Please understand, this topic requires a frank discussion.  Any time a child’s future could be negatively impacted by lax parenting, I take a direct approach to my blog.

It is a complete shock that parents send their kids to school before the children can adequately toilet themselves.  A SHOCK!  Over the years I’ve listened to mainstream, kindergarten teachers talk about having to toilet train their students.  This is inexcusable.  By age 5, a child is capable of achieving this skill.  Why are soiled pants in school a problem?  Why am I critical of parents sending their kids to school without this skill?

1. First and foremost, it’s gross and disgusting and it forces everyone in that classroom to endure the odor, not to mention the unsanitary issues.  I’ve learned the mess is not limited to the confines of the undergarment.
2. Students are sent to school to learn.  In this situation, the other students are missing valuable learning time to the teacher’s need to attend to the kid who pooped his pants.  Harsh?  You bet!  Which leads me to the other topic I’ve blogged on before, negative, peer reaction.
3. Teachers are very discrete while attending to a child who messes his pants.   However, when the other kids go home and talk about how Junior smelled and how he was sent to the nurse for a change of clothes, (and you can bet they will), they learn Junior’s social skills are not up to par.  And, like a kid who is identified for doing something special; running faster than others, best math student in the classroom or anything else, Junior is known for his smelly episodes.  That is not something for which any kindergartener should be known.   His socially unacceptable problem will cause him social problems.   And THAT’S a damn shame!!!

I know all of this is blunt, but it’s worse for the poor soul whose bathroom skills lag behind the others.  Sadly, this makes Junior a prime target for ridicule. This is nothing more than lazy parenting.

Clearly, most parents find toilet training a challenge.  Many of us seek outside help, even from other parents.   By school age, if toilet training were so difficult, a pro-active, engaged, concerned parent would discuss the issue with the pediatrician. That pediatrician would guide the parent, determining if it’s a medical issue.  If it was a medical or psychological issue, the doctor could help plan the next step for fixing the problem.  Schools have the professionals who can help with most of these issues.  However, as in the case above, generally, it’s simply a case of lazy parenting and lazy parenting is inexcusable.    Junior is socially inept, because the parents did not do their job.

In this case, the child pays for the sins of the parents.

“If your kid poops his pants, he’s not ready for school. PERIOD!”  (Mary Moley-Palacios)