Mums slam Next for ‘wildly inappropriate’ potty training pants for toddlers – but they’ve divided people
ONLINE mums have been left gobsmacked by a bizarre pair of potty training pants for toddlers.
A concerned parent posted a picture of the pants to Facebook group Family Lowdown Tips and Ideas, asking its 1.2 million members what they thought of the design.
She captioned her post: “I was just scrolling Facebook when this Next ad came up.
“Is it just me or is this underwear wildly inappropriate? I know many pants have characters on them but it’s the placement of this one. It just made me feel so uneasy! What the hell Next?”
Her post contained a screenshot of the Next advert, which showed a toddler modelling the potty training pants.
The underwear featured a cat’s face plastered over the crotch, a design choice which left many feeling “uneasy”.
The animal had a pink bow on its head with blue eyes, large eyelashes and its tongue playfully sticking out – but many thought the choice of animal and placement was “inappropriate”.
Hundreds of the group‘s members were unimpressed with the print on the pants and the use of a real child model in the advert.
One user replied: “I saw this too and thought it was very bizarre. Something I’d expect from an AliExpress or Shein advert, not a Next one.”
Another person agreed, saying: “In 2025 I don’t think we should have little kids modelling underwear tbh, there’s far too many weirdos about.”
This is disgusting.
Facebook user
And someone else chimed in: “I think the problem is where the cat is placed. I’ve bought my daughter underwear with cats on before but the picture was at the top, I’ve never seen knickers with the picture at the bottom like that.”
Another person commented: “I wouldn’t buy them, I do think the placement is too low and a bit strange with it being a cat. If the placement was higher up I’d not even think twice.”
However, not everybody agreed that the pants were offensive.
Some people argued that the animal-themed underwear was innocent and claimed disgusted parents were “overthinking.”
Someone wrote: “It’s a cat on some pants, it’s only weird if people make it weird.”
While another person agreed, commenting: “It’s the easily offended adults that make it weird. To a child, it’s a cat on some underwear. Stop sexualising children.”
It didn’t even occur to me what people were on about until I read the comments. Weird that people even thought that in my opinion.
Facebook user
And another person said: “Too much overthinking going on here – it wouldn’t even have occurred to me and I don’t suppose it would occur to a three year old either!”
Steps to Keep Your Child Safe From Grooming
By Emma Kenny, true crime psychologist and parenting expert
- Encourage your child to share their day-to-day experiences. Ask who they talked to on the way home, what happened at the bus stop, and if anything made them feel uncomfortable. The more openly you talk, the more confident they’ll be to speak up if something feels off.
- If possible, arrange for your child to walk or travel with friends. Identify safe spaces along the route, trusted neighbours or shops where they can go if they feel threatened.
- Groomers often switch to online contact once they’ve made initial in-person connections. Monitor your child’s digital devices in a respectful but proactive way. Agree on ground rules for social media use, and encourage them to show you anything that makes them feel uneasy.
- If your parental alarm bells are going off, do not dismiss those feelings. Challenge unusual behaviour or new relationships gently but firmly. Seek professional advice if you suspect your child is at risk.
- If you have any evidence or strong suspicions that someone is grooming your child, contact the police immediately. Support and guidance from organisations like the NSPCC or Barnardo’s can also be invaluable in helping you navigate this distressing situation.
Many users urged concerned parents to contact Next directly, and it now appears the pants have been removed from Next’s website.
Fabulous has reached out to Next for comment.