If at all possible, new parents should try to avoid using credit cards. Why? Here are ten reasons:

1. You spend more with credit cards. Most people find that when they shop with credit cards they’re more likely to spend more money than if they use cash, checks, or a debit card.

2. You buy things you don’t need. It’s so much easier to make impulse purchases when you have a credit card in your hand. Every new parent knows how easy it is to buy every cute baby item you come across.

3. You obligate future income. When you use your credit card you’re basically saying, “I know I can pay this in the future,” but nobody really knows that for sure. Take care when obligating yourself to pay something down the road.

4. You pay interest. Unless you pay your credit card balance each and every month you’ll wind up paying interest charges. Even if you have a relatively low interest rate you may still wind up paying close to $100 a month in interest if you have a high balance.

5. You might pay fees. Send a payment in late or exceed your spending limit and you’ll wind up paying costly fees. You have better things to spend your money on, like diapers or teething rings.

6. You start to rely on credit cards. If the costs associated with a new baby have you using your credit cards more than usual, beware. It is all too easy to fall into the pattern of using credit cards for every day expenses, and this is a dangerous situation.

7. You don’t budget. Turning to credit cards to make purchases means that you don’t have the cash to buy the things you need, and that means you probably aren’t budgeting. If you don’t have a budget in place then now is the time to write one.

8. High balances can hurt your credit score. If you are piling up your debt then your credit score may suffer, even if you make payments diligently every month. You’ll want a great credit score for when you finally give in and finance that minivan.

9. Spending habits as a new parent endure. The way you spend money right now will have a lasting effect on your future spending habits as a parent. Set the precedent now to only use credit cards when you really need to.

10. Before you know it, your baby will start to pay attention. Do you really want your child to grow up thinking that every time you want to buy something that you can’t afford you simply reach into your wallet and pull out a credit card?

Credit cards can be useful if they are used responsibly, but when a new baby comes along you may find yourself much more tempted to spend with reckless abandon. Use your credit cards as sparingly as possible and you have a much better chance of keeping tabs on your finances.

Starting new things for your child sometime difficult, but you still have to do it. Potty training is one phase that your child has to go through. So, find out when is your child ready for potty training. Here are those five ready signs:

1. Takes Off Own Clothes
Let’s face it. The first step to becoming dry begins with your toddler’s ability to recognize he has to go to the bathroom. The second step is his ability to pull down his pants, or lift up her dress. The third step is actually going to use the potty. If your child begins insisting on taking off his clothes then he probably is ready to begin training for the potty.

2. Talks about Using the Potty
He may say, “I want to use the potty.” Or, he may just point to it and sit down. Either case he is showing an extreme interest in the little chair. Well, what do you do if he’s interested in sitting; maybe he’ll be interested in using it. You never know unless you try. Hey diapers are expensive why spend more on them if you don’t have to.

3. Does a Potty Dance?
There are some children doing potty dance? Does your little one have a routine? Does he stomp, turn, twist, and grab his groin like Michael Jackson? If he does, then that’s his potty dance. He’s ready, ready, and ready if he has his own version and he dances it whether there’s music on or not.

4. Shows an Interest in the Bathroom or Toilet
This is the big koruna of all ready signs. The big earthquake so to speak. If your child is curious about the bathroom or toilet, then he’s ready to learn how to use it. Is he curious about how it flushes? Well, that’s because he wants to know how that giant white chair works. Why does it make that sound? It’s a noise like no other. He’s not being bad when you have to drag him out of the toilet. He wants to know what the toilet is. He wants to know how it works. He is ready, ready, and ready for potty training.

5. Stays Dry Overnight & During Naps
This is a hard readiness sign to understand. If you child staying dry overnights and at naptime that is the sign that he is ready for potty training. In any event, your child is ready if he displays this sign.

Now, does your child exhibit any two of these ready signs? If so, then get ready to do your potty training. You will never know those signs if you are not pay attention to their reaction.

About The Author
Janice Caller, author of “A Parent’s Guide to Toddling, From Diapers to the Pot.” She successfully potty trained her four children. Visit her Website PottyTrainingGuide.com at http://www.pottytrainingguide.com.