Potty Training: Do I really have to?!

[Nessalina]

I know we have to at some point, but I'm not looking forward to it, and I'm not sure how late it's ok to leave it?
DS is 2yrs 8months, but not very clued in to the potty yet - he's not much of a talker yet and doesn't tell us when he needs a wee or poo.
DC2 is due early Oct, so I feel like if we're going to get him going, now is the time, but I'm not sure he's ready just yet. If we don't start now, the once the baby arrives we won't want to for at least 6 months I guess, so he'll be 3 and a half.
Is this very late? When do you HAVE to potty train?!

[Nessalina]

Bump

[Ghostofasmile]

It really works better if you take their lead, try now if not ready then wait, there is no set "latest".

[JennyjENjENJenny]

I left it until my daughter was almost 4, It's easier when they are older IMO.

[SpaghettiAndMeatballs]

If he's not showing any signs, just leave it - DS1 did everything back to front and a bit late - he was trained for poos waaaaaay before wees for example (CBeebies and potty in the living room at about the right time each day until he figured it out himself) - but I didn't force anything (well, that's not entirely true - he's a stick in the mud, so I had to make him the first time, then he was fine)

DS2 I just left him to it, and he trained himself about 2.5 - but it all came easily for him - less than a year later he was dry through the night too.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

I would certainly say maternity leave when you are home and befire he goes to ore school at three would be a good time to try.

Bit every kid shows they are "ready" you could be waiting a long time it's worth a shot though. If you have no luck then wait a bit longer.

[RoseVase2010]

My son is a similar age, lots of his friends are trained but he's not ready. We also have another one due this year but really changing a nappy is easier than cleaning poo and wee off the floor!

We make sure we talk about mummy and daddy using the loo and let him see us using it, we had a little try in pants yesterday and it didn't work so we won't both again for another month or so.

From what I read later is better so I'm trying to to rush him.

[RoseVase2010]

Also, have you seen the Pirate Pete books? They have one on potty training and another on being a Big brother.

[Tidypidy]

Dd was 2 and 3 months, ds1 was 4.5, ds2 was 3. Every child is different and will show you when they're ready. It's much better to stick to their timetable than try to fit it in to suit you!

[Frazzled2207]

We "had to" for the nursery ds had to go to when he was 3yrs 1 month. We did it at 2yrs 11 months and he really surprised us and got it straight away.

What we did in the run up to that was make a point of getting the potty out at bathtime every night and encouraging him to sit on it. After a while he started doing wees and the occasional poo on it. He then started doing wees as soon as he sat on it which suggested to us he was "holding it in" until he sat on it so clearly had some control.

But his friend is still struggling at nearly 4. Don't rush it if he's not ready. In hindsight we probably could have sorted it earlier but because he was "ready" it really was easy, never had any significant accidents. He grumbled for half an hour when we took his nappy off, then did a wee on the potty and was fine.

[HSMMaCM]

You can let him play in the garden in pants, with a potty nearby and he might just get it. Don't worry if he doesn't though. It's not a race.

[Eminybob]

Definately definately wait until he's ready.
Read the Gina ford potty training in one week book (even if you are not a Gina Ford fan)
I've only just trained ds who is very nearly 3 and any earlier would have been a disaster as he wasn't ready.
We waited for him to take the lead and it went really well.