stupid question

[itsahardknocklife]

Can somebody please tell me when, roughly, is the best time to start potty training?

when your kid is ready!

dd1 was trained just after she was 2
dd2 was 3

all will be different. you have to look for signs like they know they have had a pee/poo, know when they are about to, can tell you etc etc

Well said hana!!

DS was 3 and a half before he would even countenance it
DD was 22 months!!

They will show you when they are ready

My DS is nearly 18 months old and tells me (in his own made up sort of words) when he has done a poo. Is that normal?

or is he just telling me that he's uncomfortable?

In the summer if you can...thats it.

If you try before they are ready you'll just set yourself up for a load of unnecessary hassle.

If your DC seems possibly interested around summertime then give it a go by letting them run around naked in the garden with a potty nearby.

My advice would be

Don't push them,
Don't fret about it,
Don't compare to other children,
Don't too hard try too early

My DD1 trained at 3 during a warm easter break from nursery. She never had an accident from the moment I put knickers on her - it was so easy. She used her potty nearly 20 times for the first two days but soon learnt to store things up.

mine decided (and when they won't leave you to have a p in peace and want to try it themselves)
DS1 - 2.10 - not a coincidence immediately after ds2 arrived
DS2 3 yrs day, 4.3 night (yay, this week yippeeee(
DD - 21mo did it herself, just decided she didn't want nappies any more and gave them to her big brother [pmsl]

I started with ds around 2.5 and he was using potty within a week.
I think they do start to 'notice' when they do a poo or wee from 18 months and start to tell you (trying to remember!)
I would introduce a potty to the bathroom to make it a normal part of the routine, get your ds to sit on it before bathtimes and before ptting pyjamas on at night, that kind of thing.

Sorry x-post. My DD2 has been doing the same from about 16 months so did my DD1. DD1 wasn't ready then and my DD2 isn't ready now at 23 months - she has no idea how to control what is going on yet but she is more than aware of when anything has happened (she is in cloth which I think helps with that)

Wow! I hope my DS is that easy when the time comes!
He'll enjoy running around naked in the garden
When he wees in the bath (which is most nights!) he stands up and laughs and I say 'you're doing a wee-wee' so he gets to know what it's called. It's the same principle I used with the dog when goes out for a wee at night!

bless him - My DD likes to wait until she has just come out of the swimming pool - she stands there looking all shocked shouting 'mummy! wee wee!!' as I try to rush her off towards the showers

Try putting him on the potty before bath!

defo get a couple of potties and leave one in the bathroom and the other downstairs (downstairs loo if you are a lucky mummy & have one) ours goes under the stairs in lieu of loo bad joke sorry

My friend's little girl decided to wee in her cereal bowl the other day (luckily after she had eaten!)

mumfor1, we did actually try that today and he didnt wee in it, but he thought it was very funny!

I bought a potty yesterday just to see how reacted. I think I shall get another one for downstairs. It won't hurt for him to see them around and get used to them, even if he doesn't use them for ages.

Yuck to the cereal bowl, but I can't help laughing!

Oh well, he is still young. Just keeping telling him what it is for and putting it in his bedtime/daily routine, he will get it!

Ds is 3 and has been doing a wee ok on the toilet and will take himself, but he wouldn't do a poo, just do it in his pants! But last couple of weeks he has been doing it on the toilet. We had to have a sing and dance in the downstairs loo and jump around! Gave him 2 sticky stars and he was chuffed to bits with a grin like a cheshire cat! I then proudly sent a text to dh 'ds has done a poo on the loo!'
Lol!

I know I love the bowl story, she told me she also did a wee in metal bucket which came with her easter egg! Kids hey?!

Itsahardknocklife - My DD finds it very funny too - so funny she falls off laughing .

Current fun thing to do is lift up toilet seat and drop it from a great height (yay )

I put ds on the potty when he was 6 months old, he uses it after each meal and before bed. He now understands as soon as he has done a wee or poo, and he will often have a dry nappy and then use the potty. Go for it whenever you feel ready.

thanks for all the advice, ladies! I was getting a bit worried (unnecessarily) but I feel a lot calmer about it now.