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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To speak to the teacher in the morning about this?

16 replies

goldenlula · 25/11/2013 22:03

Ds2 is 5.5 and in year 1. For the second time in about 6 weeks he has come home from school and told me he has wet himself at school. Both times he has not told anyone, despite the fact I really pushed home to him last time the importance of telling someone and how they would help him get changed etc. After the first incident I spoke to the TA the next day after school as the teacher was unavailable and explained that although ds2 has been fully potty trained for a very long time he has never been able to hold it and when he says he needs to go he needs to go. Ds2 was saying things like they are not allowed to go at such and such a time. The TA said she would ensure he was reminded about going to the toilet and while they prefer them to go at break and lunchtime allowances could be made.
This time ds2 says that he had put his hand up to ask and the teacher told him to put it down, so he had. I should point out here that ds2 has been under investigation for possible SN since he was 3 and when we met with his teacher at the parents evening in October she said that ds2 never puts his hand up in large group time to answer questions etc, so the fact he had his hand up was surely a sign something was up.
Dh and I have, I am afraid to say, told ds2 that if this same situation was to occur he is to leave his hand up and try to speak up. Disobeying a teacher is not something we would normally encourage but our son has been in wet trousers since before lunch for doing as he was told. We have again assured him to tell some one if he has an accident again.
So am I being unreasonable to have a firm but fair word with his teacher? I have experience of classroom work (8 years in a reception class) and I know classroom management can be hard and I realise they can not do anything about the incident as they did not know, but if she had asked him why his hand was up (as it is a rarity) it could have been avoided. I hate confrontation by the way and will probably end up apologising to her for what'd happened.

OP posts:
AlbertHerbertHawkins · 25/11/2013 22:06

Your son is your priorty he needs you to speak up for him. Good luck x.

SirChenjin · 25/11/2013 22:10

Yes, definitely speak to her. If she's in any way a normal, decent person she will be horrified that he's wet himself and she prevented him from going to the toilet (and if she's not then other conversations should be had..)

Could you suggest that he has some sort of signal to let her know he needs to go NOW - hand up with one finger pointing, or both hands up, something like that?

Only1scoop · 25/11/2013 22:14

Yanbu ....speak to teacher

SeaSickSal · 25/11/2013 22:15

Erm, I'm surprised to see such a fair and level headed post in AIBU. Are you sure you put it in the right place. ;)

Yes YAB totally NU. Your plan sounds like a good one.

Amy106 · 25/11/2013 22:20

I would talk to the teacher.

Backtobedlam · 25/11/2013 22:24

Definitely speak to his teacher, it must be really uncomfortable for him and as its the second time needs the teacher to address it.

WooWooOwl · 25/11/2013 22:26

I'd talk to the teacher, it also ask what time of day this was. If she was a few minutes into teaching straight after lunch, then your ds needs to remember to go at lunchtime.

If it was at the end of the morning and he hadn't had the opportunity to go for a while, then he should have been allowed to go.

morethanpotatoprints · 25/11/2013 22:28

Oh yes, definitely talk to the teacher, he is only young.
YANBU. My dc used to say they weren't allowed to go and it used to annoy me. However, I can understand if 30 dc decided to go in class time it would be bedlam.
if they really need to go they should be allowed.

DeepThought · 25/11/2013 22:29

poor little chap

YANBU

As an aside, ask teacher to encourage him to drink more during the daytime - counterintuitive I know, but drinking more will stretch the bladder, increasing it's volume and holding capacity. Thrust a sports type bottle of water into his hand at pick up time yourself (or ask the person picking up to do so) and try to increase fluid intake at home as well. Milk or water best, red/brown fluids like cola, ribena, tea, can irritate the bladder.

Noseynoonoo · 25/11/2013 22:39

It may be worth having a change of clothes on his peg so if this does happen, he can go and change.

Surprised that no one noticed he was wet. Poor boy.

CailinDana · 25/11/2013 22:43

When teaching my policy was always two hands up for toilet as it's easy for a request to get lost in the crowd otherwise. Could you suggest that for your ds? I never went along with the specific times for toilet thing. My only rule was one at a time. I never had any problems. Preventing someone of any age from using the toilet isn't justifiable IMO.

goldenlula · 25/11/2013 22:45

I am hoping the teacher will be able to say when the incident with his hand being up took place as ds2 has some issues with ordering events so it is confusing to know when, but he did say before lunch and also mentioned the outside of his trousers we're dry after pe, but then seemed confused as to whether it happened before or after pe and at what point in the day pe is (before or after lunch). He has started having milk at playtime today (subsidised milk thing that we have only just started using). Ds2 is, at the moment, having a bad time with is ability to tell when he needs to go. Yesterday he told me a couple of minutes after leaving somewhere he was desperate and when I said why didn't you go before we left the place he said because he didn't need to go, but he was at the wriggling and crossing his legs point as he was telling me, he ended up wetting himself just as he got to the toilet unfortunately (we are a few minutes drive from home when he told me).
I have told him he needs to go at lunch etc but the problem with ds2 is that if he doesn't feel he needs to go, then he won't and as he is only recognising when he is almost at 'bursting' point, then it is difficult. It is all so hard with him right now!

OP posts:
malymoo · 25/11/2013 22:56

I agree with the suggestion of a signal. My children use two hands to make a capital T shape if they need to go to the toilet during teaching times. I can just nod at them and that way it doesn't disrupt my teaching and I don't get 10 other children asking to go!

goldenlula · 26/11/2013 12:32

Thank you for the suggestions. I managed to speak to his class teacher this morning as she was in the classroom and explained what had happened and told her we had told him that he was to leave his hand up even when told to put it down if he needed the toilet. To be fair she was very good about it, apologised that it had gone unnoticed and has agreed to have a quiet chat with ds2 to reassure him it was ok to tell them if he has an accident and no one will be cross etc. they will also remind him to go to the toilet and we hope to get him in to a 'routine' of going to try, so that he doesn't forget. Fingers crossed this all works.

OP posts:
SirChenjin · 26/11/2013 13:02

That sounds like it went really well - so pleased for you Smile

Noseynoonoo · 27/11/2013 14:25

That sounds like a good outcome Smile

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