One in four children start school in nappies

The cost of disposables must have an impact on families now, so it’s strange that the parents aren’t desperate to get their children toilet trained ASAP.

I would have thought so … but maybe they know nothing else?

I too was, apparently, clean and dry by 18 months. My mother was a war widow, my father was killed 5 weeks before I was born, so as soon as possible, I was enrolled at the many day nurseries that sprung up during WW2, as my mother had to go to work to supplement her meagre widows pension. I guess being potty trained was a requisite. I can just remember being there, odd flashes of memory such as being lifted into the baby seat on the back of my mother's bike, having a nap on a camp bed, playing on a climbing frame and not being able to climb into it! Just odd snippets.

silverlining48

Twas ever thus grammaretto.
I have never heard of pilchers …assume knicker things for over nappies? Not that any young or older mum would want the pattern I assume…

He or she doesn't look very happy.
Perhaps has a wet nappy.

My Danish SisiL knitted pilchers for her babies. I seem to remember not being too keen to have my niece or nephew on my lap too long. 😅
At least the babies weren't sitting in plastic or rubber.

I've never heard of pilchers either. My two wore plastic knickers over their terry towling nappies.

Pilch.
Pilches is the plural.

I suppose there were no plastic knickers when most of us were babies.

There are washable nappies now that are incorporated into waterproof pants that come in a variety of fancy designs. No safety pins just lots of poppers that adjust for growth.

They aren’t white either, more a sort of greyish soft cotton and a liner is inserted that gets disposed of. Then into a sealed bucket with a solution, then into the washer at 40degrees.

There are none of those “whiter than white washing line nappy competitions,” - and there are cloth wipes that are stored in a container with a lavender/chamomile solution from a dropper that is diluted with water. So ready to use at change times.

These are definitely for those who are concerned about the environmental impact of nappies but also the costs. They are a bit more bulky and my daughter in law was definitely keen to start the potty training as soon as possible- even though baby grandson was a slow walker and happy to sit on his bum for months.

The system was fine for those on long maternity leave. And at home. We had to be onboard with it all and the potty too. Didn’t take all that long now looking back. Boys are a bit slower traditionally apparently!

Franski

Using disposable nappies does seem to reduce the incentive to get toddlers potty trained. My own mother made it her mission to get us out of terries asap.

This is so true- and those Nappisan buckets were the best incentive EVER.

Weren’t they just! Nothing like being up to your elbows in a nappy bucket!

No thank you - disposables all the way for me! I'd rather pick up dog or horse poo all day long than have to wash terry nappies.

We didn’t have a choice MissInterpreted. There were no disposables.

Yuck! A neighbour blocked the drains when the terry nappy she was sluicing was sucked off down the toilet with the flush.

When my DGC were born I, first checked that the DP approved, bought a complete set of the washable nappies and covers you describe Grandmarderby . It was quite costly.
They used them at first but it was more convenient to use disposables.
2nd family didn't use them. The DGC were in day nursery very early where they had to use disposables.

3rd family bought their own, 2nd hand and used nothing else, but they live in NZ where the washing dries on the line in minutes.

4th family tried to use them but in Northern Scotland in a tiny house, nappies draped on radiators it proved too hard.

Anyway they were all clean and dry at least by the age of 3.

MissInterpreted

Do childminders not do toilet training? Genuine question. Both of my children (and my GS) went to nurseries from a very early age, so when we decided to start toilet training, they just carried on with it while the children were at nursery.

I was a childminder for years and yes I did do toilet training with all my children ,trouble was some of the parents did not carry on with it when the children were at home and they would arrive in nappies , I had many a conversation trying to explain how important continuity was .

silverlining48

We didn’t have a choice MissInterpreted. There were no disposables.

Thankfully I did. I might not have bothered otherwise.

It’s tough for teachers if children are still in nappies when they start school, but some children may regress to wetting because of a new situation anyway.

I think children start formal learning too soon in this country, and Scandinavian children don’t seem to be disadvantaged by starting later.

Most children want to conform and will soon copy others, unless they have a learning difficulty or occasionally slow to mature. I don’t believe any children start secondary school in nappies, so perhaps we should be more relaxed and less judgmental maybe?

That was what I used to say. I think amongst all the fluffy or sentimental stuff that accompanies pregnancy and childbirth what is overlooked nowdays is the sheer bloody hard work and dedication that parenting demands especially if you are doing it alone.
Most of it is unseen but vital for their welfare.

Farzanah
I think children start formal learning too soon in this country, and Scandinavian children don’t seem to be disadvantaged by starting later.
There are lots of issues in that statement, but the expectations of what children in Scandinavian pre-school are expected to develop are enormous and include some aspects of what you are probably referring to as formal education.
They also include moving children on from whatever knowledge, understanding and skills they have already acquired- and thats at pre-school.

I think some parents don't realise that most children don't learn to use a toilet by magic. Like some parents somehow expect children to learn to talk without talking/reading/singing to them.

As said above parenting is hard work.

Allira

silverlining48

Twas ever thus grammaretto.
I have never heard of pilchers …assume knicker things for over nappies? Not that any young or older mum would want the pattern I assume…

He or she doesn't look very happy.
Perhaps has a wet nappy.

Patons and Baldwins too!

It's like a Museum of Curiosities now, isn't it?

😁

I never knitted any pilches.
Probably in 3-ply as well.

ixion

Allira

silverlining48

Twas ever thus grammaretto.
I have never heard of pilchers …assume knicker things for over nappies? Not that any young or older mum would want the pattern I assume…

He or she doesn't look very happy.
Perhaps has a wet nappy.

Patons and Baldwins too!

It's like a Museum of Curiosities now, isn't it?

It's like a Museum of Curiosities now, isn't it?

This is probably why little boys wore dresses years ago so that a wet nappy could be whipped off more easily and also it would have been easier for potty training.

I remember my Mum telling me about this and when little boys went into boys' shorts it was called breeching.

Yes, that would make sense. I have an old photo of some unknown relative in a dress and I’m sure it’s a boy.

Oh dear, the knitting pattern looks like it dates from when I was a baby. Mum certainly did a lot of knitting!

I had a very old photo of my dad wearing a dress as a baby but after searching for it to post on here can’t find it anywhere.
Doesn’t matter at that age. I find grow suits fiddly with all those poppers.

Thanks for putting me right re Scandinavian children Mollygo 😀