Do you remember waiting until recess to go to the bathroom? Or sometimes having to squeeze your legs together until you got home?
Well, holding back from peeing for our kids is the same... and not good news for their health.
It’s a public health issue
According to a survey by the "À nous les toilettes" collective, more than 8 out of 10 children hold back from using the toilet at school*. And that’s the case from kindergarten, primary school, middle school right through to high school!!
Why? Because they're dirty, because they're afraid of being teased, or simply because adults don't always let them go.
But why is it a big deal?
When we hold back too often, it's not just uncomfortable.
It can cause:
- Urinary tract infections (ouch, that stings!)
- Stomach pains
- "Unintentional" accidents (yes, even in grown-ups)
- And by dint of it, bad habits for life
To go to the bathroom, it's a right!
Yes! Like drinking when you're thirsty, or eating when you're hungry, peeing when you need to is a fundamental need.
The toilets at school should be clean, safe and welcoming, so that every child feels comfortable there, without shame or fear.
What if we broke the taboo?
Talking about peeing at the dinner table may be weird... but it's super important!
Tools like La Marinette allow you to open up the discussion with kids in a funny, no-holds-barred way.
The more we talk about it, the more we teach kids that listening to your body is normal, and that asking to go to the bathroom is always OK.
And if you want to go even further, we've got explanations below with a summary table as well as’an inspiring example from a school.
Why is it bad for your health?
For the body: 5 physical risks at least
- Urinary tract infections (cystitis): stagnant urine favors bacterial proliferation, increasing the risk of infection.
- Abdominal or pelvic pain: the bladder under pressure causes discomfort and cramps.
- Constipation and bowel disorders: ignoring the natural urge to have a bowel movement disrupts bowel function.
- Lasting bladder disorders: repeated retention can lead to an over-distended bladder or incontinence.
- Urinary accidents or kidney congestion: the habit of holding back can lead to leakage or kidney complications.
Holding back from peeing has physical consequences:
For the mind: 3 psychological effects
- Anxiety and stress: fear of asking, being interrupted or mocked.
- Loss of self-confidence: especially following a public accident, which can lead to shame or isolation.
- Taboos and embarrassment around natural needs, curbing discussions around the body and health.
Holding back from peeing has harmful effects on the psychological:
To go to the toilet: a basic need
Pissing is like drinking or breathing: it’s a vital need. School toilets must therefore be clean, safe, accessible and non-judgmental.
Awareness-raising from kindergarten onwards helps create healthy habits... and form freer adults, who listen to their bodies without fear or embarrassment.
Here's an inspiring example from the Bram school:
How Bram is transforming school toilets into places of well-being?
As part of the À nous les toilettes collective, children have created a collective art fresco to transform these often drab and unwelcoming spaces into warm, respected places.
Accompanied by facilitators (Fédération Léo Lagrange, ARObE) through the board game "À nous les toilettes", they were able to express their feelings, share their difficulties and propose concrete solutions.
This approach made it possible to free speech around a sensitive subject, while empowering students to take responsibility for transforming their school environment.
It brilliantly illustrates how a collective mobilization (students, management, elected officials, educators, parents) can metamorphose a place of ease into a space of well-being and dignity.
Raising awareness early to liberate tomorrow
Going to the toilet is a natural need, like drinking or breathing. Accepting this from an early age means forming more free adults, in harmony with their bodies, without shame or taboo.
Initiatives like Bram show that an artistic, educational, creative and collective approach can truly transform the relationship with these places. A lesson to be disseminated widely.
After school?
The problem doesn't disappear with the end of schooling. Many adults continue to hold back, out of compulsion, habit or lack of accessibility:
- Women: hesitate to use public toilets deemed unclean or unsafe.
- Pregnant women: retention can aggravate pain, infection or urge.
- Professionals in occupations with limited access to sanitary facilities (teachers, drivers, carers...): lack of breaks can create physical and mental stress.
Live free pee, at any age and anywhere!
Yes, it’s a major public health issue!
Holding back from peeing at school isn't just a little discomfort, it's a major public health issue. Combining medical data, testimonials and initiatives like the one in Bram makes it possible to raise awareness, touch consciences and take action.
Together, let's make school toilets spaces where everyone feels free, heard and respected, let's demand dignified school toilets, for the health and well-being of all our children.
Long live free pee!
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*Survey conducted among 612 children, aged 6 to 11, and 404 parents by the "A nous les toilettes" collective.