A potty training expert has said that there are children as old as nine going to school who are still unable to use the toilet properly, explaining that she receives up to ten calls a day from parents panicking because their kids are about to start school and aren’t anywhere near being potty trained.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, mum-of-three Amanda Jenner described the situation as terrible, saying: “It’s extremely stressful for the parents and it is embarrassing for the children. Parents constantly tell me their children won’t go to school for fear of being picked on because they are still wetting themselves.”
A recent report from the Lecturers and Teachers Association found that the average age that children are now potty trained has risen to 3.5 years. Just 50 years ago, the average was 15 months.
And Ms Jenner has said that the effects this can have on parents, children and their education could be catastrophic.
When it comes time to put away that folding changing mat, remember that the majority of children can control their bowels before their bladder. You can’t force your child to use a potty and if they’re not ready it simply won’t work. Summer may well be the best time to try and encourage this behaviour, however, because there are fewer clothes to take off!
If leaving the house, take the potty with you as well as your changing mat, so your child knows you want them to go in it each time they need to.