My DS has just started Reception and keeps wetting himself ...

[Boyswillbeboys]

Anyone else had to deal with this? He was fine at nursery, quite happy to go to the loo by himself, and has never had accidents at home. As soon as he was potty trained that was it. He has been at the school nursery since he was 3 and transfered to Reception in September but now has accidents at least once a week. It's hard to get a clear picture from him of exactly what is happening but it seems he holds on for too long and then doesn't make it to the loo in time (nursery loos were right next to the class but now he has to cross the school to get to them).

I really don't know how I can encourage him or help him to get over this, I've explained that he must go as soon as he feels the need, tell the teacher if it's in the middle of story time or whatever, there is no problem with leaving the class if children need to go.

Any advice appreciated!

I think at nursery they are angged to go before dinner etc but at school the onus is all on them
My ds wasn't going all day and then practically running home at 3.30pm so he could go
I mentioned it to my mum ad she spoke to him on the phone and told him she was very worried he'd have an accident
Seemed to do the trick because now he goes at lunchtime and says on the way home 'can you ring Nanny and tell her'
I made apoint of showing him where the toilets were jst off the playground and to go at lunchtime

YEs, both of mine did this in Reception and ayt assembly

With both of mine, it was a confidence thing, feeling able to raise hand to say I need to go.

School loos can be a bit scary/smelly.

Time should sort this problem.

Good luck

Is he too shy to ask for permission to leave the room? Have you spoken to the teacher? Could s/he remind the class that it's fine to go to the loo during lessons if desperate(that way he wouldn't feel singled out)?

Could you have a routine at home of going to the loo at certain times, eg before meals? That might reinforce a habit of always going during playtime etc.

yes when I asked him why he didn't go at school he said it was because they are dirty
they do smell, the seat is left up and worst of all no soap in the soap dispenser, is it any wonder the kids get sick?

I started a very similar thread earlier this week!

My ds started full-time reception last week and wet himself every day (to the point of not telling anyone and getting stinging/burning pain from the urine).

I have spoken twice to the teacher and TA and apparently it's quite normal and we agreed they will remind him for a couple of weeks, after that they will cut his mid-day milk.

He was wet on Monday but dry for the last 2 days

Compo, unfortunately children and toilets (esp. public ones) are a bad combination.

Thanks everyone - I think it is all quite scary, and the loos are often full of bigger boys in the morning so he is not keen to go at the start of the school day. At least now the teachers are aware of the problem - first couple of times it happened he was still wearing his soaking trouser bottoms (because they are dark the wet patches didn't notice) - he was literally wet all the way to his shoes poor thing .

I'm thinking about doing a star chart but not sure if this will help or not really, otherwise I think it is just time.

LOL at his big brother who was trying to be encouraging by telling him about the disinfectant blocks they put in the urinals - he said "it's really fun, you can wee on them and if you wee hard enough you can get them to move about!!"