Can you share your kids' MS 'Bathroom Policy'?

[Anonymous]

My son just started 6th grade. I know things take time to get used to, but he has not used the bathroom once yet at school.

Our school has a 10/10 Rule(?) where the kids aren't allowed to use the bathroom the first and last 10 minutes of any class.

Additionally, they're required to have a hall pass to use the restroom. But, they only get a limited number of hall passes.

I understand they don't want kids roaming the hallways, but this has been a bit challenging for my rule-follower kid. Wondering how other MSs handle this issue? Or any advice on how to get around this? What do your kids do?

[Anonymous]

In what ways is it hard?

[Anonymous]

Kids learn to use the bathroom at opportune times. Like before school starts, during lunch, PE, etc. If every teacher gave you 4 passes per quarter there is no reason a student should use them all.

Let your kid figure this out himself.

[Anonymous]

He will figure it out, as other posters said. Also, reassure him that if he has a true emergency need, to do what he needs to do and you’ll back him up with any teacher. They want to prevent having kids fooling around, not create accidents or utis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In what ways is it hard?

He's saying that he doesn't want to ask during class and interrupt the teacher and he doesn't want to miss anything. (Obviously I told him it's fine to ask.)

And, he's worried about running out of hall passes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kids learn to use the bathroom at opportune times. Like before school starts, during lunch, PE, etc. If every teacher gave you 4 passes per quarter there is no reason a student should use them all.

Let your kid figure this out himself.

They were told not to use the restroom in the boys locker room during PE because the 7th graders are in there also.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He will figure it out, as other posters said. Also, reassure him that if he has a true emergency need, to do what he needs to do and you’ll back him up with any teacher. They want to prevent having kids fooling around, not create accidents or utis.

I definitely told him this! Told him that if he ever gets in trouble for this, I would absolutely back him up.

[Anonymous]

This is ridiculous. How are they supposed to go to the bathroom if they only get four hall passes her class per quarter?? People should go to the bathroom when they need to, not suppress the urge.

Ugh.

[Anonymous]

There should be enough time in between classes. Most kids need to bring the same things to every class except PE: a binder (which includes a pencil and agenda), and their Chromebook. So they shouldn’t be going to their locker between every class. They often pass a bathroom on their way to the next class. They also have access to bathrooms in the locker rooms before and after PE.

It takes teachers some time as well to get on a bathroom schedule. I have a different teaching schedule this year and have to set a reminder on my phone to use the bathroom before 5th period because I don’t have a break until the end of the school day.

You may need to help your 6th grader plan a bathroom break to get into a routine. Maybe they were used to class bathroom stops in ES?

Is this developmentally appropriate for kids? Probably not, but this is how we ensure safe public schools. We don’t have the staff to come stably sweep the hallways and bathrooms during the class. Teachers are pressured to get kids to achieve certain grades and standardized gets scores with large class sizes. Can’t reteach material for every kid that uses the bathroom or visits a water fountain in the middle of class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is ridiculous. How are they supposed to go to the bathroom if they only get four hall passes her class per quarter?? People should go to the bathroom when they need to, not suppress the urge.

Ugh.

That would be ideal, but not possible in public school for a variety of reasons. Teachers can’t even use the restroom when they need to.

Homeschooling is also an option.

[Anonymous]

My kid’s MS has the 10/10 rule. I think there’s only about 4 minutes between classes. I think they either go in between classes if it’s on the way, at lunch, or they get a pass outside of the first and last 10 minutes.

[Anonymous]

At our a public school it’s no leaving the class the first 10 or last 5 of class and one person allowed out at a time. Some teachers give limited passes to frequent flyers. We also have a limit to the number of students allowed in each restroom. I think it’s 4 but there are signs right next to each bathroom entrance. It’s a common place for kids to meet up with each other during class and make poor decisions. They don’t have enough staff to monitor every bathroom every period. Each class is 48 minutes long with 4 minutes of passing time. Lunch/advisory period is 54 minutes long.

My kid in private school has a similar bathroom policy about not going at the very beginning or very end of class or multiple people out at a time. They have a rotating schedule that includes one long block per day and every day has a 15 minute break in the morning.

[Anonymous]

This is ridiculous. How are they supposed to go to the bathroom if they only get four hall passes her class per quarter?? People should go to the bathroom when they need to, not suppress the urge.

Ugh.

4 passes per quarter times 7 classes means your kid can leave class 28 times to go to the bathroom per quarter, or 112 times per year. They also have 8-10 opportunities to go to the bathroom before class, between classes, at lunch, and at the end of the day before getting on the bus. This isn't a crisis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids learn to use the bathroom at opportune times. Like before school starts, during lunch, PE, etc. If every teacher gave you 4 passes per quarter there is no reason a student should use them all.

Let your kid figure this out himself.

They were told not to use the restroom in the boys locker room during PE because the 7th graders are in there also.

Who told them that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids learn to use the bathroom at opportune times. Like before school starts, during lunch, PE, etc. If every teacher gave you 4 passes per quarter there is no reason a student should use them all.

Let your kid figure this out himself.

They were told not to use the restroom in the boys locker room during PE because the 7th graders are in there also.

Who told them that?

The PE teacher.