US Students 'Bleeding through trousers' due to strict bathroom policy

They used to lock the toilets in lesson times when I was in secondary (2006-11) and so even the nice teachers COULDNT let you go because you wouldn't be able to get in anyway.
One poor girl had a bad accident because of it and was mercilessly bullied for years.

This is awful.

It goes on in UK schools too though. I remember having this very issue and this is like 15 years back now. Our school said we could not under any circumstances go to the loo during lessons, and the toilets were locked except for in breaks (so you couldn't even nip there between lessons). It was horrendous, and going from people I know the rule is still in place. We even had a kid in our class with bowel issues that shat himself because of this rule, a few times. His parents eventually moved his school as they would not even make an exception for someone with a disability. I would hope such draconian rules were not still around, but it seems they are getting worse.

I actually used to play truant when I had my period. Or, if my parents actually took me to school, in the first break I would hide in the loos to get locked in, then just spend my day in the toilets reading

And the jumper round waist 'solution' is vile too tbh.

catfan you cone across as a petty little dictator, enjoying having power of a group of 11 year olds. Poor kids.

Good point miz. The sad truth is though that teachers like that are alas all too common. But yes, over and out.

That had occurred to me too, Miz (which is why I asked why the poster had bumped it!) - an AS shows the bumper to be a brand-new poster today.

I have a child about to go into yr 4. He still asks as we sit down whether we are having lunch or dinner sometimes. He hasn't the first clue about when things are happening, can't tell the time and gets so involved in playtime games that he wouldn't notice if Armageddon kicked off 20 metres away. Luckily his bladder is cast iron but all the same I hope he never encounters a teacher like you who expects him to have the time management skills of a 25yo at all times.

How interesting than an old thread has been resurrected with a common Mumsnet perv trope - "I'm a teacher and I won't let children use the toilet during lessons".

I'd recommend people stop providing anecdotes, personally.

catfan my son is year 8 and ASD. He has problems with his bowel and bladder as in he doesn't recognise always the need to go until it's urgent. The OT he saw said he needs a toilet card, he has one yet still teachers chose to ignore it and say he should've gone at break. This is unacceptable and demoralising to be disciplined for something he can't change.

It's no different to a girl who also can't change the way her uterus decides it wants to bleed. I find it quite awful that in a civilised society this is ignored.

@catfangirl

I get that you can’t go either but presumably you’re not sharing your staff toilet with hundreds of colleagues? Have you forgotten what it’s like trying to get a free cubicle at lunch sometimes?

My DD pissed herself in class when she wasn’t 6 after being told she ‘wasn’t allowed’ to go to the toilet. She was punished for it.

She hasn’t been to school for 2 years because of stuff like this.

This was what my high school was like. I trained myself to go the whole day without having a piss because we weren’t allowed during class and the toilets were locked at break and lunch because of ‘vandalism’.

pasta these are not even teenagers, they are yr 5 i.e. 9 and 10 years old. I think adults forget so easily what it's like being that age. But you'd hope teachers wouldn't be among them. I'm so glad my kids' school is humane about these things.

Catfangirl

Not everyone has perfectly functioning bladders, bowels or uteruses and as yet get older this urge to go to the toilet could happen to you.

Ok so you can take precautions, but what about my DD who can soak a 5* ultra ultra pad in 20 mins - no good when your stuck in double PE and not “allowed” to go to the bathroom. She would rather stay at home than go to school and have an accident. I raised it with the school, who say they are understanding but that memo hasn’t got through to the nasty PE teacher yet, and her petty rules.

"I'm sorry but if she was that desperate she could have gone at lunch"

That's depressing, you teach yr 5 but clearly have no idea about how children think. Yes she should have gone during lunch, but still you'd prefer to have a 10yo wet herself in front of classmates than let her go to the loo? That's shameful. And do you think a 10yo on her period is going to want to explain to you in front of the class why she needs to go mid lesson?!

I used to restrict my fluid intake and wear sanitary protection in the days before my period just in case because my school had this policy.

I saw the same when I worked in paediatrics, child would have kidney function tests, results would be more or less normal but show dehydration, doctor would advise the child to drink more, child would say they can't as the teacher won't let them use the toilet.

if they explain of course I would let them go

So you understand then that it's ridiculous that these girls are not being allowed to go when they ask... i.e the point of the thread.

Assuming you are an adult female you've probably had a bit more practice and understand your cycles better than teenagers so can 'take precautions'.

Why has Catfan bumped an old-ish thread?

(And at year 5 some of your pupils will have started their periods - as children. Chances are they're feeling uncomfortable and embarrassed about this. Shame on you for making their young lives even harder.)

Year 5, Catfangirl so 11 year olds? We’re talking about teenage girls here, with periods. I presume most of year 5s won’t have started yet...

Catfan because you can't train menstrual blood to only come out at break and lunch - surely a fellow female would get that?

That'll stink.

And what about infection risk?