Remember when older kids used to tease first-graders for still wearing nappies? Sadly, that old joke has become genuine reality today. It’s happening far more often now, more than just the occasional accident — more and more children start school without being potty trained yet.
I woke up this morning and, as always, brushed my teeth so my first cup of coffee would taste right, and suddenly came across an article: “Kindergarten teachers have their hands full with wet or soiled trousers.” How does this happen? Do parents have too little time, are more of them working two jobs? Or has it simply become too easy, with every type of nappy, pull-up pants for older children, night-time products, and so on? It’s certainly not the children’s fault.
In Africa, and certainly in the part where I was born, babies are potty trained early, because it’s encouraged right from the start. I can imagine that the climate difference between continents plays a role too. What has your experience been? My daughter, now fifteen months, already tells me when she needs to go. I’m lucky to be home and able to watch for her cues and encourage her.
My daughter is nearly eight now, and my son is four — both were potty trained just before turning two. What about parents whose children are in daycare, with no way of following that development closely? Could this be connected to bonding and babywearing? I mean this specifically: when distance grows, through circumstance, or when the bond with the baby weakens, can potty-training cues even still be picked up on?
Reading the original article I was responding to, it seems most parents of kindergarteners still in nappies are simply very busy parents — too little time to carry intensively enough to encourage that awareness. Partly driven, too, by pushy commercial marketing suggesting people no longer need to do anything themselves.
P.S. This is about healthy children with healthy, busy parents — those parents could use some support. There are of course exceptions where children have a medical condition; they’re already under care, and this post isn’t about them.
