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school children in nappies

(44 Posts)
ninathenana Thu 01-May-14 16:47:16

I'm not starting a thread trying to apportion blame.
I'm wondering when it became permissible for teachers to be this intimate with 5-6 yr olds. I have just read an article about a teacher who returned to school for a new term, to discover she now had a new annex specifically for nappy changing shock
When DS was in reception class he fell in the playground and badly grazed his knee. Because he was wearing long trousers the first aider called me in to school because she was not permitted to pull his trousers down to access the wound. I did wonder at the time why she hadn't sent him to the loo to change into his gym shorts confused

Grannyknot Fri 02-May-14 20:45:41

Surely the 'no touch' policy could have adverse effects if a child feels rejected by his or her spontaneous display of affection not being welcomed? And surely there are fewer latent pedophiles or child molesters etc. than normal loving human beings who like hugging children and receiving hugs in return? Bonkers.

Purpledaffodil Fri 02-May-14 21:25:03

I think bonkers is the word Grannyknot. We were also not allowed to check children's hair for headlice and nits because it could be classed as assault. I had one poor little mite who used to eat them as they ran down her face and all I could do was ask the office to call her dad who was a widower and struggling to cope. He would promise to shampoo her, but never did. sad

Grannyknot Fri 02-May-14 22:44:39

purple that is shocking.

Aka Fri 02-May-14 23:34:09

I worked full time (went back when DD was 6 weeks as was the norm then if you wanted to hold on to your job) and I supposed I was sort of middle class but both mine were out of nappies by 18 months and dry at night before 2. In fact it was the parents who slobbered around at home, fags hanging from their mouths, hair in curlers, still in their dressing gowns at lunch time, who still had big toddlers in soggy nappies with snot hanging from both nostrils.

(Hides under duvet)

dorsetpennt Sat 03-May-14 09:59:10

I was horrified when I learnt from a young mother at work, that every year in reception there is at least one child in nappies. I don't know about hormones or stay-dry nappies , I think it is just plain laziness. Think of the money these lazy people are wasting - those nappies are not cheap.
It is hard work potty training, my two year old granddaughter is being trained at the moment. It's only for a few weeks though.

granjura Sat 03-May-14 13:16:51

Never mind the money- but the environmental consequences. Producing the white pulp for their production is hugely energy and environmentally damaging (loads of bleach and other whitening agents and water and trees)- because of bulk, transport is enormous- and then in the UK it all goes into landfill- m3 x vast numbers- each day or month when toilet training is delayed = tons more waste and landfill taken up.

tattynan Sun 04-May-14 19:56:13

The hassle of having to wash terry nappies made me keen to toilet train my two as soon as was possible.I can still see the washing line full of terrys blowing in the breeze.This was in the 1980s. Disposable nappies and pull ups may make modern mums delay trying to potty train.

Ana Sun 04-May-14 19:59:20

And oh, the shame if the nappies on the line were...a bit less-than-white! shock

annsixty Sun 04-May-14 20:42:21

This reminds of the Baby Burco boiler days steaming the kitchen windows up, but like Ana pride took precedent.

granjura Sun 04-May-14 20:55:24

My sil loved his granny deeply, but said she was horrible about potty training. I reminded him that if he had had to wash terry nappies by hand and use a mangle, and dry on radiator in winter and rain- he would have potty trained his kids a lot earlier (mind you, both were dry during the day by 2, but took quite a bit longer to be dry at night- especially grand-son, which is normal as boys tend to be a bit later).

Maggiemaybe Sun 04-May-14 20:56:54

Oh, Ana, flashback!

I went out for the day with my sister and as we turned into my street I saw a line full of horrible stained nappies flapping in the wind. My dozy OH had wrung them out and hung them up directly from the nappy bucket where they'd been soaking, before being put into a boil wash. shock I leapt out of the car so that I could sprint down the street, and had them all ripped off the line before the car was parked up. My sister laughed till she cried.

We had to potty-train round here in the 1980s before our children were allowed into playgroup at two and a half. My MIL was very keen for me to hold the babies over a potty from birth, but I just left my three till they were two and potty trained in a couple of weeks - I can't remember it being difficult. Why would anyone want to leave it much longer than that?

granjura Sun 04-May-14 21:15:09

LOL that was funny, thanks.

On a Forum full of younger expats- all the younger mums said us fron a previous generation are deluded and lying about having our kids dry and out of nappies by 2. Impossible they say, kids are not ready till 3, and we have rose tinted glasses on, and have lost our memories and marbles- or words to that effect ;)

nightowl Sun 04-May-14 22:14:07

My sons were not potty trained until they were past 3. Both wore terry nappies. My daughter (between the two) managed it earlier but they just couldn't get the hang of it. I don't think I 'trained' any of them really, just watched out for when they were ready and it was as easy as pie. But based on my experience I'm not convinced that disposable nappies are the culprit here.

Aka Sun 04-May-14 22:39:25

White nappies Ana? Something I could only aspire to. I've had pink, blue and a rather fetching shade of pale yellow in the past.

Grannyknot Sun 04-May-14 22:52:25

Night owl, I've observed my friend's five year old be well aware that he is weeing in his disposable "pull ups". I'm not so sure he'd be doing that if he was weeing in his pants or clothing. The pull ups stay dry.

annodomini Sun 04-May-14 23:02:26

I can't remember when my two were potty trained. I only know that it did happen and I think it had something to do with letting them run around the garden in summer with nothing on - not even a nappy!

nightowl Sun 04-May-14 23:35:48

Grannyknot I'm only speaking from my own experience, not saying it's never a factor. I think there definitely has to be encouragement for children to give up their nappies, whatever kind they are. Even with encouragement, my sons were not very quick to get out of their terries. Reading mumsnet and other forums, today's mums seem just as eager to get their children out of nappies as we were, so I'm not sure why it seems to be happening later.

harrigran Sun 04-May-14 23:37:26

I was a trained mum, I held out my DD from 6 weeks and didn't get dirty nappies. She was out of nappies at about 15 months and was dry at night too. DS was a different story, even though the terry nappy use to sag down to his knees, he would not stop play to go to the toilet.
I moved to a new estate when I was about to give birth to second baby and there was a baby in every house in my street. We used to see who could get the nappies on the line first on a morning and I would have felt shame if they were less than snow white.