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bathroom accidents

  • 1.  bathroom accidents

    Posted 10-31-2021 06:20 AM
    Hello,
    This year in our 3 and 4-year-old program we have several children who wet their pants on a regular basis with no attempt to go to the bathroom and a couple who will have a bowel movement and continue to play as normal.  I am wondering if any one else is seeing this issue.  We have been told that bathroom accidents are on the rise because of COVID. 
    Blessings,
    CTS


  • 2.  RE: bathroom accidents

    Posted 11-01-2021 09:11 AM
    we have the same issue at our school. Normally, we have a policy that students should be potty trained, if not we work with families to provide a routine to support at home and the students can return a few weeks later or students can start with half a day to ease the transition. This year, we are not allowed to send the students back home. So those students are at school and teachers are trying to do their best to set up a routine (taking them more often to the bathroom - at each transition, asking them, reminding them) We also used stories to create conversation.

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    Rebecca Courouble
    elsie whitlow stokes
    Washington DC
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  • 3.  RE: bathroom accidents

    Posted 11-02-2021 05:12 AM
    Thank you for all the responses. Even though I don't understand how Covid is directly related to bathroom accidents, For families who have lost a loved one I understand the trauma can be the issue.  The situation I am running into is that parents were not able to potty train the children.  At the beginning of the year, we may have had one or two accidents while students adjust to the new environment, but we are now in week twelve and it is still happening. I am sorry and glad to hear that we are not alone.  Our policies have changed this year to accommodate families.  Praying for families to move past the COVID crisis and be able to work with their children in the home setting.

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    CTS
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  • 4.  RE: bathroom accidents

    Posted 11-05-2021 08:19 AM
    I love that you are taking a trauma-informed approach to your policies and are concerned with what may be causing the increase in toileting accidents.  There are many factors that contribute to this behavior, including the major factor of young children having very few ways they can exert control in their own lives.  Any behavior specialist or child psychologist would tell you that there are two things children can have sole control of and those are intake/output (food/toileting) and they will if routines change majorly or they feel significant disruptions in their lives (illness, food scarcity, new baby, divorce, stressed parents, a move, witnessing a traumatic event, death in the family, abuse).  Adults are able to control all other things in children's lives (schedule, bedtime, clothing, toys, entertainment, choices, meal time, food offered).  Because of this, it is important to keep expectations high and offer positive behavioral supports to encourage appropriate choices such as toileting and be explicit about it (group or individual sticker charts, intermittent reinforcers, reading all the "potty" books as a part of the regular curriculum and routine trips to the restroom). Kids do not do this intentionally and are likely looking for someone to assure them life is going to be more predictable, again.  Ask parents to be your partner is restoring this normalcy and help them understand how to toilet train in a positive way.  In the end, the child will feel supported and comfortable saying "goodbye" to those diapers (or the worst invention ever, in my unsolicited opinion....pull ups!). Good luck!

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    Amanda Carlson
    Amanda Carlson
    Vista CA
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  • 5.  RE: bathroom accidents

    Posted 11-05-2021 01:37 PM
    The Covid Pandemic has caused phycological trauma for everyone.  The sheer amount of uncertainty about how bad the pandemic would be and how long it would last, put everyone in a state of limbo.  It was difficult for people to move forward or make plans as their worlds were being turned up side down and it became difficult to have consistency with maintaining a routine schedule.  We would assume that since parents had a lot more one on one time available with their children, that it would have been natural for them to take on the task, such as potty training, that have become second nature to us.  But again the trauma surrounding the pandemic caused many parents to become depressed and almost frozen in their decision making processes.  For the children this lack of consistency and the loss of their daily routines was just as traumatic and now that they are entering back into our systems, we almost have to go back to square one by creating that safety net again for them with our routines and schedules and being consistent in how we support them and their parents adjust to a new normal.

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    Tim Kaminski
    Director/Owner
    Gingerbread Kids Academy
    Richmond TX
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  • 6.  RE: bathroom accidents

    Posted 11-01-2021 10:30 AM
    Everyone, 

    Don't sure if covid contributes to potting on themselves.  But at my daycare, I send the children with the issue to the potty every 30 minutes. I let them sit on the potty  for 5 minutes give or take. I hope this helps.

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    Patricia Stephens
    Director
    PBS Academy
    Missouri City TX
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  • 7.  RE: bathroom accidents

    Posted 11-01-2021 06:01 PM
    I am having the same issue in my classroom, but it is a 3, 4 and 5's room. I can't believe how many older 4 and 5 year old's are coming to school with pull-ups. The center doesn't have a policy about needing to be potty trained, so staff spend a lot of time changing children's clothes. Fortunately we've had success with using the toilet to urinate so not to many accidents from that anymore. Bowel movements are another issue however. One child hides in corners or under tables and then when she's done comes over and tells teachers they need to change her. Even from children who are using the toilet for this, there still seems to be a total dependency on adults to do the wiping and a couple refuse to even try to do it themselves.

