When they reach toddlerhood, independence and life changes for them I see it as a positive right of passage to start potty training. I see that age being great at 2 and up.
What if your son isn't walking yet at a year? I agree it is about the child too. Some kids train as early as 18 mos, that is the child and it is up to them and what they are truly ready for, some kids aren't ready until almost 4.
Not saying it is bad, just wondering why it is important to have a milestone like this that the majority of children go through at 2 or 3 be started before they are old enough to talk? If there aren't the ready signs, able to pull pants up and down, able to hold their urine for over two hours, not able to understand the feelings of urges to go, then why not just wait? At one there a million other milestones going on.
If you start too early, you will have regression upon regression. A baby has the retention of about 3 minutes at the age of 5 mos. and not much greater at the year mark. Do you think they will even have any idea what they are doing?
You will have to read every single cue and be on top of what your baby is doing going to the bathroom. Are your sitters, family memebers willing to do that too if you are not around? As I have read it is about seeing their expressions and your knowing that a certain expression means they are going to go or need to and catching them to put them on the potty. To me that sounds like an added amount of stress when it is a time that you should eat up every moment of your baby being a baby!!!! Even at one they are still so very young.
They grow up fast, milestones tick by in the blink of an eye, why not just enjoy diaper changes as it is part of being a baby as long as they can and enjoy the ride.