TEY 13.2

ELISABETH WHITEBREAD IS THE FOUNDER OF SOCIAL ENTERPRISE SPROUT It’s time for a new approach to teaching toileting independence, says Elisabeth Whitebread … “Potty training is a mess” A staggering 24% of children start school still having frequent accidents W ithin the last two generations in the UK, there has been a revolution in potty training. Whereas our grandparents were nappy-free by 18 months, today many children are three or older before achieving toileting independence. This delay has far- reaching consequences for children’s health, development and wellbeing. Yet, beyond a few health and early years professionals, it is little known or talked about. Since 2020, Kindred 2 have undertaken school readiness surveys to assess the extent to which children are entering Reception with the skills they need to thrive. They found that a staggering 24% of children start school still having frequent accidents, and an overwhelming 90% of teachers report having at least one child in their class who is not fully toilet-trained. Director Felicity Gillespie told me, “It never occurred to us that this was happening basically in every school in the country, and that it was happening to such a degree that it was skewing the entire provision of early years education for every child.” These accidents often require two adults to assist the child, and based on Kindred 2 data, I’ve calculated this leads to an average of an hour per day of lost teaching time per class. Children’s health is also suffering. Prolonged use of nappies is linked to an increased risk of urinary tract infections and constipation, and many children suffer anxiety and diminished self-confidence as a result. Alongside the financial cost to parents and early years settings, the collection and disposal of nappies costs local authorities in England £160 million per year. Moreover, each CHANGING HABITS The answer to this question is a combination of societal changes, cuts to support services, and the single-use nappy industry. With the rise of dual-income households, children are starting nursery earlier. In the past, early years settings tended to serve children aged three and up, and being toilet-trained was often a requirement of admission. Nowadays, children usually start at a nursery or childminders aged 12 months or younger, and settings have adapted by including nappy changes as part of their provision. Be it health visitors, much-missed Sure Start services, nurseries or family workers, early years education and support services have been chronically underfunded in recent decades. Kindred 2 found that 22% of parents had never even seen a health visitor. Only 30% of nursery staff are trained to support toileting independence. This lack of support and reliable information leaves parents with little knowledge about potty training (as well as a whole host of other things), while early years professionals themselves do not receive adequate training due to lack of funding and high staff turnover. The single-use nappy industry has played a crucial role in shaping current potty training practices, and has a vested interest in keeping children in nappies longer. Famously, Pampers was Procter & Gamble’s first $10 billion brand. In the 1980s, the company funded paediatrician Barry Brazelton to advocate that parents should wait until their child is “ready”, a term often left vaguely defined but implying that the child will indicate when they are prepared. This concept, combined with the marketing of products like pull-ups by Huggies in additional year a child remains in nappies consigns approximately 1,000 extra single-use plastic nappies to the rubbish dump. Kate Spencer-Allen, head of Foundation Stage at St Matthews Primary School in Cambridge, told me: “The benefits of ensuring that a child is toilet trained are clear. We can see how it helps foster independence, boosts self-esteem, and promotes a smoother transition into both the social and academic demands of the school environment. But it is also clear to see that more and more parents need support with how to achieve this.” But why are parents teaching their children this crucial life skill later than they used to? 30 Teachearlyyears.com