This post may contain affiliate links. This means I will earn a commission if you use my link to buy the product I am promoting at no extra cost to you.
Remember when your school held perfect attendance rewards for kids who never missed school? Well, these policies are ableist and a good way to exclude disabled kids from end-of-the-year events that require good attendance to participate.
When I was in the 5th grade these 2 girls got perfect attendance awards. The way I see this is saying
congrats for never needing a docs appointment/getting your appointments on weekends
congrats for never getting sick/hurt
congrats for not having a medical condition
congrats for never being hospitalized
congrats for never needing a mental health day
congrats for never having a family member pass away. This also hurts non-Christian kids whos holy days are not on a weekend/federal holiday. Good Friday, Easter, Christmas etc school is closed on those days anyway. When I was in high school we took Jewish holidays off. Not all schools are like mine.
It also makes parents send their kids to school sick which can put someone else with a weak immune system at risk. A few days in bed for you can be a hospital visit for them.
Its impossible for disabled/ill kids to have 100 perfect attendance due to medical appointments, hospital visits/stays etc.
I come across threads about this all the time on Facebook, Twitter etc, and see comments from people saying their son, daughter sister, etc were left out of events due to poor attendance due to their medical conditions. It’s so cruel to punish a child for something they have no control over. I mean. Who thinks that’s OK?
I can imagine that child feeling sad being left out of events for something they have no control over. Simply because the school admin got no empathy for chronically ill kids.
Not all clinics are open on weekends. Depending on the doctor they see, that doctor could only be in on certain days. for example, a psych I used to see was only in on Thursdays. The clinic was closed on weekends.
When I was in grade school and jr high I needed to see a neuro doctor. I was lucky to get in on weekends. I had to miss school if he had no openings after school or on weekends/holidays. In grade school and jr. high I had days off like parent/teacher conferences. You can say why didn’t my mom send me to school and then come and get me. She didn’t drive and could not count on getting a ride.
That’s that. Kids like me whose parents couldn’t drive them to/from school and had to count on the bus. If I needed to miss school due to an appointment I had to miss the entire day. Say my appointment was at noon. I could go to school and then my mom picks me up.
Not only for sick/disabled kids. Kids needing mental health days or if a family member dies. When I was in high school you had 10 free days before future absences needed a doctor’s note. Not everyone has insurance and can’t afford a bill just for a note or the availability of the doctor could be weeks away.
I needed mental health days my Jr. year. My mom got a letter in the mail about me missing days. She hounds me instead of them for being so heartless over a child getting sick, needing mental health days, etc. School can be a major drain on one’s mental health.
I just hate how these systems see kids as machines and not people. It’s 2021 you can put the lesson online and the child can stay caught up. When I was in school if you missed more than 3 days your parents had to get your homework. This is why I think emailing them the lesson is better.
Kids are human beings. Not machines, not robots. HUMANS.
I get some kids cut. Maybe they have a reason. Maybe they are being bullied by other kids or teachers. Yes in some cases, teachers can be bullies. Bullies are not always kids. Nowadays schools see needing the bathroom during class as a crime. If my bodily rights were being taken away, I’d cut school, too. That feels like a prison. It’s inhumane. It’s stupid. It’s ableist to kids with medical conditions like IBS. These stupid rules will cause a kid to miss more school. If they have a medical condition; some days may need the bathroom more than others. On the bad days, they’re better off missing school since, for some reason, you’ll think going to the bathroom is a crime. Missing a whole day because a bodily function is frowned upon for some stupid reason will do more than missing 5 mins in the bathroom. “I got my period, it’s heavier than normal. I’m better off missing today since these school admins see using the bathroom as a crime or whatever. My tampon won’t be strong enough to hold until *insert time here*” Imagine missing a whole day of school (if you got a heavy flow/medical condition) because some teachers are too cruel to let a child go to the washroom for a few minutes.
