'Me time'

What's the difference between putting a four year old in a day nursery so you can go back to work and putting her in a school which, from what the mother says, sounds very accommodating?

A few of the comments in the paper are screeching about the nappies but the child only wears them at night. Ten per cent of ten year olds still wet the bed so the proportion of four year olds who are still not dry at night will be much higher.

I noticed it is a fee-paying school so the talk of needing to go back to work for money doesn't really cut the mustard with me, especially as I presume the other three are in fee-paying schools as well.

But my main reaction is, what's the problem? Loads of four year olds are in full-time day care while their oarents work. This one just happens to be called a school.

For me, the problem is that she has broadcast her negative feelings about her child in a national newspaper. I would imagine that this little girl is the one who needs some 'me' time!

I don't suppose the child can read yet and I bet the parents don't buy the DM. How likely is it that the other kids will see it?

I wonder what the children's father thinks of the mother's publicity? Perhaps he doesn't mind if it brings in some dosh

She has also broadcast positive feelings about her child, and it seems to me that's it's not the child herself that is seen as a problem, but full-time motherhood. The woman wants to get back to work is all.

Don't you think the child's parents would have a copy of the DM just to see the article in print, thatbags? She won't mind now, but that photo will probably come back to haunt her in later life.

I have no problem with the article itself, just the photos.

Could be worse. You never know, she might even admire her mother for it. It's not a choice I would have made but who am I to criticise someone else's perfectly valid choices?

Actually, I never shed a tear when mine started playgroup/nursery/school. Either did they. Beats me why people get so emotional about something they've had yonks to prepare for and which is inevitable anyway. I think it's all nonsense.

Neither not either.

I suppose we should be grateful they didn't make her wear a nappy for the photo-shoot...

Oh pish! As if...

So you find the dummy photo acceptable then?

Yes. Why not? Lots of kids suck their thumbs at that age and older – essentially no different.

A four year old is not much more than a baby, for goodness' sake.

And many (not just several, many) kids at DD's nursery and reception class brought their favourite soft toy to school. She didn't because she sucked her thumb and didn't have a favourite toy.

My youngest daughter was a June baby and because of the rules at the time she was four when starting school. We had no option. At the time I felt she was too young and I still feel it now. However she is now, probably the most well adjusted adult you could ever hope to meet. She abandoned her dummy at 6 months, was well dry at night when starting school, could read starter books, use a knife and fork and tie shoe laces from her first schoolday. (I do hope she never comes on here or she will kill me )

Ms Shobary wants her cake as well as eating it. She has kept her daughter a baby over-long yet wants to turf her out for someone else to train.

That's nice, thatbags. Some schools don't allow any toys to be brought in, even in the reception class!

You can't "train" enuresis! The child is toilet trained!

I do wish people would stop twisting things.

Mind you, the way the article is written doesn't help.

The child only has nocturnal enuresis.

Which is VERY COMMON.

And there's damn all you can do about it.

Sheesh! It makes me cross when people seem to blame parents for the common and normal childhood problem of bed-wetting. If none of your kids suffered from it, you're lucky. End of.

Soppy woman, lousy writer – I couldn't be bothered to read the whole article.

One of my GDs also has it, and she's 7. Doesn't bother her, nor does it affect her life as she hasn't gone to sleepovers other than with family members.

I don't think she'd want attention drawn to it in a newspaper article though!

I have obviously been very lucky not coming across nocturnal enuresis thatbags and no, I would not write about it in the Daily Mail and smother the pages with embarrasing photographs of my children either. This is positively the last time I will take part in a slightly contentious discussion as it would appear you are totally incapable of being civil 'END OF'