Square Peg Profile picture
Mar 5 15 tweets 4 min read
An important read. ‘Let Them Pee!’ Thank you ⁦@GregSantucciOT⁩. facebook.com/gregsantucciOT…
Pasted text for those unable to access link: ‘It happened like clockwork. My family would be at a restaurant for dinner. We asked the kids to go to the bathroom before we left the house. We even asked when we got to the restaurant! Without fail, when the food came,’ 2/
‘“Dad, I have to pee”! And each time, without hesitation, even though my dinner would go from hot to ‘somewhat hot’, I would take them to the bathroom.

And guess what? Even if you allot time for a child to go to the bathroom; even if you line your class up after lunch and,’ 3/
‘have the entire class go; even if you give them time in between classes; there still may be times when a child has to go to the bathroom. And if they have to poop, all bets are off for any time constraints. It’s frustrating, it’s inconvenient, & they should be allowed to go.’ 4/
‘The urge to go may be sudden for a variety of reasons, but the response should be consistent. Yes, you can use the bathroom. Denying them the right to go when their body is telling them to go is both physically & emotionally unhealthy.
Eliminating waste is a survival necessity.’
‘Kids who struggle with interoception may not read their internal cues correctly, and therefore, may not know they need to go until the last minute.’ 6/
‘If a child needs to go to the bathroom in the middle of a lesson, it’s unrealistic to tell them to “wait” or “hold it” and then’ expect them to concentrate on the lesson being taught.’ 7/
‘Forcing discomfort or pain on a child is not OK, and we can’t teach kids that they don’t have control over their own bodies. We are not creating a safe environment when a teacher decides unilaterally WHEN and IF a child can eliminate waste.’ 8/
‘But there’s more. Wetting your pants in school is embarrassing and most likely an enormous stressor for children. Imagine wetting your pants in front of your classmates. Imagine wetting your pants in front of your co-workers!’ 9/
‘Now, imagine wetting your pants in front of your classmates when you ASKED TO GO, but your teacher said ‘no’. How demoralizing is that?

Teachers do raise a valid concern when they talk about misbehavior in the bathroom.’ 10/
‘We need to separate the bathroom break abuse problem from the bathroom need. Many teachers will tell you it’s absolutely possible to allow children to use the bathroom while avoiding major class disruptions or abuses of a ‘bathroom break’.’ 11/
‘If you suspect a child isn’t using the bathroom break appropriately, talk to them about it! This is a perfect opportunity for “Plan B” from the Collaborative and Proactive Solutions Model (livesinthebalance.org).’ 12/
‘One of the many things I’ve learned over two decades of working in schools is that when there’s mutual respect between student and teacher, bathroom breaks are not abused.’ 13/
‘Since this community first started, I’ve heard too many stories about teachers withholding bathroom breaks from children. I’ve also dealt with this with my own children in school and it’s extremely upsetting to know that this is happening as frequently as it is.’ 14/
‘Please share stories in the comments. If you are a teacher with an awesome bathroom policy, please share. If you are a parent who has a child that was denied the bathroom, we would love to hear your stories so we can learn from them.
Greg Santucci, OT
gregsantucci.com

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More from @teamsquarepeg

Mar 5
Let’s talk about expectations. Setting them, the language of, outcomes. 1/ Image
So the language of expectations was first levelled at the sector in the 80s-90s in response to too many (typically urban inner city) schools lacking ambition and aspirations for their cohorts. Out came the challenge to SLTs to set high expectations for the kids 2/
in their care in an attempt to introduce accountability in the adults and to instil a nationwide policy standard around ensuring schools believed in & supported all kids irrespective of socioeconomic profile to achieve, attain, dream, aspire. And for a while, it really worked. 3/
Read 11 tweets
Mar 5
At what point are those in corridors of power going to connect dots between the language they use which is quoted in press & media, woven through policies & guidance ↪️ how that influences practice from those within services ↪️ and impacts children, YP and families on the ground?
Looking@you @Ofstednews @educationgovuk @nadhimzahawi @cabinetofficeuk. Language rooted in climate of fear, division, intolerance is derivative, binary, segregating, othering, ableist + causes harm, adversity, drives up need. #ChooseWordsWisely #itsnotrocketscience
Policy using the language of intolerance, ideology, rhetoric, dogma harms vulnerable & disadvantaged families. It increases inequalities. Declines outcomes. Reduces GDP. Increases need on public purse. Join the dots. #BeTheChange Listen. Care. Review. Connect.
Read 5 tweets
Mar 4
Press this week reported a ‘drop in childrens creativity post lockdown’. Well, stress, uncertainty and trauma can do that to the brain while it remains in survival mode to threat (in this case Covid). But what if we’re noticing the drop more acutely because the writing was on 1/
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Read 6 tweets
Mar 4
Fascinating stuff. And touches on the prevalence of mindfulness being prescribed as a low cost intervention for people who do not have the capacity to access it due to very high mental ill health needs at the time. 1/
When my kid was in crisis & life was going sideways at breakneck speed lots of well-meaning (privileged, stable, secure, able) people, professionally and personally suggested mindfulness, including therapists! I tried it. I couldn’t focus, it left me feeling worse, 2/
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Mar 3
If anyone is chomping at the bit to read our @educationgovuk Attendance Consultation submission which shares our survey findings (thank you all 1,960 of you who completed), pls shout. Hopefully on website shortly... 1/
Heartbreaking qual data, impact of school / system response on MH, wellbeing, efficacy, access to education, edu entitlement, lack of inclusion, SEND support etc, impact on families in addition to CYPs. Excellent visuals + astute analysis, solutions too! :) @NotFineinSchool
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Feb 3
Attendance policies may be set locally by each school, but they should not breach legislation or guidance. Far too many examples here of policy running roughshod beyond remit, placing untold pressure on families struggling to attend. Who can spot issues here…? 1/
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- parents have authority + agency to determine their child’s welfare + safeguarding is secure to attend
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