Of if the person is dealing with some type of infection. Might as well keep them at home until it passes. I believe these crazy rules will cause kids to miss more school because if they have flare-ups with their illness Eg IBS, they may as well stay home.
These kids deserve better. I tell it like it is. I’m brutally honest. Some people won’t be fond of my brutal honesty. I will not sugarcoat the poor treatment kids get at school. If you refuse a bodily function, I am not gonna sugar coat it. There is no excuse for that. None. You can save the ‘preparing them for a job’ bull shit. Because that breaks labor laws for the so-called ‘real world’ you call yourself preparing these kids for. If you want robots, build them. Don’t treat a child like one.
We are teaching children their body anatomy inconveniences someone else and it’s WRONG. IT’S SICKENING. With this dystopian shit, you wonder why kids cut school. I see threads all the time on Facebook or Twitter from kids telling stories about incidents that occurred. Teachers love to use the argument go during lunch, recess, or for middle/high school, passing period. The body clock does not work like that. If they just had lunch how can they pass something that their digestive system hasn’t filtered out yet? When I was in Jr. High, we had 3 mins. How can you get your books, use the bathroom assuming there is no line and get to your next class? It’s easy for them to say.
Even if teachers can’t go when they need to, how is subjecting the kids to the same treatment helping your cause? You protest, you make your voice heard. not say I have to hurt so I am taking you with me. You say I hate that I have to hurt, I don’t want you to be in the same situation so we’re going to make our voices heard so teachers, students everyone feel comfortable.
Also way back I looked up videos entitled ‘why I hate School” on YouTube and and least EVERY SINGLE person I watched mentioned these stupid, ableist bathroom rules. Or if the OP didn’t, people in comments did.
Even if there is more time during passing period, some kids need a break. It’s so freaking sad kids are being taught this shit. This is why its in the work force because you condoned it at school.
Another thing. Kids have issues with anxiety and have their breakdowns in the bathroom. As I said, find out why the kid is hiding in the bathroom and solve the problem, not treat body anatomy like a crime. I hate the word bathroom ‘privilege’s you can’t compare something that’s a part of the body to a smoke break.
I decided to work home for this very reason. I will NOT stand for someone basically instating my body anatomy is an inconvenience to them. Like I said, if they want robots, buy them.
School should not feel like a damn jail. If the doc asks you why your kid keeps having infections be upfront with them and tell em your kids’ school admin is too inhumane to allow them to relieve themselves. Don’t sugarcoat. Tell it like it is. It’s time the school admin is held accountable for how they treat kids.
Its the only way you will be heard is to be upfront and hold these folks accountable for how they ‘teach’ these kids.
That’s that. I think perfect attendance and criminalizing body anatomy is bull shit and wrong. It has no place for school or the workforce. It takes a few minutes to use the bathroom. You’re acting like they’re going to the moon. You’re acting like they’re going to get the Mars Rover, Jesus.
Especially if you’re dealing with little kids, they could have undetected medical issues.
You think you’re saving something but you’re not. This is geared towards grade school. If the kid has an incident because apparently body anatomy is frowned upon, their parents have to leave work, go home, get their backup clothes and the student has to miss a big chunk of the lesson waiting for their parents in the office for their new clothes. They will miss more of the lesson with the ridiculous mess than allowing them to leave for a few minutes. If they don’t come to you to get what they missed or get notes from a friend, that’s on them. Same with on a job if they work around food that is unsanitary being in soiled clothes. If I ate at a joint and found out servers are serving me with soiled clothes, you will never see me again. I may report it to the health department.
The student getting the teachers attention is more distracting than allowing them to quietly leave you a note and go do their thing and come back.
One thing I’ve learned is if there is a problem, solve it. If there is a leak in the roof of your house, you get it fixed, not move.
If kids are cutting, find out why and get feedback from the students regarding what you can do to make the classroom a comfortable environment, not take away their human rights. Yes. Going to the bathroom is a RIGHT.
No Comments