Best way to start potty training - your tips please

[mysterymachine]

Thinking of starting this week with DS 2.3 and wondered if anyone had any definite do's and don'ts when starting. How often to suggest potty/toilet, how to cope with No 2's in pants, pants or pull ups. Any tips greatly appreciated.
TIA

IMO, when they are ready (? LOL - when's that?) it's best to choose some time when you've not much on and stay round home for a few days - ditch the nappies (play outside if this flippin' weather improves!) and just keep asking them if they need to wee and sitting them on the potty every 15 mins or so. And praise praise praise when you catch stg! Also - as in dog training (!), if you see them doing it elsewhere, try to put them in the right place quickly. By 3rd day I risked taking DS1 out (special pad on car seat just in case) and taking potty everywhere - which I got him to use before leaving anywhere.

Potty training was accomplished within 1 week but then again, DS was 3+ .

btw, DS2 is now 2.7 and I feel like a first-time mum again! He's in pull-ups and I can get him on the potty sometimes, but haven't been very successful yet (unfortunately he's not a big drinker - not helpful in catching wees!) Annoyingly he knows when he's going to poo, but will NOT go on the potty for it!

Have a look for one of Cod's potty training threads in the archives - they are full of good advice.
We did DD (will be 3 in September) the week after Easter and wees were easy but poos were a nightmare.
She went in her pants for 4 days in a row - we were going to give up on day 5 but decided to try bribery i.e. a piece of chocolate for every poo in the potty or toilet. This worked immediately. Once established you can run out of chocolate!
Tips I found useful were to buy lots of cheap pants and then you can dump them if they poo in them which is a relief!
Also letting them choose some "character" pants to wear as well.
We went out for the first time on day 4 but avoided using pullups.
However "accidents" will continue to happen (and still do). Recently when we had DS christened we put DD in a pullup as we knew she would lose the plot with the excitement of the party on the day!
We have also used them on long car journeys although we would still take her to the toilet if at all possible when she asked.
We bought one of those portable potties from Tommee Tippee (I think Boots do an own brand one as well) and found that a god send at times as we could just pop it and DD in the boot in emergencies.
Finally of course you should never scold them for having an accident but it is good to make them take as much responsibility as possible for sorting it out e.g. DD is told to put her wet pants in the laundry basket in her room and fetch a clean pair to put on. This incomveniences her more than if I run around changing her and seems to encourage her to try harder to avoid it happening.

Thanks for these tips - I will have a look for the archive threads. Hopefully it won't be too traumatic at the end of this week when I start the training.

Just a quick question though, if he hasn't got the hang of it by sunday (starting friday) would i be better leaving a couple of weeks and trying again?

Anybody I have spoken to say that 3 is the minimum age for potty training boys. The longer you wait, the easier it is apparently.

Highlander I would have waited a bit longer but other things have taken over and I need to start as soon as I can really. According to my hv, boys are sorted by 2.2 months anyways! (Don't agree with that though).

I dont agree that 3 yrs is the right age or 2.2, I dont think u can put an age on it, when they are ready they will show definite signs whether this be when they are 1 or 3. my DD had a potty around from the age of 12 mths and always watched parents on loo and we talked a lot about it. he started doing poos on potty at 14mths and would talk about having just done a wee in nappy, then occasionally asked for potty to do wees on,at 22mths he was very aware of having done wees and poohs and could tell us just before he also started to get very upset about nappy changing, so I took his nappies and clothes away and made a sticker chart and stayed in after 5 days he was dry day and night. this was unusually early I know other people whose kids didnt show signs till much later, I think its better to go with the kids awareness and not to push it when you want to do it.

Why on earth has this ancient thread been resurrected? I assume the original subject potty trained yonks ago!