Recently I had my second child who is a boy and a bit more of a challenge then my daughter. They are 7 yrs. apart.

I have my son in a school that uses all of the new age thinking ways of how to deal with children. So currently I am trying to potty train as my son is 3 1/2 and I feel this should have already been accomplished.

I asked his teacher how they deal with this sort of thing and was told that the new way is "when they are ready, they will." I became concerned that my son wasn't moving on in his curriculum because he was not potty trained. Before at 3 yrs of age kids were potty trained and then moved into the potty trained class room with a higher curriculum where the teachers did not change diapers.

I was told that starting Dec. they would have a special class for kids who were older but not out of diapers. Ok so fast forward to Dec. and my son is in fact in this new class with all the children from his old class who are all not potty trained.

I said f it, I'm gonna potty train him. I spent a weekend with my son on this and he has learned this phrase " I'm not ready". he told me this all weekend. I was very upset. The school has taught him this phrase.

The children of yesteryear did not say these things because parents were tired of washing diapers, paying for a service or paying for these very expensive diapers. They did not have a choice. Kids were working on it as soon as they could walk.

At a birthday party this weekend with most of the kids from his class and their parents this topic was brought up. Mostly because all of our children are still in diapers and the school head was there with her son. All but one of the parents were simply repeating this phrase "when they're ready".
Most of the parents were older, late 30's early 40's, I am only 29. So I am automatically less respected as I am looked at as too young to know what I'm doing.

My point is that with something as simple as potty training they are 3 years of age being taught that when they are ready is when they will do something. What will they not be ready for next? Why have we given the children the ok to tell us what they will and won't do?

One father made it clear that we are raising weak children with this philosophy. He was the only other parent on my side with this issue.

Needless to say I am still working on potty training and it is much more difficult because at school he is not made to do it.