to think this school nurse is having a laugh

[WordsAreNoUseAtAll]

So, we need to measure how much wee 4yo DD1 does in one wee. I asked the school nurse how to do this and she told me to just get a cheap jug from poundland and ask her to wee in it.

Is she having a laugh? How do you get a four year old, who is nervous around the whole weeing thing anyway, to even wee in a jug, never mind do a normal sized wee?

Seriously? What other way do you think you are going to be able to collect it? Will she go on a potty?

I really don't understand why you think the nurse is having a laugh?

Because what four year old will wee in a jug? Considering she has trouble getting to the toilet on time?

I'm thinking maybe hiding the jug in the toilet somehow and just kind of rushing her into the bathroom so she doesn't have time to notice might work? But it still won't catch all the wee.

I can try a potty, but surely she won't do a full wee if she is aware of something being different?

Hold it in the toilet while she sits on there for a wee?

I've measured DD2's wee before (230ml+ and she was only 3y at the time) due to repeat infections. She wee'd in a potty and I carefully tipped it into a old EBM storage bottle to measure it.

Wasn't too tricky. Though if you have a big 4y it might be worthwhile putting the potty on a step so they aren't sitting with their knees by their ears. Also ask if they need a poo first....

Cross post. If you hold it close to her body you should catch it all

Or get it all over your hand! Potty would be easier

Because what four year old will wee in a jug? Considering she has trouble getting to the toilet on time?

Think you're going to have to follow her around with it. I've had to do that before . . . oh what fun!

surely she won't do a full wee if she is aware of something being different?

I think this might depend on how you present it to her.

Could you not make it into a little game with your DD?

That's how I'd approach it. Have a bit of a giggle and a "isn't this funny?" "can you imagine doing a wee in a jug?" "mummy had better not forget and put it in daddy's gravy at dinnertime!" "can you imagine if daddy had gravy on his dinner that was made with your wee! That would be disgusting!" and then we'd have had a whole "urgh drinking wee in your gravy" conversation! How nice!!

That sort of nonsense chat will enable her to relax and forget about it. If you treat it with a "well this'll never happen! what a ridiculous idea" attitude, then it won't. If you turn it into a "you'll never guess what the silly nurse wants us to do..." conversation that might make it easier.

Trying to 'catch' it and hoping she doesn't notice is only going to make it all seem very strange and upsetting. If you make a game out of it, she might be ok.

My DD's 5, this is how I would have approached it with her.

Would it be worse for her to suggest pull ups for just one wee? Thinking if it's just to measure it you can weigh it?

Or do what they do in the hospital... get a big plastic bowl and put it in the loo pan. it will catch her wee and you can pour it into a jug whenever.

Well I guess there's a medical reason for needing the sample, so do you have any constructive ideas of your own. Or do you think the nurse is asking for samples just for the fun of it as the nurse has nothing better to do?

Well, she has a pull up overnight, so could I maybe use that? It usually has a few wees in it though - I changed her in the middle of last night as it was wet when she got up with a nightmare, and it was wet again by the morning.

The main thing is to measure it, although ideally they want a sample as well.

No, I see why it is needed, I just have no idea how to get it from a nervous child, who I don't want to make more nervous about toilets than she already is.

Well, I don't actually know how nervous she is, as she won't tell me what she thinks about toilets at all, but I'd hazard a guess that she is nervous. Or if she isn't, I don't want to make her nervous. She is definitely not happy with people "doing things" to her like brushing her hair or wiping her bum or whatever, and she definitely doesn't go to the toilet when she should.

It is because she wets herself so much, the nurse wants to know her bladder capacity.

My four year old has weed in a jug loads of times. No problems at all.

Tell her the toilet is broken

"oh no!!!!"

Then YOU use a potty.

Then when she needs a wee she won't be fussed but will think it's ok

Why has the "school" nurse asked for this anyway?

how about putting a bowl in the toilet?

Is it normal for school nurses to want to carry out tests/ make diagnoses like this?
I would have assumed that she'd suggest you go through your GP and get the relevant referrals if necessary. BTW, I think GPs can provide you with special collection pads for collecting samples from small children.

Who can do the biggest wee competition! But you'd have to wee in a jug too!

Who can do the biggest wee competition! But you'd have to wee in a jug too!

"What four year old would wee in a jug"?

My son would delight at this task. Anything toilety really floats his boat

Well, I thought it a bit odd, tbh - I thought they were like HVs, ie they would print a reward chart off sparklebox and make some vague noises about giving her enough water to drink, which is what the HV did just before DD1 started school.

I think I'm going to ask for a referral for her be assessed for wider issues anyway, but I think the SN will think I'm making stuff up if we haven't seen if her bladder is the right size.

Hmm, her little sister is using the potty now, should I maybe say that DD1 needs to "show" DD2 how to do a nice big wee, because she is only doing baby wees and needs a big girl to show her?

plastic bag, like large freezer bag under the rim of the toilet?