What an interesting discussion -- and don't ask why I am up so late reading it. I've always been of the opinion that kids need to not only recognise the need ot go wees and poos and what those sensations mean, but also need to be able to physically control their bodily functions before they can toilet train, and this doesn't typically happen until they are between two and three years of age. I'd be interested to see an "elimination diary" from those mums who "train" their kids early -- to know what percentage of the time their child clearly indicated they needed to go, whether they took themselves to the toilet, and how much parental involvement their was in getting them toileted each time. It's not like you can reasonably expect an 18-month-old to politely tap you on the shoulder and say, "Sorry, Mum, off to do wees", then take themselves to the toilet, get undressed, sit and do their business, wipe properly, get redressed, flush, and wash and dry their hands properly.

I don't necessarily agree that disposables have caused toilet training to take a step backwards. Yes, babies who are in cloth nappies may "feel wet" faster, while babies in disposables don't feel AS wet, so they might not be as quick to pick up on the fact that they ARE wet. But the whole "feeling wet" thing is only one aspect of being ready to toilet train -- they have to know what the wet feeling means, not simply that it's uncomfortable. I think it's the methods of toilet training that have changed, to recognise that children need to progress at their own pace rather than being pushed into it, so we can ensure they're physically and emotionally ready to toilet train. I also think that disposables have made it easier for parents to allow toilet training to progress at its natural pace. But in general, toilet training is a much more complex issue than people give it credit for.

Andrew was about 2 1/2 when he started.

I had the same feeling BS and DC did a lot for his training and we bounced off each other when we did it.

Josh loves sitting on his potty. He sits there and plays with his toys. i really don't care if he does anythig or not I just don't want him to be afraid of it. Andrew was a little scared of it but it was that he liked the toilet better.

Yepo I have Josh on the potty at every nappy change so he can get used to it. He has only done poos in there once and wees once. I'm not fussed if he does anything or not but its just getting him used to it.

I was early trained. Out of nappies at 18 months (day and night).