Toileting issues in 2nd Grade

[Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN]

Has anyone dealt with a 2nd/3rd grader with toileting issues. Medical issues have been ruled out, the problem is that the child does not know how to wipe and is not thoroughly cleaning after a BM. The parent alerted us to the problem when the student enrolled, and I advised her that we cannot assist with toileting, that the most I can do is hand him some baby wipes and send him to the bathroom. I also recommended sending an extra set of clothes, which has not been done. The student is obese, which I think contributes to his difficulty in cleaning, but it is clear that he has not received proper instruction at home.

My only thought is to call home each time the smell becomes an issue (which is daily so far) and require the parent to either come to school to assist him with cleaning, or take him home for a shower. Perhaps then the parent will start to think about teaching the child to take care of this rather than doing it for him (which is what she indicates happens at home). I feel so bad for the kid...he has to be embarassed about this and the teasing must be horrible. How do you get the parent to step up and take care of something that should have began with potty training years ago?

[bookwormom]

Has anyone dealt with a 2nd/3rd grader with toileting issues. Medical issues have been ruled out, the problem is that the child does not know how to wipe and is not thoroughly cleaning after a BM. The parent alerted us to the problem when the student enrolled, and I advised her that we cannot assist with toileting, that the most I can do is hand him some baby wipes and send him to the bathroom. I also recommended sending an extra set of clothes, which has not been done. The student is obese, which I think contributes to his difficulty in cleaning, but it is clear that he has not received proper instruction at home.

My only thought is to call home each time the smell becomes an issue (which is daily so far) and require the parent to either come to school to assist him with cleaning, or take him home for a shower. Perhaps then the parent will start to think about teaching the child to take care of this rather than doing it for him (which is what she indicates happens at home). I feel so bad for the kid...he has to be embarassed about this and the teasing must be horrible. How do you get the parent to step up and take care of something that should have began with potty training years ago?

My guess is that the parents have done what they could do, and that they are seeking some assistance in problem solving. I don't think it is realistic for him to have assistance every time he uses the toilet, but is there some hygiene procedure that you could teach him? If he is really obese, this may be a challenge, but not necessarily insurrmountable.

[Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN]

Per district policy, staff (myself included) are not allowed to assist a child of this age with toileting, so helping him is not possible. I am not sure how I could teach him this since I am not able to be in the restroom with him or assist in any way. I also feel that this is a parental responsibility, not the school's. He is obese, which I am sure hampers this somewhat, but he is not so large that it is impossible.

The parent came today and brought a change of clothing for him, which has already been used today. The parent is also supposed to bring some baby wipes to keep up here, but if he cannot clean himself correctly, I am not sure how this is going to help. This should be interesting.