Should Schools Potty Train?
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Should schools be responsible for potty training kids?
A headteacher mentioned that some reception children start school in nappies and require 'intimate care plans' to stay clean.
Should schools assist parents in teaching this essential skill? 
They are teachers, not nannies, and all kids should be out of nappies by the time they go to school unless it is a medical condition
Most certainly not.Children should not be allowed to start school unless they are potty trained.A teacher’s job is to teach not to change nappies.
My sons nursery helped with potty training, they took him to the toilet every hour, they read books and followed the routine that we did at home. They certainly helped a lot but it is not their responsibility.
He is starting school in August and is potty trained. He had a hard time to begin with due to development delays but he got there.
If parents are struggling then perhaps point them to helpful websites for tips or have a chat at pick up time if appropriate but the teacher should not be the one to potty train the child.
If there is a medical condition or severe development delays then an intimate care plan is appropriate but not just because the parents have potty trained them.
Yes why not? Let them do everything what a parent should do no they are there to teach something but not everything I already think some teachers think they know what's best for some children
If schools refused to take kids until they were toilet trained you can bet your life they would be out of nappies by start day.
Leannexxx I do think some parents leave it too late to start, all this came about when disposable nappies came in. I began sitting mine on the potty as soon as they could sit unaided and by 18 months they were dry. I have no truck with social workers, health visitors, they all say something different and it changes every couple of years. Feed every 4 hours, feed on demand, sleep on back, then side, then front, baby led weaning used to be try them on lots of different tastes and textures so they are not fussy eaters.
When any type of training is left too late it is nigh on impossible to correct.
Have you tried the seats that go on the toilet so you can tell her what a big girl she is now that she can use the toilet? I don't understand child led toileting as I have yet to hear of any child that will wake up one day and say, no more nappies I will use the potty/toilet from today. I have always listened to advice but then thought it over carefully before deciding whether to implement it. Parents need to take back control.
Leannexxx summer (is supposed) to be nearly here. Spend time at home if you can and just put her in a long t shirt. If she has neither nappy nor pants she might get the hang of it. Put an extra potty in the bathroom/toilet and when you go for a wee take her with you and sit her on a potty. Give her a kids book to look at the pictures if she will sit on the potty. And praise her big time - my youngest wasn’t over keen so when she did use the potty i would sing and dance and do stupid things that made her laugh. Toddlers are tenacious- it can sometimes be a rocky road. Good luck !
Lynibis my own kids, fostered - now lots of grandchildren - unless there was a medical reason behind it then fair enough but if there isnt then I would be too ashamed to send a child to school who aren’t fully potty trained! Teachers are there to teach - they aren’t childcare facilities.
Unless they are on the SEN then categorically NO, it is the parents job to potty train.
Parents job some parents think school needs to teach there children but the truth is some parents are so lazy
Absolutely not this should be done by parents. All children should be out of nappies at this stage . Some children can't even use cutlery either when they start school I honestly do not understand it.
In this day and age what is going on in homes !!!
There is also talk about teaching children to clean their teeth. I really can not find the words
sallylester1 and that is just the start of a lifetime of lazy parenting, (I am speaking of children with no medical issues). These are the parents who continue, as the child grows, to not teach manners, discipline, self hygiene, kindness to others and all the things that make a decent human being. The problem is that many parents are not decent human beings themselves.
This was never an issue back when my children were younger. I think this stems more to the situations that both parents go out to work . I was a full time mother and housewife and had time to potty train. Could be wrong but that’s how I see it.
eyeballkerry spot on. That does have a lot to do with it. I have no objection to nursery staff teaching the kids if parents are at work as they expect them to be in nappies when very little. Someone needs to step up.
Most definitely schools should refuse to potty train kids. Schools are there to educate kids not parent them. Toilet training is a parents job.
No, it's not the teachers responsibility to teach kids to use the toilet and if there's no excuse even if they both work full time, someone is looking after the child and they should be taking on the responsibility
Elisabeth fully agreed with you. If they are both having to work full time it’s an indicator that they don’t have the time or the money to have had that child. I heard this morning about teachers mentioning about cleaning your teach twice a day to children 3-5 years old, I don’t see the issue of just mentioning it but obviously wouldn’t expect them to be doing it with them. They should be concentrating on teaching reading and writing.
Teachers don't have time to do things like that. Maybe some parents need parent skill lessons
No your child should be potty trained before school the teachers are not on the same ratios as nursery s are way to many children per teacher
I do not believe this should be part of the job description for early years teachers. For as long as I have known children are required to be toilet trained prior to starting their education in a school setting.
Teschers jobs are to teach and not potty train, children shouldn't be allowed to start school unless they can use the toilet.
categorically no. don't we teach out children to not let strangers touch us! when a child starts school that teacher is a stranger. Would the people who advocate this take a strangers child and potty train them? if so why not potty train your own children.
I mean they could help with providing information but that would be readily available online etc.
The teachers should spend the time teaching not changing nappies etc
Absolutely not. That is the parent's job. In Spain, the kids can start school at 3 years old, but they must be fully potty trained.
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