expectation of childminders.

[FunnyMummy192]

Hi, I look after a girl who is 4 and comes to me all day Monday- Friday (7am-5pm). She isn’t potty trained and still wears nappies, it has gotten to the point where I am so fed up now of having to change her messy nappies that I am thinking of asking her to not go anymore. I have looked after the child since she was 2 and we have discussed potty training and she said that’s she would take a week of and do it, every time I approach her she says it’s not a good time to talk and dashes off. What do people think?

The job of a childminder or nursery is to support the family in toilet training, not to do it for them. That means having resources, books, sticker chart, maybe; and agreeing a system that can be followed consistently at home and at the childcare setting.

The parent should be taking the initiative. They should not have to be pushed into it, nor try to shirk the responsibility and expect a childcarer to do it for them.

A small yet significant number of parents seem to believe they only need to do the nice, 'cuddly' aspects of parenting. They feel they have the right to 'subcontract' the less fun or unpleasant aspects to someone else, preferably on the cheap.

Any parent who thinks it’s someone else’s responsibility to do toilet training is welcome to use a professional toilet trainer. The going rate is £2000 a week.