How can you tell if children really need to go to the bathroom or if they're doing "monkey see monkey do"?

Question

Disclaimer: Please don't get on a soapbox about kids should be able to go to the bathroom whenever. Visualize 18 - 30 students going to the bathroom whenever they feel like it. How disruptive that would be. They'd never learn anything.

I was a field trip chaperone today on my nephew's field trip. There was a bathroom on the school bus. One child genuinely had to go because she was at TAG while the rest of the class went to the bathroom, so the teacher told me it was fine for her to use it on the bus.

So of course other kids started wanting to go.

Back at school, we were watching a movie. One little boy raised his hand to go so the teacher let him. Then another child raised their hand, then another little girl and another boy. They all wanted to go.

I wonder how can teachers tell when the children really need to go. It would drive me insane to have six kids asking to go to the potty each time one kid asks

Answer 1

Many elementary school teachers seem to be of the opinion that children should only be allowed two bathroom breaks during the day and one before they get on the bus. This is actually inadequate for many younger children.  We always had a break first thing in the a.m., then one in the middle of the morning, one at lunchtime and one in the middle of the afternoon plus the one just before getting on the bus.  By the time the kid was in 4th grade, they could have one break in the a.m., on at lunch time and that was pretty much it until the end of the day.  I would say no more than 4-5 students ever had an afternoon bathroom pass.

Today, though, at my scrapbook meetings, parents there complain of their kids getting only a break at lunch time. How many adults can go that long without a break!

Answer 2

It's a no-win situation. No teacher wants the nightmare of a kid wetting their pants.  I have a troop of girl scouts and even in 2nd grade, there are a couple who definitely still have bladder issues.  Not letting a kid go to the bathroom can be considered abusive, so there's a fine line as far as teachers go.  I'm sure they encourage them to go at recess but the reality is those kids hit the playground and they don't want to waste their break time in a stall!

Answer 3

they do the "go to go pee dance"