LACK OF POTTY TRAINING BEFORE STARTING SCHOOL.

[DARNLY]

I think he is just trying to make a general point that many children (not specific children with various health issues such as prematurity, of course they should have extra support and help). are turning up to school at the ages of 4/5 not potty trained at all. Parents surely must take some responsibility for this. 1 teacher, 30 plus children with what appears to be levels of up to half the classes not potty trained. This is an impossible situation for the teacher, disruptive for education and difficult to time manage and not good for the child. Along with issues of an increasing lack of discipline in some very young children, teachers are leaving in their droves, we are in crisis. They are teachers not parents and do a fine job caring for our little ones in exceptional difficult circumstances these days. I was a working midwife and mother of 3 children. It was expected among parents of reception classes to try to ensure children were potty trained Potty training surely is a parents responsibility not a teachers. I don't remember any child in any class not being potty trained or virtually there. A busy state school with 30 plus in the class.

I find the idea of a 4/5 yr old (without any additional needs) not being potty trained absolutely ridiculous. I have a 4 yo DD, I didn’t have to work that hard to potty train her, she had lots of accidents up until she was maybe just turning 4, but now she’s nearly 5 she’s a proper child. She goes to the toilet by herself, she can do loads of things by herself. The idea of her wearing nappies or having multiple accidents at this age would just not be normal. And probably also be upsetting for her. What is wrong with people? Who can’t potty train a child before they’re 5?!

You do know quite a few reception kids start at just turned 4 though? Not saying nappies are acceptable in non SEN kids but accidents in a new setting aren't unusual for just turned 4.

I know. I’m talking about parents who haven’t bothered to potty train their kids at all and their 4-year-olds are still walking about in nappies or having very frequent accidents because they weren’t potty trained at 2/3. Most 4 and 5 yos have the odd accident especially when starting school. The thread’s about kids that age who were never potty trained or who still wear nappies though

I just don't believe this is as common as it's made out to be. Not for children without any SEN anyway.

I agree.

If there is an increase in children starting school not toilet trained it's largely down to undiagnosed SEN due to ridiculously long waitlists or unrecognised SEN because there's not enough input from professionals who can recognise it, which means a lack of earlier intervention and support, and also a woefully inadequate allowance of places in specialist provision along with a gruelling, soul destroying process to fight for the limited number of spaces.

The survey often quoted suggesting 24% of school starters are "not potty trained" includes children having "frequent rather than occasional toilet mishaps"

The papers like to report this as ONE IN FOUR START SCHOOL IN NAPPIES - which is misleading.

I don’t know any of “those” parents. Who are these parents who have not bothered to potty train their 3 and 4yo’s? Certainly not met any in SW London.

sure. I’ve met plenty of parents trying to get support for their kids but told only those in crisis qualify….. but the support they seek is rarely toilet related.

so I do wonder where these news stories come from!!! 20% of kids in Surrey and Sw london are NOT starting school in nappies. Fake news!!!

Thanks for the clarification @BertieBotts I guess “frequently” and “occasionally” are quite subjective. If my two year old wet herself once a week in my mind that would be occasionally but if my four year old started doing so once a week I would be wondering why she wetting herself so frequently!

I agree, I don't buy this excuse of working full time. I took a week off work and my husband took the following week off and we then worked with nursery and he was potty trained at 2.5. I was adamant he wouldn't be starting his pre-school year of nursery at 3 in nappies. I'm not sure if he was ready or not but he got there in the end.

Yes I'd have much used my annual leave for more pleasurable activities but I didn't really think much of it apart from it was our responsibility as parents to have our son potty trained.

In my school, we had 6 children start in nappies/pull ups in one Reception class last year.

Four of the children were potty trained by the teacher and TA by October half term.

The remaining two are in year 1 now and still in nappies. They do have significant/complex SEND though, are pre-verbal and have significant learning needs. So it's to be expected.

There is an increase in the number of children in mainstream schools with significant or complex SEND needs and schools just manage that but, yes, there are also children coming into school not potty trained whose parents just haven't.

Occasional accidents are expected in Reception.

That's just rude, and not even particularly useful advice. Kids need to learn in nursery with the staff there, unless you also think that they need their parents there for every wee?

I had four days off with my son, and he needed to learn in nursery AS WELL as at home, and AS WELL with his grandparents.

@mxd been a few accidents but just done his first wee in the potty 😊