Dd9 charged for bathroom visits

[bettyandbob]

So, I have to chime in here. When I was a kid, I actually had an undiagnosed medical condition for several years before anyone took notice. It made me have to go to the bathroom every 30 minutes or so. I am POSITIVE that my teachers just thought I was trying to get out of class. I was not. Honestly. I would wait until I couldn't anymore and then ask. It was embarrassing going all the time but I had to! Even in high school, I would go between every single class and sometimes even had to ask during class too.

 

 

If a child is leaving class every 30-60 minutes to go to the bathroom, that is a problem. If the child says she honestly needs to go that often, then it really is the responsibility of the parent to get the problem diagnosed by a medical professional. The OP has not said her dd has a medical issue. The OP has not said she has sent a not to school explaining the need to get to the bathroom frequently. My response would be different if the OP had said those things. A typically developing child can go a few hours between bathroom trips. The majority of 9 year olds can get through a 6.5 hour day with only one bathroom trip. But I think having 2 or 3 opportunities is fine, recognizing that a 9 year old can be expected not need to leave right in the middle of an instructional period every time she needs to go.

 

There is a hostile tone to the note. However, that is typical of forms I've seen from local public schools. The teacher probably filled out a form developed by school administration. I think the OP needs to move beyond the tone and figure why her dd needs to go to the bathroom.

 

I, too had a medical condition that made bathroom use not fit neatly in a teacher's schedule. My mother sent a note explaining the issue. Problem handled. However, I did do my best to follow the bathroom schedule laid out by that teacher (I think we had 2 scheduled breaks specifically for the bathroom).

[readinmom]

She used the bathroom 6 times in one week. They equated it to her owing them 46 minutes of quality instructional time.

 

There are teachers at my school site that give one pass per quarter, but that is for highschoolers. Even at that, even I realize that sometimes we just can't control ourselves to four visits a year, especially the girls who are having certain issues.

 

Without being "snarky" (because I am too good at it apparently) I am going to call the doctor and just get the note. It's just a ridiculous thing to keep fighting about. The school's test scores slipped 12 points, so everything is test, test, test! The comments about her being bored are probably right, because she often feels they don't do anything in class.

 

Thanks for all of the comments. I just thought you would find it interesting.

[justLisa]

So about once a day?

 

Recess is so short around here there is no way a kid has time to go breathe air AND pee :glare:

[Arcadia]

She used the bathroom 6 times in one week. They equated it to her owing them 46 minutes of quality instructional time.

 

I am going to call the doctor and just get the note. It's just a ridiculous thing to keep fighting about.

 

6 times a week for a 9 year old is well within the realm of normal.

The teacher is probably under bureaucratic procedure to issue the note in your original post.

 

I'll just get the doctor's note instead of having my child penalised for something so trivial.

[Zebra]

So, less than 10 minutes a day to go to the bathroom? I would think a note home would be because she was spending an hour a day in there.

 

Boy am I lucky I'm not still in school...:lol:!

 

I would get a Dr's note and be done with it too.

[Plateau Mama]

She used the bathroom 6 times in one week. They equated it to her owing them 46 minutes of quality instructional time.

 

 

That equates out to 7.66666 minutes per visit. How on earth do they come up with that number? Also, how much time does the teacher waste tracking how many times each student goes to the bathroom, calculating the educational time lost and sending the note?

 

Seems like the teacher could be using her time better.

[Embassy]

She used the bathroom 6 times in one week. They equated it to her owing them 46 minutes of quality instructional time.

 

:svengo: That is crazy. Get a doctor's note.

[labst60]

I just read the OP's update... thank goodness I homeschool because **I** would be the **worst** ps parent ever! OP - that's just nuts! Nuts that it's a problem to use the restroom 1-2x/day, nuts that the teacher sent the letter, nuts that the teacher counted the number of MINUTES used.

 

Nuts, nuts, nuts.... it's crazy stuff like this that helps me plow on even in the hard hs days. (Not intended as a criticism of anyone who sends their children to PS - I went to PS and I loved it - I think I just have too many issues with authority..... or the schools try to take too much authority.... but either way, it woudn't be pretty (on my part) if I sent the kids to PS!)

[Forget-Me-Not]

That equates out to 7.66666 minutes per visit. How on earth do they come up with that number? Also, how much time does the teacher waste tracking how many times each student goes to the bathroom, calculating the educational time lost and sending the note?

 

Seems like the teacher could be using her time better.

 

I'm wondering if the "correct" answer was 48 and whoever filled out the note made a mistake. . . unless they're running a stopwatch every time she goes, which seems like it would only serve to maximize the disruption to the class.

[Forget-Me-Not]

 

Nuts, nuts, nuts.... it's crazy stuff like this that helps me plow on even in the hard hs days.

 

Yup. Me too.

[Mommy22alyns]

Wow. So she goes about once a day and they're sending the nastygram? Thank goodness for homeschooling.

[GSOchristie]

When I taught, we had a time out/time in sheet they had to fill out when they used the restrooms. That way when someone threw wet paper towels all over the ceiling, overflowed the toilets, or got into a fight, they would have an exact log of who was in there :glare:. Maybe that's where they got the 46 minutes.

