My second grader’s teacher had surgery and was out of school for a few weeks. In her absence, the students were left with a very nice substitute. A very nice substitute who had strict rules regarding bathroom breaks.
I won’t get into the gory details. However, I will share that more than a few children (including my own) struggled to control their bodily functions exactly the way the sub demanded. Needless to say, an unusually high number of “accidents” were reported in the course of the sub’s two-and-a-half week stint.
I use the word “accident” very loosely, and I get the feeling that parents in Brooklyn can relate.
Moms and dads, whose children attend PS 90 elementary school in Brooklyn, made headlines recently when they fought back against a teacher who instituted a sick game centered on potty breaks.
According to news reports, fifth grade teacher Stephanie Warner concocted a game that rewarded students who went to the bathroom the fewest number of times during the school day.
Warner says she got fed up with students taking unnecessary trips to the restroom, so she devised a system whereby she distributed vouchers to kids which allowed them to relieve themselves during set times: 8-8:15 a.m., 10:20-10:30 a.m. and 1:40-1:50 p.m. or during their lunch period.
Each child was given just three paper tickets at the beginning of the week. If students misplaced, accidently tossed out, or used up the vouchers before the week was over, they would be forced to hold it and hope their bladder didn’t burst before school was over. In addition, kids who made it through the week without using any tickets were rewarded with prizes such as pencils and stickers.
As you can imagine, parents were peeved when they learned about the no-potty contest.
One irate mom told the New York Post that Warner’s restroom restrictions were putting her son’s health at risk because of a medical issue.
She said she was floored when her son told her about the bathroom voucher program.
“I said, ‘What do you mean? Like, for a day?’ And he said, ‘No, Mommy — for the week,’ ” Sandra Leon told The Post. “I couldn’t believe it! I was outraged!”
I would be too. And it’s not just the kids with IBS or nervous bladders who are at risk. My kid is a people pleaser who would sit through anything to avoid causing a scene. I wonder how many kids in Warner’s class suffered in silence because of her inability to come up with a better plan to curb unnecessary trips to the restroom.
How would you react if you learned that your child was being forced to “hold it” on demand?
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