Can you leave potty training too late?

[InspectorGadget]

Should you just crack on with it as soon as you think they're ready, or is there any harm in waitingfor a few weeks when it will be more convenient (dad at home for a week)

Don't want to miss the boat and make it longer or harder than it needs to be.

There's no harm in trying. It's something of an unknown quantity, you might be lucky and they get it within a week, or you could leave it until they are 3 and over, by which time they might not want to give up nappies at all! If it's all they've ever known they might think you want them to use nappies if they've never been offered the alternative. If your DC is asking for the potty before they wee or poo, however, I'd get on with it regardless of whether it's convenient.

If you want to delay the intensive training for a while, do potty practice where they sit on the potty at intervals through the day and hopefully do something. You can still have them in nappies between times. If there is any resistance you won't get anywhere with full-on training.

I think you can 'miss the boat' a bit. I think the novelty of recognising when they are going to wee/poo wears off.

My DD showed signs of being ready at around 18 months, but I put off training her for various reason, partly because I thought she was a bit young. I am currently 3 weeks into training her at 2.5 and I wonder if it would have been easier had I done it sooner.

We haven't really had too hard a time, but are still trying to crack poos.

I guess it depens how many is a 'few weeks', because if it is only say 3/4 then I would doubt that would make a difference.