Blogging about life in Minnesota, raising our six kids with Down syndrome while battling Breast Cancer.

Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor in the morning the devil says, "Oh shit! She's up!"

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

To Moms of Boys

If you have a boy with a disability who EVER uses a public restroom, well Dave over at Rolling Around in my Head has a blog post you should read. I'm glad Dave posted about this, because I've had similar concerns about my own boys (thanks to Dean telling me it's wrong!) but I have no idea how to fix this.

Well, Axel is petrified of public restrooms and won't have anything to do with urinals, so he chooses to sit when at school, a restaurant, etc. However, when he's at home and he does stand, his pants are at his ankles. Drives me crazy and no matter how many times we tell him, old habits are hard to break. Habits that he came to us with so I'm not taking the blame. LOL

Then there is Asher. He's been out of diapers for several weeks now. Guess what? He refuses to pee sitting down! He will ONLY go standing up. Didn't you know sitting is for pooping only? He needs supervision when standing because he still doesn't get the whole "aiming" thing but it's not something I want school staff helping him with. Also, do to some..umm...anatomical differences,  combined with the motor skill of an 18 month old, just opening the front of his pants isn't really an option. Even at school they bring him to the toilet to sit but he won't' go.  Not sure what I'm going to do to solve this problem.

Anyway, head over to Dave's blog and have a read.

Oh, while we're on the topic, can I bring up a pet peeve of my own? The word "potty".

Mom's, I'm telling you, PLEASE stop using the word "potty" with your kindergarten and school age kids! In school the world "potty" is for babies. Big kids say, "I need to go to the bathroom." I'll never forget working in a 1st grade classroom when one of the boys came running up to the teacher, "I need to go potty!" Every child eye in that room was on him at once in a "You just said WHAT?" kind of way. He turned back to the teacher, "I need to go to the bathroom!"

There was another time, same building the next year when Angela was in 2nd grade. My class was in the hallway transitioning to somewhere when we ran into Angela in the hallway with her aid, when her aid turned to her for all the kids to hear, "Angela do you need to go potty?"

Really????  In school...to a 2nd grader???? As if the kid doesn't stand out enough without someone talking to her like she's 3?

 I think it's a mistake a lot of moms make without realizing it.

Ok, jumping down off my podium for the day. ;-)

6 comments:

Grace said...

I think "potty" is a lot better than "tinkle." My daughter had a suspected UTI and the doctor needed a urine specimen so the nurse came in and asked my nearly 8 year old if she needed to go "tinkle." My daughter looked at me with the most puzzled looked and asked "What's tinkle?" Sorry Leah but the word potty just doesn't seem to have the same effect on me *shrugs*

Blessings,
Grace
http://www.silvamoose.com

Becky said...

Cracking up! When Al was first using the toilet, he would say 'restroom please!' and it just stuck. (well, when he said it it was 'westwoom, peesh'. LOL!

Elizabeth said...

Kinda funny story... When I was 5 (now am 31), I was visiting my great grandma and had to use the restroom. My great grandma noticed and asked, "Do you have to tinkle?" To which I very loudly declared, "No, I have to pee." It's still a family story that gets brought out every once in a while. :-)

On a side note, I teach 3 and 4 year olds to swim and often use the word "potty," your post made me re-think using that word. :-)

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry, but I'm in my 40s and I still say that I have to go potty! Which would you rather hear - "I gotta go potty" or "I have to urinate now"? Although, tinkling? That's a little silly, since you don't always "tinkle" in the potty. You wouldn't ask someone if they had to "plop"!

It all just makes me giggle! :)

Melissa said...

I use "potty " with Claire. Granted, she's only 2 now but I never thought about the word sounding childish. On the other hand...I cant remember using it before she was born.

Difference2This1 said...

Ok...heading over to your link. This whole little boy bathroom stuff is incharted territory in our home! We need all the help we can get.