Supernanny Jo Frost has put modern parents on the naughty step, claiming they are 'disabling' the next generation by raising them to stay dependent. In a viral Instagram post, the parenting expert said she has witnessed a growing pattern of capable children not being taught essential life skills.
Frost's Concerns
'We're pushing children along on bikes instead of teaching them how to ride them, we're keeping them in strollers when they should be walking, climbing, building strength,' she told her million followers. 'We've got four-year-olds still using dummies when that was only ever meant to be a short-term aid, seven-year-olds who can't brush their teeth properly without an electric toothbrush, eight-year-olds who can't sit at a table and use a knife and fork, nine-year-olds who don't understand bathroom hygiene.'
Jo, who has worked in childcare for over 35 years, acknowledged that many of us have busy lives, but stressed the issue was more about 'intention' than lack of time. 'Every time we step in or avoid teaching because it's slower, messier, or inconvenient, we take away an opportunity for them to become capable,' she continued, adding in the caption: 'We keep them infantile.'
Public Reaction
Over 66,000 people liked the Channel 4 star's video, with thousands of commenters supporting her argument. 'Having worked as a teacher and headteacher I could not agree more,' wrote janeblackmancelebrant. 'This situation has been deteriorating for years.'
'Daily living skills like opening a jar, cleaning after yourself, shoe laces, even holding a pencil, are slowly diminishing in children that are very quickly becoming the next generation of adults,' added neurodivergent__nate, while early childhood teacher kayhart18 said they'd been 'seeing so much learnt helplessness' in recent years.
Some put the issue down to 'burnt out' and 'overstimulated' families struggling to cope, but others argued it was caused by 'lazy parenting' or 'choosing convenience', and there was 'no excuse' for not helping kids become self-sufficient.
Expert Advice
Jo's advice was to 'go back to basics' by showing young children how to do these basic tasks, letting them practice without stepping in, and encouraging them to try again if they make mistakes. Although this doesn't need to be perfect, the Supernanny host stressed it does need to be consistent, 'because independence isn't something that just happens; it's taught.'
Unfortunately, this doesn't always happen at home. A 2024 report from the charity Kindred found 90% of teachers have at least one child in their class still in nappies, with around half having to dedicate time in the school day to deal with personal hygiene issues instead of lessons.
Expert potty consultant Rebecca Mottram from Little Bunny Bear previously told Metro: 'Research shows that parents and carers are generally potty training too late and that the best age to stop using nappies altogether is somewhere between 18-30 months.'
According to parenting mentor Rachel Fitz-Desorgher, many assume resistance means their little one isn't ready to start learning, when it's actually a case of the child looking for more control over the process. 'Parents should give their child the opportunity to do things for themselves as far as possible,' she explained. 'For most children, encouraging and supporting them to be as independent as possible is the best way to motivate them.'
Heidi Skudder, parenting expert at The Baby Show and founder of Positively Parenthood, also highlighted the importance of not relying on 'convenience gadgets', whether that's a screen to keep kids busy or an electric scooter that speeds up the school run. 'Sometimes, by making life easier in the short term, actually we are taking away critical social and emotional skills that they need to grow and learn,' she added.