[momacacia]

Wow! My 8yo would have to go more than 6 times a week likely. Especially after having had something to drink (keeping herself hydrated). If she had had 8-12 oz of something over lunch, eg, it wouldn't be unusual for her to need to go 2x in the next class hour. If she'd had nothing to drink, no need to potty. While she can hold things pretty well, she does seem to also have a small bladder. We'd be getting the doctor's note.:)

[elegantlion]

Talk about micromanaging something to death, seriously. 6 times in a week! How absurd. Perhaps you should bill them for any time you spend in pursuit of dealing with their asinine requirements. Bill them for the co-pay. :glare:

[Mommy22alyns]

Talk about micromanaging something to death, seriously. 6 times in a week! How absurd. Perhaps you should bill them for any time you spend in pursuit of dealing with their asinine requirements. Bill them for the co-pay. :glare:

 

I like this idea!

[awisha.]

If I was a pediatrician, I'd be writing a nasty-gram to the school. Like they're not busy enough, now they have to write notes giving children permission to go to the bathroom? :001_huh:

 

Surely there's got to be a middle ground between saying to the kid, "You're spending an awful lot of time in the bathroom," and using teacher time tracking the number of minutes "wasted" in order to send home a penalty letter. What ever happened to a conversation with parents?

 

Sheesh.

 

Cat

 

 

:iagree:

[Mynyel]

I wouldn't even get the note. I'd be in someone's face. I was and would be (if I had kids in ps) a horrid ps parent. I don't bend to them. If my child has to use the restroom then so be it. I'll be ****ed if I will spend money and waste the doctor's time in order to get a blasted note that isn't required or needed.

 

I'd also be in someone's face again if it came down to them punishing my kids for it too.

 

I have been there done that. I fought. This is why I homeschool, I got tired of having to fight over everything.

[celticmom]

I just read the OP's update... thank goodness I homeschool because **I** would be the **worst** ps parent ever! OP - that's just nuts! Nuts that it's a problem to use the restroom 1-2x/day, nuts that the teacher sent the letter, nuts that the teacher counted the number of MINUTES used.

 

Nuts, nuts, nuts.... it's crazy stuff like this that helps me plow on even in the hard hs days. (Not intended as a criticism of anyone who sends their children to PS - I went to PS and I loved it - I think I just have too many issues with authority..... or the schools try to take too much authority.... but either way, it woudn't be pretty (on my part) if I sent the kids to PS!)

 

:iagree:

[Bang!Zoom!]

Is that Constitutional? :D

[Kirch]

She used the bathroom 6 times in one week. They equated it to her owing them 46 minutes of quality instructional time.

 

There are teachers at my school site that give one pass per quarter, but that is for highschoolers. Even at that, even I realize that sometimes we just can't control ourselves to four visits a year, especially the girls who are having certain issues.

 

Without being "snarky" (because I am too good at it apparently) I am going to call the doctor and just get the note. It's just a ridiculous thing to keep fighting about. The school's test scores slipped 12 points, so everything is test, test, test! The comments about her being bored are probably right, because she often feels they don't do anything in class.

 

Thanks for all of the comments. I just thought you would find it interesting.

 

That equates out to 7.66666 minutes per visit. How on earth do they come up with that number? Also, how much time does the teacher waste tracking how many times each student goes to the bathroom, calculating the educational time lost and sending the note?

 

Seems like the teacher could be using her time better.

:iagree:

 

 

Perhaps she feels like they're not doing anything in class b/c the teacher is spending all her time tracking bathroom visits!:tongue_smilie:

[Supertechmom]

I wouldn't even get the note. I'd be in someone's face. I was and would be (if I had kids in ps) a horrid ps parent. I don't bend to them. If my child has to use the restroom then so be it. I'll be ****ed if I will spend money and waste the doctor's time in order to get a blasted note that isn't required or needed.

 

I'd also be in someone's face again if it came down to them punishing my kids for it too.

 

I have been there done that. I fought. This is why I homeschool, I got tired of having to fight over everything.

 

BINGO! Wouldn't get a dr's note. I've posted before, I would call the state dept of Ed and contact their legal dept and have them contact the school with the info that they can not punish students for the bathroom. I would send a note back that using the bathroom once a day and twice one day is absolutely allowed and my kid would not serve detention and would not be punished for it. I would be such a bad school parent. I never understood in school how going to the bathroom is such a disturbance. Put the pass by the door and let students know to slip out quietly and without making a disruption. They don't need to ask permission or beg to go.

[swellmomma]

I wouldn't even get the note. I'd be in someone's face. I was and would be (if I had kids in ps) a horrid ps parent. I don't bend to them. If my child has to use the restroom then so be it. I'll be ****ed if I will spend money and waste the doctor's time in order to get a blasted note that isn't required or needed.

 

I'd also be in someone's face again if it came down to them punishing my kids for it too.

 

I have been there done that. I fought. This is why I homeschool, I got tired of having to fight over everything.

 

This is me too. I was a great ps parent in some regards, I was on the PTA, I was room mother I helped out constantly, but if you are going to be an arse in dealing with my child I will call you out on it and I did. I was never the ps parent to bend over and take whatever the teachers were dishing out. I am sure they had a party in the teacher's lounge when I decided my kids were not returning the next year because I was going to homeschool.

[Catwoman]

After reading the update, I wouldn't get a doctor's note. I would be in the principal's office telling him or her what I thought of their form letter and their ridiculous bathroom penalty policy. I would never feign an illness for my child just so I could obey a ridiculous rule.