When should I start potty training and how do you start the training??

[Ellenmarie]

My little girl is 13 months old and is currently noy just walking but running ...when should I start potty training- is there an ideal age or do you know when your child is ready- what are the signs??? i amgoign to spain in september and was considering waiting til after then to start but would really appreciate some advice on how to start and what potty training essentials are the best around.

The ideal age is when you are ready. I started around 14 months putting DS on the loo first thing in the morning. He caught on v. quickly, but wasn't reliable so I left him in nappies. He was reliably pooing in the loo at 15 months so went to undies stuffed up front to catch a wee accident. Nursery were taking him to the loo rather than waiting for him to ask so he got out of the habit of asking, but with regular toilet breaks initiated by an adult he was out of nappies by 18 months. He had regressions during bad teething days and started taking responsibility for it himself at 26 months. The problem with waiting to around 2 years is that they're in a very negative developmental stage so it's hard to get them to want to go to the loo.

Toby was 26 months and caught on very quickly (with the help of cbeebies and chocolate buttons). I am planning to start Blake at around 2 - he is 14 months now and is already obsessed with sitting on Toby's motorbike potty (clothed!).

sorry - I meant to say that when I started with Toby he couldn't yet tell me he done a wee. He just learnt within a few days (with lots of accidents!).