any 'part-time' ECers out there?

[horseymum]

(please only genuine advice from those who actually do this!) we just put dd (1year old) on potty at every change and some days she is dry/clean all day (maybe about once a week). When do you bite the bullet and go to next stage eg pants? obviously she doesn't vocalise when she needs to go, we generally put her on potty every change and she has pretty good bladder control so seems to wait- i am not really that good at picking up signs that she needs to go. she wouldn't really know the difference between pants and nappies but i know that there are kids in pants at this age.

We started at 14 months when he could point and grunt to let us know he wanted to feed the dog. He started intermittent pointing and going "da" if he wanted to use the loo around 15 months and around 16 months had a verbal explosion and started saying "wee wee." He now says "wee wee" most times he needs to go when at home and has started asking at nursery too, but not every time for a wee. His poo is all over the place with teething/antibiotics recently so I've had him in pull-ups lately, but had him in pants with a soaker up front (easier for a boy as the y-fronts have a pocket ) when the poo has been predictable or the rolypoly kind that is easy to clean up.

i know i probably should have started with a sign or something a lot earlier as it is all coming from me. i am not expecting her necessarily to let me know she needs a wee before she does it, just think i need to start doing a sign or noise now so when she is able to she can.

There is no reason you can't introduce a sign or sound cue now. In fact she is more likely to pick one up much faster. We used a modified BSL sign for 'T'. i.e. Point index finger of right hand into open flat palm of left hand. Use the sign every time you offer the potty/toilet and when you discuss if she needs to go or not. Tell her if she signs then you will take her to the potty, she'll pick it up fast.

As for pants, we still alternative between real pants (from 10 months old) and trainer pants (from 5 months old)

great thanks, will try to do that now. tried pants on yesterday- big brother's bob pants but she very un characteristically did a poo without me noticing!! think i will go for some trainer pants first for in house.