A mother of six has hit back at Louise Thompson after the Made in Chelsea star sparked outrage by questioning parents who send their children to school in nappies. The 36-year-old and her husband Ryan Libbey, 35, faced immediate backlash on their podcast He Said, She Said after discussing a survey showing 24% of reception pupils are not fully toilet trained. Louise suggested it might be a 'cop-out' by parents who 'can't be bothered.'
The Reality Behind the Statistics
The Kindred² 2025 School Readiness Survey also found that 28% of children starting reception cannot drink independently or feed themselves, with 2.4 hours of teaching time lost daily to these needs—1.4 hours of which involve toilet issues. While the survey claims to focus on non-SEND children, the diagnosis gap means many four-year-olds enter school without a label due to lengthy assessment waitlists.
Carla Hoskins, a 38-year-old mother of six from London, has two autistic children. Her six-year-old son Romeo still wears nappies and attends mainstream school part-time. 'I'm just shocked that she even thought it was okay to put it out there,' Carla told the Mirror. 'My son is in a mainstream school, so he would be part of that statistic. Many children aren't diagnosed until six or seven, so those kids are included. No parent wants their child in nappies at school.'
Parental Struggles and Shame
Carla, who stopped working in education to care for Romeo, highlighted the embarrassment parents face. 'There are many kids with autism worse than Romeo, and teachers are understaffed. I feel bad for them because they didn't sign up to work with specialist children to that degree.' She added that Louise's laughter during the podcast was 'probably the worst part—imagine struggling to potty train your child and seeing someone taking the p**s out of you.'
Frankie Gulliver, 29, from Devon, whose son Cole has autism and global development delay, invited the couple to see her reality. 'My son will likely never live independently. We don't have a choice or a silver spoon. We're fighting a system not built for children like my son.' She branded the comments a sign of 'privilege' far removed from parents working long hours during the cost-of-living crisis to afford nappies.
Systemic Barriers to School Readiness
The survey found that financial pressures are a major barrier to school readiness, with parents working longer hours and having less time to prepare children for reception. A teacher with 18 years of experience called the SEND funding situation 'diabolical,' noting factors like the closure of hundreds of Sure Start clinics. These centres offered support for families with children under five in England, and a child poverty task force recently urged the government to restore the service.
The teacher described securing an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) as 'soul destroying,' adding that only parents with the capacity to fight succeed. 'I've had many parents through my door, and it's rare to find a lazy parent. They want the best for their children. Toilet training issues aren't down to lazy parenting or iPad usage. Screen time is a go-to blame that takes the onus off the government.'
Additional Challenges
Incontinence clinics often refuse to see children until age seven, yet schools expect them to be trained by four. Diet also plays a role, with the teacher noting a rise in childhood constipation and laxative use due to families struggling to afford fresh food.
Following the backlash, the podcast's Instagram page removed the clip and admitted failing to account for the SEND community, stating they wanted to 'learn more' about the challenges families face. Louise Thompson and the Department for Education have been contacted for comment.
