what age to start potty training?

[mummyofthomas]

can anyone please help, my MIL says that she had my boyfriend potty trained by the time he was 12 months, which is how old my son is now so she thinks i should start now - seems a little extreme to me - way too early? my mum says that between 2 and 3 years is better when they can actually understand and control what they are doing. Anyone else heard of a baby being potty trained so young?

My mum had us all 'trained' about 12 months, but it was more a case of sitting us on a potty very very frequently to avoid washing all those nappies. I think it's possibly a generation thing. My dc started when they were 2yrs 9 months or so, and it all happened pretty fast - v few accidents so much less stress for all.

My son was trained about 2 years, however my husband went on RAF training for 8 months and if affected him so he went back in nappies until about 2 years 10 months. My daughter was left until about 2.5 years and was dry within a week and then dry at night a week later.

Personally I think 12 months is far too young - not sure its a generation thing mine are 29 and 26! I do think mums forget over the years and tend to fantasise!! I tend to admit it if I can't honestly remember!

The problem with starting between 2 and 3 is that it's a very negative age, they're past mimicking and are very much aware of their own will, as well as how to execute it. If you start pre-18 months, you have a nice, compliant little toddler who loves to please you and imitate what you're doing. It's a great age to start potty training, but you won't be done until around 18-24 months. Even then, you can't expect your child to take independence in toileting. (At least not any more than you would expect your 3yo to change his own nappy.)

"Early" toilet training is a path of least resistance with the goal of giving your child some dignity, letting your child learn gently that the toilet/potty is where poo/wee go, and being easier on the environment by washing/throwing away fewer nappies.

I started at 14 months by putting my son on the toilet when he woke up. That immediately removed two nappies from the equation, and he was aware when he was weeing. By 15 months he'd only poo on the toilet at home. He would hold it in all day. (He is still this way, takes after his dad. ) When poo was sorted, I went from nappies to undies with something stuffed up front to catch the wee. By 18 months he was in undies during the day, nappies only at night. Around 27 months he was in pull-ups at night and going on the potty the first time he woke, then dry through until morning. About 29 months we threw away the pull-ups and went with a waterproof sheet. All of this before most people think a child can even start to learn about how to wee/poo with dignity.

Hi thanks for all the advice,I've decided that it is a bit too young to try and actually potty train but I am gonna buy a potty and just let him get used to sitting on it so he's familar with it and see what happens from there really. My sister is only just training her 2 and half year old and seems to be going well for her as he understands what he's doing.Thanks ches for your help too sounds like you really know what ur doing, I hope it all works out as well with my little one