Mom Wonders If She Should Confront Her Daughter's Teacher After Learning That Students Only Get One Bathroom Break A Week
She claimed that her daughter had to hold "it" for 30 minutes because the teacher wouldn't allow her to use the bathroom.
Rocketclips, Inc. | Shutterstock A mom is considering taking action against one of her daughter's teachers after learning about the bathroom policy impacting not only her child but other students in the class.
Posting to the platform 'X,' formerly known as Twitter, the angered mom questioned whether she had a right to bring this issue up with her daughter's school. She pointed out that it was absurd that kids were being restricted when it came to bathroom use.
A mom questioned if she should confront her daughter's teacher after learning that students only get one bathroom pass a week.
"My daughter's math teacher has a rule that they only get one bathroom pass per week, AND, if they don't use it, they get academic extra credit," she explained in her post. The most ridiculous part of his math teacher's rules was that not only were the students seemingly being forced to schedule their bathroom breaks in this class only once a week, but they were also rewarded for not using the bathroom at all.
Since this woman's daughter is in high school, she most likely has access to the restroom in between classes. This means she and her other classmates can probably go to the bathroom right before their math class or right when it ends, but they shouldn't have to.
Bathroom privileges should not be used as a means to control student behavior.
If they need to use the bathroom, students should be allowed to.
If the math teacher is worried that students will abuse the bathroom by using it as an excuse not to be in class, then a system should be implemented where that won't happen instead of punishing students for normal bodily functions.
Rightfully so, the mom expressed how "livid" she was at hearing that her daughter's teacher was implementing such bizarre restrictions on bathroom use.
She claimed that she wanted to reach out to the school in an email to the teacher and principal, but her daughter didn't want her to do that.
"My daughter has this class for math + study hall today, held her pee for the last 30 minutes of class. Also, the school currently has half the bathrooms under construction and out of use," she continued.
A fellow teacher admitted that it's 'immoral' to forbid students from using the bathroom.
Replying to this mom's X post, a teacher claimed that she wasn't wrong for being upset and wanting to bring this to the principal's attention. You never know what a student might be going through for them to want to use the bathroom. They might have a medical condition.
To deny them a basic human right, like using the bathroom, is incredibly immoral, something that the teacher on X pointed out in his response.
"I’m a high school teacher. This is wrong. It’s immoral, unethical, discriminatory, and extremely worrisome," he wrote. "If your child has anxiety or perfectionism, this could cause bladder or other medical issues."
He offered advice to this mom since her daughter wasn't comfortable with her mom addressing the issue with the school. He urged her to take her daughter to the doctor and get medical documentation that she is allowed to use the restroom so that it won't impact her grade. He advised her to then give that note to her teacher, counselor, and principal so that they all knew she was allowed to use the bathroom whenever the need arose.
In addition, she was encouraged to write a note to the school board because there was no way this teacher's bathroom protocol was acceptable.
Schools tend to ignore their students' need to use the bathroom.
According to a survey by the Society for Women’s Health Research found that schools often disregard kids’ restroom rights by failing to have a bathroom rule on the books and providing staff with education on bladder health.
Many schools are attempting to restrict the amount of time students spend in the bathroom so that they don't miss necessary instruction, but their methods don't seem acceptable.
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Dr. Suzanne Zeedyk, a developmental psychologist, told Business Insider that while she understands the pressures that schools face, she insisted that educators shouldn't follow protocols that can harm children in the name of making sure they stick to a schedule.
"Children's needs derive from the biology of their bodies. They need to know their feelings are heard, that adults are trustworthy and that they won't suffer the humiliation of an accident because they were denied the bathroom. Knowing these things yields a sense of emotional safety," she told the publication.
Schools that enforce strict bathroom policies fail to consider how this can impact their student's health. They can develop bladder problems that can lead to something serious, and nothing is more important than making sure students feel safe in the classroom.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.