6 year olds and using the toilet at school. Is this usual practice?

[sandyballs]

Since returning to school (year 2), we have been late nearly every day due to DD spending ages on the loo trying to force herself to go. She told me this morning that she wasn't allowed to go to the loo at school when she felt like it, only at certain times. If a child did manage to convince the teacher that they were desperate and couldn't hold on then they were allowed to go but they were timed and got told off if they took too long .

I haven't spoken to the teachers about it yet, and I realise DD may have got it wrong, taken it a bit too literally maybe, as it does sound a bit much for a bunch of 6 year olds.

Just curious if a similar thing happens at your kids schools. I understand they don't want kids in and out to the loo all the time, and messing about in there.

In my experience by the time they are in the juniors, they do try to encourage kids to go only at breaks. 6 sounds rather young though.

Not in dds school. They go when necessary. Very unreasonable of them.

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They are encouraged to wait until break times but there are no problems if children need to go at other times. Definitely no need to beg and no-one is timed.

Thanks, will speak to teacher in the morning I think, see what's going on. It's really stressing her. She's mortified at the thought of being timed having a pooh! As would I at work, come to think of it .

happensat dss school - started yr 1 I think. When he had a tummy upset I wrote a letter saying he should be allowed to go as and whena nd they were only too happy to oblige!

I guess if you are geting certain children who are always asking and then going off for ten minutes then you might impose some rules and your poor dd has picked up on this.

Spoke to her teacher yesterday who was very pleasant and explained that she had been trying to encourage the class to go at break/lunch times or inbetween lessons so as to cause minimum disruption. She'd had a group of boys disappearing to the loo every 10 minutes and messing about. She's going to speak to DD this morning to reassure her .