When to start potty training

[sweetnitanitro]

A couple of people have asked now if I am going to start potty training DD (18 mo) soon and I was a bit , it hadn't even occured to me to start potty training any time soon. DD doesn't have many words so communication is iffy. She's in washable nappies if that makes a difference. I am perfectly willing to leave it a few months but should I start thinking about it soon? How can you tell when they are ready?

TIA

I think 18 months is very early to even think about potty training, but that's just my personal opinion.

I have however had a potty or two around the house just so DD knows what they are and isn't phased by them when it comes down to potty training.

Incidentally, i'm going to give potty training a go next Saturday as i think DD (2.4 yo) is ready now. If she has no nappy on and does a wee, she will look down and be very aware of what's going on and she says "Oh dear!!". That's my cue that i think she is ready. Fingers crossed!

Relax about it for the next few months. DD will show you when she is ready.

Ah, I thought as much! Thanks for that. My usually-very-helpful MiL was telling me how one of my SiL was potty trained at 18 months but my gut instinct was that it's a bit young.

My DD is 18 mths also and getting quizzed about when to start - aparently - according to my mum, I was toilet trained at 13 mths!!!!

Don't lisen to any of them - especially mils!

I had my step mil pressuring me from when dd was about 1yr old to potty train. He perfect dd was potty trained by 1yr you know

I left my dd until she was 2.4 and she was clean and dry withing a couple of weeks!

A friend of mine started too early to pt her dd and spend months and months cleaning up wet nickers/wet floors.

Do it when you are BOTH ready

I would say take your cues from your little one. my first son was all done (even at night by 22 months,...second son who is 2.y years old shows not the slightest inclination or awareness of any sort of control!!

Would also say that you have a whole summer ahead of you to let your little one loose in just pants. Make it easy for yourself on the washing!!

Best of luck!

the best advice someone gave me was to notice when the nappies start feeling drier for longer ie at least 2-3 hours between wees as that indicates some bladder control and being able to 'hold on' I wouldn't bother until dc is over 2 personally.

Do it when you and your DD feel ready, and not before.

My DS is 2.5 and he's not potty trained yet, and I'm in no rush. We bought a potty when he was about 18 months, just so he would get used to seeing it and sitting on it. At bath time he always does a wee in the potty, and we praise him. He sometimes does a wee in the potty at nappy change times during the day, and again he gets loads of praise.

He doesn't yet seem aware of when he actually needs to wee or poo, though he's now started to tell me after he's done a poo (like I need telling ) by saying 'nappy change please'.
When he becomes aware of the need to wee or poo, and can let me know beforehand, then that's when we'll try potty training properly I think.

Don't let people try to rush you. Good luck when it happens though.

LOL at babyEaglebird!! TeenyPushka says " No poos, just a pump" Er,..no son, that would be a poo, definitely!!

I tried my DD at about 2.5 but she wasn't ready so I left it a bit longer and gently introduced it, potties in house, nappy off time etc, but left it largely to her to dictate and we had a breakthrough about a week ago and she was offered nappy or knickers in the morning, chose knickers and hasn't looked back! Not one accident since.