Why This Parent's Tweet About Bathroom Breaks In School Caused Social Media Outrage

Doctors always warn that holding urine or restricting bowel movements can cause serious damage to the kidneys and bladder. It can also have mental and emotional ramifications for children.

Some weeks ago, a parent posted a series of tweets on 'X' (formerly Twitter), in which she criticised one of her daughter's teachers at school for dissuading children from taking bathroom breaks and, in fact, promising to give them extra academic credit for not using the bathroom during school hours. Her tweets resulted in a good amount of engagement and outrage on social media, wherein other parents (and teachers) also jumped in to share their opinions on a subject that many called 'wrong', 'unhealthy' and 'immoral'.

For context, the parent -- a mother named Sita Zarcufsky -- expressed her rage on 'X' by writing that her daughter's math teacher made a ludicrous rule. "My daughter's math teacher has a rule that they only get one bathroom pass per week, AND, if they don't use it, they get academic extra credit. I am livid. But my daughter is mad that I want to email the teacher and CC the principal. Am I wrong here?" the parent asked.

It was followed by a barrage of responses -- some positive, some defensive. A few teachers purportedly jumped in to defend their brethren, but largely, people realised the impact such a rule can have on the overall health of children.

Zarcufsky also mentioned in one of the tweets that her daughter had to 'hold her pee' for the last 30 minutes of her math class, because of this odd rule. "Also, the school currently has half the bathrooms under construction and out of use," the parent mentioned, without stating where this school is located.

One person, a school teacher, responded by writing this: "Hi, I'm a high school teacher. This is wrong. It's immoral, unethical, discriminatory, and extremely worrisome... grades should be decided purely on academic ability (not behaviour). I literally cannot believe this is happening in the 21st century. If your child has anxiety or perfectionism, this could cause bladder or other medical issues. My advice: take your child to a doctor and get medical documentation (a doctor's note) that they are allowed to use the restroom anytime without impacting their grade..."

"Some kids may have a medical condition, it seems like this policy would be unfair to them," another person wrote. "It's inhumane," a comment read.

Zarcufsky raised a point while responding to someone's tweet that while her own daughter is healthy, there are many kids who have urinary or bowel issues. For them, staying away from bathrooms could be extremely challenging.

"There are going to be kids who feel the need to perform to the rules to prove that they have worth and in doing so, they might be unintentionally harming themselves (UTIs, dehydration, etc)," someone pointed out.

What Happens When Children Hold Their Pee For Long?

Doctors often say that holding urine or restricting bowel movements can cause some serious damage to the organs for both adults as well as children. While the human body is designed in a way that it can control such urges briefly, it is not advisable to do it in the long run.

When children hold their pee for an extended period, it can have severe health consequences:

Short-term effects:

• Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs): Bacteria can multiply in the urine and cause infections.
• Painful urination
• Frequent urination even after relieving themselves.
• Bedwetting issues
• Discomfort and/or abdominal pain

Long-term effects:

• Kidney damage
• Bladder damage
• Constipation
• Kidney stone formation
• Infrequent urination
• Incomplete bladder emptying
• Urinary retention

In the long run, it can also cause emotional and mental health damages, such as anxiety or fear of using the bathroom; embarrassment or shame due to bedwetting or peeing accidents in school; low self-esteem; difficulty in concentrating at school, etc.