I'm not sure Imogen is completely ready for potty training but I'm just thinking when and how to start? and how do you know they are ready? When Imogen has no nappy on and is about to wee she'll yell oh no then wee so she's obviously aware something is happening, I ask her sometimes if she's done poo and would she like a new nappy and she'll nod or say no but not always right. So sometimes she'll say no but will have done quite the stinker.

We have a potty and a seat for the toilet. We've had the potty in the living room the last few days, she dragged it in from the toilet so I left it there and today she sat on it and tried to take her nappy off so she's got the general idea. When changing her this evening we said why don't you sit on the potty, so she did and was quite excited about the whole thing, altho she insisted on sitting on it backwards (surely thats uncomfortable!). No wee but wasn't expecting it.

Where do I go from here? Is there some small steps I should be taking to slowly introduce the idea or should I wait till she's fully ready and go at it full force? I'm feeling a little clueless here.

I'l be watching this topic too. Im sick of SIL asking me every week if Iv her potty trained yet . I think very few are trained before they're 2. Most seem closer to 2.5 before they get it. Caitlin doesnt seem aware that she is about to wee, before baths if she wee's on floor she looks a bit shocked. Also same as immi with poo's about 80% of the time she will say she hasnt - but I think thats more the fact she doesnt want her bum changed as she will have to lie still.

We've had potty in living room for about 2 months now, and tbh she has no interest. She will sometimes sit on it - but only clothed. Freaks out if its her bare bum. She wears it as a hat, puts duplo in it... any thing but pee. Im not sure whether to encourage this 'playing' or tell her off (worried that when she pee's she will then throw toys in it/tip it on her head) but then if I push her or tell her off I think she will become more resistant to the idea of it.

Sorry no advice, just at similar stage to you! I think im hoping that in Aug/Sept time she will show more interest and it will be easier to do. Im keeping the potty out and every few days reminding her what its for/asking if she wants to go.... but until she shows willing im not sure what more I can do. Think I might get her a story book about potty training and read that to her non stop over the summer to see if that makes her more interested...

My mum says my sis and I were potty trained by 18months but I have no idea how seeing Immi she's barely ready now let along before last christmas. I know most arent trained till they are over 2 but there's this part of me that would love to get it done before baby boy gets here. I realise it's fairly unrealistic though.

We had the potty in the living room in the old place and she was like Caitlin freaked out the two times we tried to sit her on it bare bum and just used it as a place to put her toys, which is why it got dumped in the bathroom here till the other day.

Good idea about getting a book though.

I think potty training happened earlier when we were all in cloth bums in the olden days and we felt the damp or our mums got sick of washing nappies. I was dry day and night by 18 months but that was very early.

Based on Mario's experience with C I am going to leave Wil until he tells me he wants to do it then go at it big bang. We have a potty in his room and there are seats in each bathroom so we are ready when he is.

E is a couple of months over two and so not ready. Once she can tell us and looks more interested in the loo and potty we will start then

My mum said I was out of nappies at 1!! I suspect she's talking bollocks!

In my opinion and experience the best way to do it is when they have a full understanding of what you want from them. They've got to understand that pees and poos should be on the potty. They also need to be able to tell you this at least a minute before the big event.

My mum, dad and mil are constantly moaning that I should be starting by now! But I'm not as ellie is far from ready so I can't see the point in stressing ellie and myself over it for a while yet.

But to answer your question about how? With my others we started with a day at home and wearing pants and me constantly asking if they wanted a wee! If they're ready there shouldn't be too much washing and mopping up puddles! But if it's constant accidents then they're probably not quite ready!

xx

Having now succeeded in potty training I would say wait until she's ready and she will tell you when that it, by all means leave the potty around and let her sit on it so she gets used to it, but we tried before Chloe was ready and it was successful for a few days, then load of accidents and tears, so we stopped, then a couple of months later, Chloe told me that she wanted to wear knickers again and wee on the toilet and she's not had a wet accident since and that was nearly a month ago and no poo accidents for about 3 weeks and I've honestly not had to do anything, she's decided she's ready and takes herself off to the toilet or potty when she needs to go now. It saves a lot of hard work on both parts if they're ready xxx

Don't listen to anyone who says she should be trained already, you know what's best for her

Still early days for us as its day 4 in the big potty house here but like a lot of others ive had my mum nagging for ages but stood my ground and waited and im glad i did. the first day was really hard with loads and loads of accidents then shes been virtually dry the last 2 days with wees in toilet or pull ups. If we are still going well by end of week will think about next stage-going out without pull ups .

But the potties been in our house since she was 1 and at bathtimes etc shes copied us sitting on it and if she did anything by mistake we made a huge deal of it. If it ended up on floor we just cleaned it up and said nothing. We also gave her a fair bit of time to be nakey when it was warm so she didnt have that 'safety net' and i think it helped her have some awareness as C doesnt like being wet. Then when she went from saying something as she went to saying something just before she went i went for it.

Like i say early days for us yet so not sure im the best person to advise but thats how we have done it. Im blogging it on my so it begins thread to look back on later if thats any help and i also found a good site at www.pottytraining.co.uk which are reward charts and info on gettiong started and a story you can personalise and print out