What is the oldest age it is acceptable for a kid to wear a nappy / diaper?

Question

the reason is that i asked this question:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AvqY9XvoT.xmkeTIVo29az0jzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20071217125023AA7tiZ7&show=7
and most of the answers were that 8 was too old to wear a nappy for ANY reason.

What is the highest age it is acceptable for a child to wear a nappy?
What things is it acceptable to put a child in nappies for?
Do you think that it is acceptable to put a child in nappies at an older age if it is a pull-up so they can change it themselves?

i will not chose your answer as the best answer if you have not answered all three questions and in detail.

by question two i mean what do you think it is acceptable to put a child around age 4-6 in nappies for e.g. bedwetting,
long car trips (on motorway when there are toilet services every 50 miles and you can't pull over)
diarrhea
punishment (i strongly disagree with this)

Answer 1

Every child is different, but 8 is to old.

Answer 2

I think the highest age "acceptable" is age four (and I mean, just turning four, not pushing five). And for this I mean daytime trained. Nighttime is another story. I would advocate a child wearing a pullup at night if they are a frequent bedwetter as long as they feel comfortable wearing one. I strongly feel you cannot "nighttime train" a child. Some kids sleep so deeply they simply don't wake up when they have to use the bathroom. They outgrow this, and it has no impact on daytime training.

Once a child is fully day trained, they should not be put back in diapers for ANY reason during the day. There is no need. If you are taking a long trip and don't think your child can hold it in between rest stops, bring a child portable potty in the car with you. If they have diarrhea, its rarely bad enough that they have accidents, and if they do, so what, you wash their pants and clean them up, no big deal. Anyone that would use diapers for a punishment is SICK and demented.

I do advocate children using diapers or pullups past age four if they have a disability. People should refrain from judging parents on this. My son is autistic, and I was fortuneate I could have him trained at age four. But many of my friends have autistic children that were not trained until older, more like 6-8. Its not laziness on the parents, the children are not developmentally ready to be trained.

Answer 3

Once a child is potty trained, they shouldn't be in a diaper. For most children, this is between the ages of 2-4. I know people that have had a 5 year old in a diaper. They admitted themselves that it was lazyness on their part. Unless the child has a mental of physical handicap, I just can't imagine a child older than 3 in a diaper. However, a Goodnight on an older child due to bedwetting is another issue. I know of kids 8-10 that need this. Its a seperate issue as far as I'm concerned, and its only at bedtime.

After my youngest potty trained at 2, I'd still put her in a diaper on long trips (8+ hours) until she was 3. There were times I just wasn't sure we'd find a toilet in time for her tiny bladder before she had an accident. We usually made it in time, but I didn't want her upset because Mommy waited too long to take her (how she viewed the situation). As for the diarhhea question, I might be tempted to put a 2-3 year old child in a diaper for that, but no older.

Like I said earlier, I don't think a diaper is good on a child older than 3-4 unless there is a mental or physical handicap. If a child can change themselves, they are old enough to get their butt to the toilet in time. If an older kid has an accident, help them clean up and go on about your day. Putting an older kid in a diaper is lazy on the parent's part. As far as the other question, the parent was VERY lazy. An 8 year old is capable of walking themself to the toilet.

Answer 4

2.5 to 3 is the oldest age it is acceptable for a child to wear a diaper, unless they are developmentally delayed or handicapped.

It is acceptable for a child to wear a diaper until the age of 2.5 or 3. Once a child is 2 and a half or 3 they are old enough to be learning to use the toilet.

No, it is not acceptable to put an older child in diapers or pull ups. Studies have shown that pull ups actually slow down potty training because they are much more absorpent and the child does not feel as wet.

A child over the age of 3 wearing diapers or pull ups just means the parents are lazy. (Again, unless the child is handicapped.)

Answer 5

As far as I'm concerned, any age is acceptable if the reason justifies the need to do so. I don't even care if the child is a teenager, if there is good enough reason then I do not see a problem with putting them in a diaper.

Severe diarrhea is one very good reason, even if I'm on the way to the hospital with the child, I don't need to have to be cleaning up a messy car seat. What's the difference of putting a child in a diaper or wrapping the same child up in a blanket or something to keep from messing the car seat or your own clothing. The blanket is much bulkier than the diaper, that's for sure. If I didn't have a diaper available I would use a bath towel or something similar.

Good luck.

Answer 6

I find it interesting that over 30 people disagreed with your reasoning for putting a diaper on an 8 year old, yet you still feel the dire need to feel justified for your actions.

So to answer question 1: The maximum age of a healthy child that should be in a diaper is approximately 4-4 1/2. Accidents will happen, and perhaps a visit to the pediatric urologist might be needed if there is a severe problem with accidents.

Question 2- Sorry, your question makes little sense to me. Can you rephrase it?

Question 3- No, I do not think it is acceptable once a child is fully potty trained. If they can change themselves, it is part of growing and development. At age 8, your son needs to learn how to cope with loose bowels. Teaching him to run to the bathroom is part of it. Teaching how to control the diarrhea is another. Make him the BRAT diet. Banana, rice, applesauce, & toast. Wash it down with Gatorade or water only. Give him over the counter medication only after you contacted your pediatrician for advice.

Hope your son feels better soon.

Answer 7

I would have to sort of agree with "wetsaway" if there is a legitimate issue then what is the age. If your leg is broken, you wear a cast, if you bladder or bowels down work right wear a diaper. If you have a normal child then I think a proper age is when the child is ready somewhere between 2 and 4. I believe far to often children are trained when the parents are ready not when the child is ready.

I am also a strong advocate for diapers for bedwetters, having been one myself I would have rather worn a diaper then continue to wake up in the middle of the night in a wet bed.

Who established the age of potty training anyway. The only reason people feel that diapers are for babies is the same reason some people have other predjudices. it is the human nature that gives timelines.

Answer 8

the oldest age to put a child in a diaper is probably 4 years old, unless the child has a disability. I would however put my child in some sort of pull up if they have massive diarrhea to get them to a doctor, Just to spear them embarrassment.(possible up to age 6)depending on the severity
But if you where home i don't think a child older then 4 should be put in a diaper nor a pull up they need to learn to get to the bathroom when they have the feeling of going. If theirs an accident it just needs to be cleaned up.
But like a had stated before that's how i feel, it is your child and you do what you believe is right.

Answer 9

i agree it is too old, your child must learn to make it to the bathroom, imagine the problem happening in school or at a friends and because they have learned no control, because you have put a diaper on him, he has an accident how embarrassing for him all because you were afraid of cleaning up a mess, i have a 2 year old who gets ill like that and he makes it to the potty and if he does not we clean it up, and pull ups are diapers, there is no difference

Answer 10

3.

Its acceptable to put them in diapers when they are unable to use a toilet because their development has not reached that point.

No, its lazy and disgusting, unless your child is disabled theres never a reason for an older child to wear a diaper.

Using the toilet it a major milestone of development in a child, its a huge booster or their moral and self confidence, putting them back into diapers and telling them "go ahead and wet your pants, its okay THIS time" is rediculous and counter productive.