Utah Parents Are Divided On New Potty Training Law

As nice as it would be, there are no special instruction manuals that come with raising a kid. Some hospitals do require first-time parents to complete some "crash course" or a PowerPoint, but once you leave with your newborn... it's all on you!

The Task of Potty Training

While being a parent could be one of the most fulfilling and rewarding roles you'll ever have, it does come with its own set of challenges. One of those challenges is none other than potty training.

There are all kinds of ways to approach it and a lot of parents are taught to not put too much pressure on their kid to potty train because it could create more problems. It's a tough phase to get through because you want your kid to be self-sufficient in the bathroom but you don't want them to feel like they're in hell throughout the training.

Parents can feel pressure too: "What will other parents say if my kid has an accident?", "Will my kid get made fun of by their friends?", and many other understandable concerns including the concerns that come with raising a child with special needs.

There are so many variables and parents all have their way of doing things.

Utah's Potty Training Controversy

A bill was just introduced to Utah legislation centered around the subject of potty training. The bill has stirred up quite a bit of controversy and has parents completely divided. According to Utah legislation:

...the state board shall make rules to: beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, require a student to be toilet trained before being enrolled in kindergarten; establish requirements for an LEA's kindergarten enrollment process to include assurances from a parent that the parent's student is toilet trained...

It makes sense on paper - your kid should be trained by kindergarten but there are several concerns from parents that we'll get to in just a moment. But, what happens if your kid is not fully trained by kindergarten and has an accident? According to Utah law, actions include:

...referring the student and the student's parent to a school social worker or counselor for additional family supports and resources; and reintegration of a student once the student has become toilet trained...

The law explains that a student not yet potty trained will be referred to a counselor and seemingly pulled out of school temporarily. There is an acknowledgment of children with special needs if they are not fully trained yet and the state will:

...create exemptions from the requirement in Subsection (6)(a) for a student who is not able to be toilet trained before kindergarten because of a condition described in an IEP or Section 504 accommodation plan.

As you can imagine, this has stirred up a conversation with strong arguments from both sides.

Here is what parents are saying about the proposed bill...

What do you think? Should Utah pass this bill? Would you like to see this implemented in Idaho? Let us know your thoughts here.