Would love to hear Dr T's thoughts on BLW - think it would probably be right up her street. Thought about asking in the MN chat, but it reminded me a bit of the floor of a stock exchange, so decided not to bother.

Here’s an example. She wonders why some parents are so preoccupied with pushing their children into potty training perhaps before they are ready. “Early bladder and bowel training is not an indication of a future place at Oxford University,” she writes, and “How many 15-year-olds do you see in nappies?”

I like that, it describes weaning too I think.

(my code on this message is TY8HV, made me laugh cause of what they mean, do we only have 8 good HVs here?)

I know why a lot of people try to potty train early (from people I have talked to). Its because they are terrified that they won't be reliable potty trained by the time they start nursery at age 3. All of a sudden they go from a nice playgroup when the staff are happy to change nappies and cope with accidents, to an environment where having accidents is frowned upon and seen as a big problem. So they think if they start earlier, they will be ready in time. They don't realise that pushing with it too early can give a child a complex about it and make them more likely to have problems in the future.

Funny, I just found out this weekend that my parents wanted me out of nappies so that they didn't have two in nappies as there is an 18 month age gap with us. I have suffered from a weak bladder and kidney problems all my life. Coincidence...?

The strange thing is though that until recently babies were potty trained after their birthday because parents couldn't keep up with the washing before machines. Tink knows when she is going to wee because she won't sit or lie down when she does, so I am going to start introducing a potty into the room and following a BLW type principe on it.

Well it's not a totally new thing. My mother revealed after dd was born that she had all 3 of her daughters out of nappies in the daytime by the age of 1. She said it was easier to potty train before we could walk because it was harder for us to get off the pot and escape! She is French and said all of her family set great importance on being out of nappies by 1, largely because of all the washing it saved with real nappies.

Having said that, it worked for us girls but my brother was a terrible potty trainer. I can remember him hiding behind the sofa to poo his pants rather than use the potty and he wet the bed well into his teens. So who knows...

(ooh I don't have an account for the blog, but it's Bella from the forum)

In the 1960s study 'One year old in a northern community' (at least I think thats the title - they talked to lots of mums in their own homes in Nottingham), theres a big bit on potty training. Interestingly although 70 odd % of them said that their children were potty trained it is commented that the mum would be saying this even though the child was making big wet patches on the carpet at the time.
We do have a potty out when its pre bedtime nappy off time, but DS is totally oblivious to what he's doing, so really a bit pointless ! But its a gesture..

Heh heh,
I once had the verification code 'Y RUSK'
which made me laugh quite heartily ;o)

You shouldn't try to push a child into potty training before he is ready or you'll only get a mes and a lot of headaches i suggest using a portable toilet

hi Dr Tanya Byron
i have watched lots of your programs and am intereseted in becoming a child sicolergist im 21 and didnt do verry wll in my gcses and dint do any alevels so didnt do verry wll can you give me some advoce on becoming like you
thanks

hi Kate, this isn't Dr Tanya's site, it's one about Baby-led Weaning. for the record i think the best place for you to start would be contacting a local college about re-taking your gcses and getting into uni to do child psychology. good luck.