We all know potty training our little ones can be a long and difficult process. Parents of toddlers must be patient, ready and willing to negotiate and prepared to rely on a little bribery, if necessary! Many parents may assume that potty training is somehow easier for celebrities -- but in reality, of course, the process is no different. In an effort to get the latest Tinseltown lowdown on potty training, ParentDish reached out to some celebrity moms of toddlers to get their top tips and advice.

ParentDish asked...As a parent of a small child or children, what potty training advice do you have to share with other parents?

Melissa Joan Hart
1) Make sure your child is ready or showing signs of readiness.
2) Make it fun and light.
3) Bribery works!



*Melissa currently stars in "My Fake Fiance," an ABC Family Original Movie co-starring Joey Lawrence. Check local listings for upcoming air times. Photo: Kevin Winter, Getty Images.

Joan Lunden
First of all, I will tell you from my experience, girls are much easier than boys in this area. Also, it is important to remember that all children are different and not all kids progress at the same pace.



*Joan is the Host of DIRECTV's "Hometown Heroes," which airs every Sunday at 9am on DIRECTV's 101 Network. Photo: Stephen Lovekin, Getty Images.

Ali Landry
Pray! Ha ha, no, just joking. First off, I would say buy a potty (always do your research online for parent reviews before purchasing an item) and put it in the bathroom so they can begin to feel comfortable with it. Then take her to the bathroom with you and tell her that mommy is going to potty...I would always act like it was a really great, fun exciting thing.

*Ali hosts the online "Spotlight to Nightlight" video series featuring celebrity moms on Yahoo! OMG! Photo: Valerie Macon, Getty Images.

Melora Hardin
Two words -- cloth diapers. Children can feel the wetness on them so they are more uncomfortable -- a little more work for parents because you have to change them more often, but they are better for the environment and help get the kids more interested in potty training. I recommend getting a service (Dy-Dee Diaper Service) or washing them yourself.

*Melora recently directed, starred and co-produced a film called "YOU," which was released via the internet on Mother's Day, May 8, 2009. Melora is also well-known for her role as Jan on NBC's "The Office." Photo: David Livingston, Getty Images.

Betty Hayes
This is a tough one for me because I never was one of those moms who demanded that their child be potty trained by (the age of) one and a half. We had the attitude that when they are ready they will be ready. We also had the challenge that every potty training session involved more than one child. With two sets of twins and a set of sextuplets, you can imagine that we were in no rush to push them. When everyone was about three, I took them to the store and let them each pick out their own character underwear. They were thrilled with their purchase so therefore couldn't wait to wear their big boy/girl underpants. In each case it took them about a week to get the hang of going to the bathroom without any accidents.

*Betty, her husband Eric and her 10 children star in TLC's reality series, "Table for 12." Photo: Zave Smith, TLC.

Brooke Burke
All children are ready at different times.







*Brooke's website, BabooshBaby.com, features maternity and post-pregnancy products. Photo: Frazer Harrison, Getty Images.

Chyler Leigh
Consistency is key. Once you make the decision to potty train and your child is showing signs of readiness, stick to it and REMAIN CALM. It can be very frustrating (for all parties included) during the training process, but the cooler and more enthusiastic you stay about it, the better your child will do.

*Chyler plays the role of intern Lexie Gray on ABC's "Gray's Anatomy." Photo: Jeffrey Mayer, WireImage.

Chandra Wilson
The best potty training advice I can give is to BE PATIENT. It took a good year for both of my girls to use the potty consistently, and my son is a whole other animal. He's going to take even more time because he can't decide from one instance to the next if he wants to stand, sit, squat or use this other weird forward entry thing he's come up with.

*Chandra will join the Broadway cast of "Chicago" this summer in the role of Matron "Mama" Morton. She also plays Chief Resident Miranda Bailey on ABC's "Gray's Anatomy." Photo: Frederick M. Brown, Getty Images.

Nancy O'Dell
We actually just started potty-training our daughter, Ashby, not long ago (when she was around 21 months), because she was showing us signs she was ready. And that would probably be my biggest piece of advice...make sure your toddler is ready. Ashby is catching on quickly and I think it is because she was ready. I think if we had tried to get her to potty train earlier, it wouldn't have meant she would finish learning earlier...but rather, the process would have taken longer. The biggest sign which showed us she was ready is that she actually started telling us when she was getting ready for a poopy. Then she would tell us she had a poopy in her diaper!

*Nancy is the author of "Full of Life: Mom-to-Mom Tips I Wish Someone Had Told Me When I Was Pregnant" and is also the host of "Access Hollywood." Photo: Lester Cohen, Getty Images.