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    Valerie Hanson
    Waterloo IA
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  • 8.  RE: bathroom accidents

    Posted 11-01-2021 06:33 PM
    We are having the same issues with many of our new students this year especially those that just started with us back in August.  We are having many inquiries of 3 & 4 year olds that have not been potty trained yet.  Our policy previously was that children had to be fully potty trained before they came into the 3 year old classes and above, however, with our numbers still being down from Covid, we have had to adjust that policy.

    When I ask parents why their child was not potty trained yet, most of them would say that the child had been staying at home with them or another guardian over the last year and that they couldn't get them to go to the potty.  We had one, 4 year old, that was still wearing diapers, so that one we did not accept into the program.  There were no other associated developmental delays, the parent was just not concerned with teaching them how to go potty on their own.

    We are also seeing an increase behavioral issues and speech and language issues.  Unfortunately, I think that we have a generation of children that are going to have some significant developmental delays showing up over these next two years due to their physical environments not being stimulating enough to get them through all the necessary developmental stages.

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    Tim Kaminski
    Director/Owner
    Gingerbread Kids Academy
    Richmond TX
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  • 9.  RE: bathroom accidents

    Posted 11-03-2021 07:03 AM
    Hello I totally agree
    We are also seeing an increase behavioral issues and speech and language issues.  Unfortunately, I think that we have a generation of children that are going to have some significant developmental delays in these coming years due to their physical environments and lack of resources for parents and not being stimulating enough to get them through all the necessary developmental stages.


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    Mary Hayes
    earlychildhood educator / director
    Children Achievers Faith Academy
    Columbus OH
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  • 10.  RE: bathroom accidents

    Posted 11-04-2021 10:37 AM

    In our school there is no rule for being potty trained before the child can be enrolled in the school.  We have children who are 3-5 year olds still in diapers. We are also seeing a lot more accidents and children unwilling/unable to change/wipe themselves. I think COVID is partly to blame. Being home and having little or no structure… we try to get kids to change themselves when they have soiled their clothing, but if they are used to having a grown up do it, it can be a struggle. It's especially hard in the older classes because we are fully enrolled and the teachers have a lot of other stuff they are dealing with. 

    ann



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    Ann Lacey
    Lead Youngest Group teacher
    Agassiz Preschool
    Malden MA
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  • 11.  RE: bathroom accidents

    Posted 11-04-2021 02:46 PM
    Hello Ann this seems so unbelievable, but I know it is true , but my question is how can Covid be some what the blame ? My thought the parents were able to have time during this time to focused more on their child's needs ! Maybe like I thought it is just more acceptable . Maybe due to lack of interest ,or  parents resources . such as :the how and when rules really don't know I am a newbie's. 






  • 12.  RE: bathroom accidents

    Posted 11-05-2021 05:34 AM
    Hi Mary,

    I hope not to offend anyone, I love the families that I work with.  First, I have seen a huge change in parents of the last twenty-one years of teaching.  I believe there are many factors that play a role in these issues.  
    1. in the past when a parent was at home they were a stay-at-home parent and the child(ren) were the priority. With parents being home during COVID, some were trying to balance working virtually from home and caring for their children.   Trying to balance virtual meetings, keep your child safe, and entertained so that you can work from home to continue having an income is difficult.  This may have kept the child safe but not always with enough attention that a child may need.
    2. Many lost their jobs due to COVID and the industry they work in.  Some may have taken that opportunity to spend more quality time with children, while others may have been overwhelmed by the stress and become depressed.  Not leaving them with the mental energy to fully take on the responsibilities of caring for their child.
    3. Some families were dealing with the loss of a loved one or became full-time caregivers for not only their child but also a sick family member. A lot of families with elder parents, grandparents, or a relative with health issues had to take on the role of caregiver when patients returned home from COVID.  I know for me I had to take care of my mom daily for three weeks (COVID) and prayed that my dad would survive COVID (hospitalized),   After my Dad returned home I was there cook, housekeeper, chauffeur, and medical caregiver for another three months. I thank God my children are older, trying to work and do all of the previously listed became very stressful at times, but I was happy to do it.  
    4. As I said at the beginning, parents have changed. Unfortunately, as many resources that are available now were not available 20 years ago, some parents seem to be clueless, others just want someone else to do the hard work, discipline, and potty training.  I found that a lot of today's parents want to be their child's "friend" not a parent.  They do want their child to be upset or mad at them.
    5. As  Early Childhood Educators, we have to not only educate the child but also the families. Some families need the support and guidance of the teacher to understand what is developmentally appropriate and what milestones their child should be reaching.  This does not make them bad parents, just unaware, or a first-time parent, or caregivers who have had to take on the role in emergency situations.
    6. TEchnology-screen time has become the parent/baby sitter. This is all I will say on this subject


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    CTS
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