Although it might feel an embarrassing subject, it’s not that uncommon for some children to wear diapers or training pants when they’re at elementary school. This is because it can take time for the bladder to develop and hold urine for long periods of time. Furthermore, night time potty training can take a lot longer than daytime training, as bedwetting occurs in 20% of 5 year olds and up to 10% for kids ages 7.
So for various reasons, your child might need a diaper when they’re at school, and that’s absolutely fine. But obviously you should encourage them to get out of diapers as soon as they are ready.
In short, yes, children can wear diapers to school, but it’s probably advisable to inform the form teacher and nurse about this. In this article, let’s look at some tips on how to make your child more comfortable wearing diapers when they’re at school.
Related Post: 5 Types Of Diapers
Do children need to be potty trained before they attend school?
No, they don’t. In the UK at least there is no official rule which states that children should have received toilet training before they attend school. The Equality Act 2010 states that schools must not discriminate against children with special educational needs. And a delay in potty training would fall into this category. Also the Children and Families Act 2014 ensures that schools should make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. For other countries, chances are they have similar regulations in place but if you have any doubts, contact your local authority or look online for more info. That being said, if you know your child will need diapers when they start school, it’s probably best to discuss this in more detail with the teacher so they aware of the situation.
How do you wear diapers to school?
Here are some useful things to consider that will ensure your child feels comfortable wearing a diaper at school.
Choose the right diaper
The first step is to ensure your child has the right diapers for school. You might want something which has great absorbency so they will last longer before needing to be changed. However, you don’t want something that will look too bulky either as it may look obvious to other children that your son or daughter is wearing a diaper.
Fortunately if you do a quick search online or in your local store, you should hopefully find diapers that are specifically designed for older children, preteens and teenagers.
- For older children, you might want to consider GoodNites Underwear, Pampers Cruisers or Prevail Extra Absorbency Underwear. They have pull-ups and they aren’t that bulky so you child can wear them fairly discreetly.
- For preteens, Curity Youth Pants Night and Day and GoodNites TRU-FIT are a good bet as they are ideal for children who have outgrown toddler training pants.
- For teenagers, Prevail Proven is a good choice as they are fairly discreet and have larger sizes.
Make sure you don’t buy a lot in bulk straight away as it’s important your child feels comfortable wearing a particular diaper. Try a couple of options first, and pick one which they won’t mind wearing at school during the day.
Buy clothes for your child when they’re wearing a diaper
Once you’ve chosen a diaper which your child can wear, it will likely affect what school clothes you should buy. When you go to the store, make sure your son or daughter wears the diaper so you can try on some pants, skirts or dresses that won’t reveal it underneath. In all likelihood, you’ll probably want one size larger than their regular size.
Talk to the form teacher and school nurse
If your child needs to wear a diaper to school, you should really discuss this in person with the teacher and school nurse in advance of your child attending. They may give your child some special privileges so it’ll be ok if your child comes late to class if they need to change their diaper.
How to diaper discreetly
One of the main issues children will feel wearing diapers is how to change them discreetly at school. The best way is to bring diapers and any lotions in a zipped up pouch or bag which your child can put inside their backpack. Some coloured plastic bags are also a good idea to make it easier to dispose of the diaper when your child needs a change. This way it conceals the diaper from other children and makes it more discreet when your child puts it all in the bin. Your child can also wear some plastic pants underneath so they can see if their diaper needs changing.
Who changes diapers at school?
It’s best to discuss this with the school nurse, as they will likely help your child change their diaper. In fact it may be more comfortable for your son or daughter to do this in private with a nurse, rather than in a restroom where other children could enter and disturb things.
FAQs
Most children will finish potty training and be ready to stop using diapers when they’re between 18 months and 3 years old. But some can take longer if their bladder is not developed enough to hold urine for long periods of time. At night time, most children are ready to ditch the diaper when they are between 24-48 months old.
Graham is a father of two who founded Dadometer to share his parenting journey with other moms and dads.
When I was in fifth grade I was still wearing pull ups due to my weak bladder, I’d go to the nurses office during lunch or a “bathroom break” to get a new diaper if needed.
The school nurse was very understanding of my issue and made sure I had plenty of privacy when changing and thanks to her nobody at school found out about my accidents.
It’s great you had some good support at your school. It must have made the world of difference. Thanks for posting.