[NSC] Toilet trained children.

[alanfp]

Do the working fathers bear any responsibility for this or is it just on the mothers?

I know this was probably a rhetorical question, but just in case you were wondering if you were being ignored, yes, fathers do have a responsibility!

 

[dsr-burnley]

My mother started a playgroup in 1967, when I was 2 years old. Children could start from their second birthday, but they had to be toilet trained. There was no difficulty finding children who qualified.

By the mid 1980's, they had to raise the starting age to 2 and a half because there weren't enough toilet-trained children at age 2. Obviously things have got much worse since then.

(When I was 4, most infants would be capable of walking to school and crossing roads on their own. Children haven't got more stupid, they've just been taught less.)

 

[The Optimist]

Do the working fathers bear any responsibility for this or is it just on the mothers?

I’m a working father of a two and five year old. For various reasons my wife hasn’t worked since the first was born (to avoid any doubt I’m fully supportive of her going back to work). So obviously she’s done more of the parenting, but I’ve still had a huge involvement with my kids and helped their development and I’d be embarrassed to send my children to school unable to do the basics (unless of course they had an underlying issue).

That’s a very long way of saying I’m a working father and I absolutely take responsibility for my children.

 

[Springal]

My mother started a playgroup in 1967, when I was 2 years old. Children could start from their second birthday, but they had to be toilet trained. There was no difficulty finding children who qualified.

By the mid 1980's, they had to raise the starting age to 2 and a half because there weren't enough toilet-trained children at age 2. Obviously things have got much worse since then.

(When I was 4, most infants would be capable of walking to school and crossing roads on their own. Children haven't got more stupid, they've just been taught less.)

I’m sorry that’s bollocks.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

I’m sorry that’s bollocks.

I don't think it's bollocks except I disagree with the point about roads as they are so much busier now than then. I've worked in schools since 1995 (mostly primary) and what our dear Burnley friend suggests is correct. It is a fact. Perhaps it is a knock-on due to the myriads of poor parents who simply use ipads and phones to baby-sit their own offspring.

 

[Springal]

I don't think it's bollocks except I disagree with the point about roads as they are so much busier now than then. I've worked in schools since 1995 (mostly primary) and what our dear Burnley friend suggests is correct. It is a fact. Perhaps it is a knock-on due to the myriads of poor parents who simply use ipads and phones to baby-sit their own offspring.

There’s not a chance my 22 month old could be potty trained now

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

There’s not a chance my 22 month old could be potty trained now

That is a fair comment. However the OP stated that his mum had no trouble filling the playgroup. That's not the same as 'all children could be potty trained by 2'. Obviously there is individual variation but the general trend is clear.