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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think that this is not the best way for school to deal with child pooing on floor?

106 replies

TimelyNameChangey · 02/12/2014 21:13

I've changed my name as this could out me.

Last week in the email which is sent to all parents at my DC primary school, the HT added an attachment to "all parents of infant girls"

It was a letter outlinging the fact that a girl in the infants had been soiling the floors in the infant girls toilets.

It went on to say that the child must be very uncomfortable as there was a real mess in the loo..on the floor and in a cubicle and that the parent must be aware as their pants would be messy.

It asked that the parent come forward in confidence so the teacher could work with them and their child.

Today a paper letter came home in all infant girls bags saying it had happened again today and that the matter will be dealt with in confidence...that nobody will know it was them....they're concerned to find the child so that she can be helped.

I feel like this...if the child is making that much mess then why can't the child's teacher smell it!?

Poor kid. And to send a second letter out when the parent has not come forward after last weeks...isn't it going to make things worse for them? Won't they feel even more embarrassed?

This is a tiny village primary with a very "naice" intake. Perhaps they'r;e too ashamed or could they really not know? Isn't there some other way of the school dealing with this?

My DD and all the other infants know about this matter and of course they are speculating about who it is....I put a stop to that immediately by the way.

OP posts:
Pipbin · 02/12/2014 21:16

How would you like them to deal with it? If they can't work out who it is then I can't see what else they can do.
As for smelling it. It can be hard to pinpoint which child is smelly in a group of 30.

WorraLiberty · 02/12/2014 21:18

There is no such thing as a "naice" intake.

Kids are kids and shit is shit

But I too, am surprised no-one can smell it.

Perhaps it's a member of staff! Grin

Original poster
TimelyNameChangey · 02/12/2014 21:18

Pip I suppose I imagined that the teachers and TAs would be close to individual kids at times...reading and so forth.

It's just...I don't know. Not nice as the infants are gossping now. I feel like they've made such a fuss that all the parents are aware and that the child responsible will now feel they've done something naughty.

OP posts:
VerityWaves · 02/12/2014 21:18

Well what are they meant to do?

Original poster
TimelyNameChangey · 02/12/2014 21:19

Worra literally laughed out loud there!

OP posts:
Original poster
TimelyNameChangey · 02/12/2014 21:20

verity I don't know! I'm not a teacher! I just thought that if a child is making that much mess they should smell it! Poo smells a lot!

OP posts:
Shallishanti · 02/12/2014 21:20

not the schools fault if parents openly gossiping, they should know better

aermingers · 02/12/2014 21:22

You don't really know what's happened. It could be a child who is frightened of the toilet and has resorted to pooing on the floor. They might still be wiping themselves and not be smelly. If they can't find out who it is I can understand they need to ask.

Original poster
TimelyNameChangey · 02/12/2014 21:22

No I've not heard parents gossip...I bet they are though. It seems lax...how can you not smell a child with crap in her pants!?

OP posts:
DoJo · 02/12/2014 21:24

Either the infants know about it because one of them has seen it, or because the parents are telling them about the contents of the letter - either way there's not much the school can do about that. If the gossip has only been going on since the letters went out then perhaps the onus should be on the parents not to spread the information, rather than the school not making an effort to work out which child in their care is having trouble with the toilet

Original poster
TimelyNameChangey · 02/12/2014 21:24

aer no. The letter was clear and said that the poo was on the floor, spread around the walls and the cubicle as well as the loo seat. The letter added that the mess was extensive enough for them to assume the child would have evidence in their clothing ...pretty much to point out the fact that the parent should know.

OP posts:
Pipbin · 02/12/2014 21:24

The children would have known it happens because one of the children would have found the mess and brought it to a teachers attention.

As for smelling it, I have spent many afternoons wandering round my classroom trying to work out who the smell is coming from. And often if you ask a child you suspect if they have had an accident they deny it. Then you are forced to decide if you leave it or look in the pants of an unwilling child.

Original poster
TimelyNameChangey · 02/12/2014 21:25

DoJo Infants can read. The letters were in their hands and not in envelopes.

OP posts:
BlinkAndMiss · 02/12/2014 21:25

I understand the notes in the bag, but I don't think the school are considering that this could be part of a bigger issue. Perhaps the child is distressed about something else and it is manifesting itself like this, perhaps the parents don't actually care enough to have realised that the child is in a mess when they get home. I could obviously be wrong but I'm sure that toilet issues are a red flag.

The teachers and TAs could very easily work out who it is by monitoring who visits the toilet and at what time. They could also have a member of staff outside the toilets on duty at lunch and break times. I doubt it would take very long to figure out who it is. It makes me wonder why they keep sending notes - it does sound like they are trying to prove something about a certain parent.

Floggingmolly · 02/12/2014 21:25

Well, the child's parents have apparently missed it too; so why are you so amazed that the teachers haven't worked it out? Confused

Original poster
TimelyNameChangey · 02/12/2014 21:25

Pipbin Never realised it would be hard to detect! I suppose classrooms are a bit smelly in general.

OP posts:
Janethegirl · 02/12/2014 21:26

If the parents could know, surely the teachers could too. The child will have smelled of poo unless a v young child can wipe away all evidence on its person.

Original poster
TimelyNameChangey · 02/12/2014 21:27

Blink I thought the same.

Molly well they might not say anything if they were embarrassed or if they felt they had something to hide...as flagged by Bink

OP posts:
Camolips · 02/12/2014 21:28

I'm amazed the parents haven't come storming in accusing the school of neglect for letting their child sit around in pooey pants all day!

And with the smell of a classroom after lunch, it's hard to sometimes distinguish between toxic farts and shitty pants, your nose deceives you after a while and you become immune.

Original poster
TimelyNameChangey · 02/12/2014 21:28

Either way I just felt it was not a good way to deal with it...open letters in the hands of small DC...one child came out with my DD, they handed us the letters and the other little girl said "It wasn't me! I saw X go in there before it happened! and I said "Oh well you've ALL been in there..." to try to stop her saying more.

They could speculate about all of the class amongst themselves and it could cause a lot of worry for the child who is doing this.

OP posts:
fatterface · 02/12/2014 21:29

It's not that easy to pinpoint which child out of 30 has poo pants. What are you supposed to do, check them all?

Original poster
TimelyNameChangey · 02/12/2014 21:29

Cam yes...I expect they're all stinky little buggers after a day in school!

OP posts:
Jill2015 · 02/12/2014 21:30

There is no such thing as a "naice" intake.

Kids are kids and shit is shit

Sums it up for me.

Poor little kid though Sad

Cauliflowersneeze1 · 02/12/2014 21:31

Do they not have TAs in the classes or somebody who could discreetly follow

It's made the situation bigger than ever now

IgnoreMeEveryOtherReindeerDoes · 02/12/2014 21:31

How do they know that a boy is not using the loo? as obviously they are not monitored if someone is smearing poo everywhere.

I think its a bit naff to email and send home letters as I would of thought best way would of been to have monitor during breaks. I know we did when I was at school.

Both my kids are weird neither like school toilets one has managed to get all the way through to college without using school loos.

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