To potty train or not to potty train...?

[Bomper]

A friend of my mums, whose granddaughter is roughly the same as my dd2 (2yrs, 2mo), was bragging that her granddaughter had been potty trained for some time and remarked that my dd was still wearing nappies.

I have always been of the opinion that is best to be guided by the child, and when they appear to be ready to go for it. That's what I did with ds and dd1, they were about 2 and a half when I started, but they were clean and dry both day and night very quickly. But maybe I am wrong in this and I should have done something about it a lot earlier!!
What are you views, and at what age did you start with your children?

DS1 is 2.1 and there is no way he's ready yet. I would have to force him to sit on the potty or toilet. He shows absolutely no interest in it and I'm not up for making him do it - I think it would make us both miserable.

Be guided by your child and ignore people who have children who are dry night and day by a year old - they're either lying or have houses that smell strongly of wee.

Exactly Hunker, there is NO WAY my dd is ready. I have to say, it does make me question what their definition of 'potty trained' is, and if it varies wildly from mine!!

Yes, my definition is a child who tells me when they want the potty/loo, then manages to hold it till we're there.

It is not a child who sometimes manages to produce something when held over said potty and often manages to produce it all down their legs in the middle of the living room

My DD1 is 21 months and I'm already getting the "when are you going to buy a potty" "my children were potty trained at 18 months etc" comments. I think DD1 would put the potty on her head as a hat. There is no way she is ready, she says "oh no wee wee" when she's gone without a nappy on but thats about it.

It's amazing how the competitive weaning/walking/talking moves swiftly onto potty training.

Oh, we already have a potty, bought in sheer desperation when I needed to get a urine sample from DS1 (didn't bloody work - ohhh, the trauma - for me, not him, I hasten to add!).

It's in the bathroom. I ask him if he'd like to sit on it sometimes before his bath. He says "Duck!" and points to the duck on the front. I ask him again. He says, "No". Well, once he's sat on it, the wrong way round, then got up again pronto.

I figure he'll be dry in the day before he goes to school and one day it'll click. Until it does, why would I stress myself about it?!

thats nothing my mil says her dd2 was potty trained by 12mths and i should be starting my dd2 soon (currently 7mths)she cant even sit up on her own yet...........

Oh god its just another one of those oneupmanship comments.....parents get enough of it ALL the time - ignore - go with your instinct.....your child and you have to deal with them.....