Age to start potty training

[Nicole1984]

At what age should I start potty training? Welcome all feedback and experiences

We took a gradual approach where we offered them a potty to sit on at nappy changes to start getting used to the idea. It's never too young to start in that sense - DD was using a potty regularly from 3-4 months.

If you want to do a more 2 weeks and finished sort of PT you need to look more at your individual child and signs of readiness. Lots of info out there. Also your own readiness! Would you rather clear up a few accidents or change nappies?

I had a potty chair in the siting room from when ds was about 16 months....he would sit on it to watch tv for a little while....then I went up to the bathroom and I encourage him to sit naked before and after a bath....sometimes he did a wee sometimes not....all fine....then in the summer (he was 2 in the May) I did naked potty training and he was clean and dry by the July/August (so 2 yrs 3/4 months).

Dd was kind of watching at the time and was potty trained by 19/20 months....but I think she is unusual nowadays.

when they are ready.

ds - 2 yrs - started copying cousins and was off
dd1, - long and slow. Finally got it at 3
dd2 - taught herself one day aged 18 months in the garden.

Thanks for all your feedback. I'm new too mumsnet could you tell me what DD stands for plz

my dd is 3 and she is getting the hang of it now,it has been a slow process but we just kept persevering and praising her.

Oh and DD is 'dear daughter'

Thanks DreamTo Sleep! So how and when did you start training ?

Yes I'm hoping for a 2 week kind of potty training. I'm quite anxious about it. Want it to be a quick smooth process

This goes against advice on here (and probably elsewhere) but we used pull-ups for two weeks while she was getting used to it and would put her on the potty at 30 minute intervals (gradually increasing).
I had tried the 'all in' approach over a long weekend initially and it was a bit disastrous so this more gradual approach seemed to work better.
Then after 2 weeks when DD seemed to 'get it' and was regularly doing wees in the potty when put on it, we went down to just pants. We still had to remind her initially but she has since got the hang of asking for it (although with not much notice).
Oh, and we used chocolate buttons as a reward/incentive, books she could read on the potty and loads of praise.

She still wears a nappy to bed so I wouldn't say she's 100% potty trained but seems to be working thus far.

The most useful thing the nursery told me is that she will not ask initially (because she probably doesn't recognise the signals at first) so you have to put them on the potty every 30 minutes and can gradually extend from there.
Good luck.

Personally I prefer the "summer after 2nd birthday, just get on with it" approach but that doesn't seem popular on MN.

Lily, that's what we're going for!

So how old was your DD when you started potty training? @ spritesloright

She was 2.2.

The' summer after she turns 2' she would have been 2.10 (September baby) and she seemed ready earlier (or at least that's what the nursery and my MIL thought and they turned out to be right).

We tried the summer after second birthday...

DS1 refused. He told me he would do it when he was 3 and on his 3rd birthday he duly did it (in a day, little so and so was ready before but nothing would persuade him to try )

DS2 just couldn't get it in the summer after he was 2, and he was an autumn birthday so it was fairly late. We stopped and retried each month and he got it a while after he was 3 but has since been diagnosed with dyspraxia and late pt isn't unusual.

DS3 was a repeat of DS1.

Cold turkey each time and barring physical problems it was very quick when they were ready and they were dry day and night straight away.

DD turns 2 tomorrow so watchong woth interest. Ideally would have done it thos week but we have an eight hour drive twice in feb and figured itd be better all round if we get that out of the way first.

Ds 2.2 and we have just started, my signs are telling me he his doing poos, being generally interested in the toilet, watching me etc, and being dry after his day time nap,

So far today has been good did a poo and a wee in the potty that he asked to be put on potty to do, one accident, and was dry after nap, so positive start