some of you ate nothing but PB&J sandwiches for days on ends, as picky as you were in what you ate as kids. PB&J may have been staples on summer afternoons between breaks from play. It may have been what your parents packed for picnics to the park or the beach. For some, peanut butter evokes such an emotional response, several jars of it must be in the pantry at all times or the pantry is just not complete, even as adults. That’s the same nostalgia attached to Nutella for Italian kids and for Italians who will always be kids at heart.

If you’ve never tasted it, check your local grocery store and try it!