About 20 years ago. When I was at school namely I primary school, I thought wetting accidents were fairly common and usually were dealt with in a sensitive manner. Although today, it seems like bullying is a lot more common, teachers are stricter regarding toilet visits, and some schools don’t even provide spare clothes.
Are wetting accidents more common nowadays, and what’s your experience been when they have occurred, are the schools understanding?
HiMy son is now in year 5. Both schools have been very supportive of his double incontinence.
His infant school were amazing. I don't think it's the schools job to provide spare clothes - that should be down to the parents in my opinion.
The junior school have also been supportive particularly with residential trips.
We're trying to get him dry ready for senior school which file me with dread. He will get bullied of he's not dry. We're going back to see another Paedatrician. 🙄
My daughter has only experienced good support throughout her time at primary school and high school. I do not see it as the schools responsibility to provide spare clothes, that said if a intimate care plan is in place then that's when they should be completely supporting the child with their care and all requirements it entails. My question to you is what is your reason for this post?
My experience is completely different, although it's more than half a century ago I can still remember being humiliated by my teacher Infront of the entire class daily as I couldn't hold it until the interval and would wet myself multiple times a day in class often with little or no warning, sometimes I wouldn't even ask to go to the toilet I'd just hope noone would notice if my plastic pants started leaking.
This was a major issue for me all the way though childhood, but my experience at school was especially awful, I'd be kept back most days to mop the classroom floor with strong bleach as punishment.
When my son started school in the 1990s things where much better, he was allowed out of the classroom to get to the toilet a few times a day and never had a single wetting accident at school.
There was still a strict ban on children in nappies starting school then.
That's changed now, last year 15 children started primary 1 at my granddaughter's school, 5 of them where in still in nappies, the year before it was even more almost half the intake where either not potty trained or where having so many accidents there parents where requested to have them wear pullups to school after the first week of term.
It's very easy to tell who is wearing nappy pants at her school as the uniform is slightly different for kids who aren't reliably dry they wear grey joggers instead of normal trousers or skirts, and plimsolls instead of normal shoes, the joggers are given out by the school and they have plenty of spares incase of leaks.
I think our school would provide a change of clothes for unexpected accidents which all children suffer occasionally. If your child has a known health issue making it more likely they would ask you to provide a change, its more discrete for the child too. Some of the current policies (water only in bottles, limited access to toilets ) are unhelpful when they have continence issues but I have always found my son's school to be flexible if I speak to them ( he doesn't like to speak up break the rules though so still tries to hold on) and the other thing i find is that teachers / support staff that are not directly connected to my son also assume he should follow standard expectations...in a perfect world I'd like them to change the rules for all children.
The biggest problem is, teachers refusing access to toilets. In an ideal situation, students can hold until break or lunchtime but bladders don’t work to set times. I know myself you might try to go to the toilet and can’t go, then get the urge other times.
I started another thread on here as my 7 year old son had a couple of wetting accidents. These were a case of him waiting too long and not asking the teacher if he could go to the toilet. I'm guessing that's what you're referring to when you say 'accidents', something that happens as a 'one off' rather than kids who have medical conditions that cause incontinence.
I don't remember accidents being 'common' when I was at school. I wet my pants when I was 9 because a teacher wouldn't let me go. Still remember it as being one of the most traumatic experiences of my life and I count myself lucky that it only happened once as there were a few occasions where I had to hold on having been told I couldn't go. Other than that I remember two other kids having accidents both occasions because they didn't ask the teacher.
I think wetting accidents are common, especially in primary school. If the average class is 30 pupils at least two people would have toilet issues
My guess is that there must be hundreds of pupils who wet themselves up and down the country per year at school, be it through a medical condition or just can’t hold it any longer. It’s shocking that it takes somebody to wet or soil themselves before teachers realise they needed to go.
I found on ERIC's website that there is 1 out of 12 students age 5 to 18 that have bladder and or bowel issues. That is 8 S% of students.
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