when to start, and potty or not?

[theDudesmummy]

Hi
I am really rather clueless about this topic, DH knows plenty (he says) as he two older children, and he has been advising me, and I just wanted to ask other people's opinions here.

DS is just 2, but is rather speech delayed and does not talk yet (having speech therapy). He is not going to tell us when he needs to poo or wee yet, that is for certain. He's just not at that level of comprehension or communication yet. DH says we have to wait until he is a bit further along that road before we even contemplate starting potty training, as he has to be able to understand what we are on about, and communicate better. OK, I see that sounds sensible.

The other thing he recommends is no potty. He does not like the idea of a dirty potty etc and says his two daughters both learned by having a special seat that fitted over the loo seat, and this worked well. Something like this he says:
cgi.ebay.co.uk/Baby-Toilet-Potty-Training-Ladder-Step-Toilet-Seat-NEW-/150610573340?pt=UK_Baby_Potty_Training&hash=item231116f81c Any thoughts on that?

When I potty train I do it in 3 stages

1. We have potties in the house - once we're home in the afternoon then we strip down to no nappies and encourage to sit on the potty etc, also when I go to the loo, at bath time etc. This is before they are actually ready for potty training but so they get used to sitting on the potty etc.

1. When they are ready - ie can say when they are wet/have done a poo, make a conscious movement/sound when they're about to go then I go straight into pants. I use a potty as I can take it with me when we go to toddler groups/out. I don't stay in and do potty training and our usual activity groups.

1. After a couple of weeks/days (depending on if I forget the potty!) then I get the child to use the toilet - with/without the plastic seats you can get.

Oh and step 1 can take a couple of months - I started stage 1 in Oct and then stage 2 in Feb. It took 5 days to be dry.