What ages to go potty solo?

[Josiegirl]

By age 5 they ought to be able to be trusted in the bathroom, correct? Grrrr!!!

My sink has been growing a crack since winter. I suspected kids were standing on it to look at themselves in the mirror. I questioned them about it. Deny deny deny. Then one day they asked to use a flashlight I had on the kitchen windowsill. We were almost ready for lunch so I said later. Next thing I know my strong-willed rules don't apply to me kid comes out with another flashlight. Only place he could've gotten it was from the shelf over my bathroom sink. I asked him if he crawled up on top and he of course denied that. Grrrr....
So...what to do if a dck cannot be trusted using the bathroom on their own? If I leave the door open, all the other kids will be running in and out. Do I accompany him in and treat him like a 2 yo?

[Play Care]

By age 5 they ought to be able to be trusted in the bathroom, correct? Grrrr!!!

My sink has been growing a crack since winter. I suspected kids were standing on it to look at themselves in the mirror. I questioned them about it. Deny deny deny. Then one day they asked to use a flashlight I had on the kitchen windowsill. We were almost ready for lunch so I said later. Next thing I know my strong-willed rules don't apply to me kid comes out with another flashlight. Only place he could've gotten it was from the shelf over my bathroom sink. I asked him if he crawled up on top and he of course denied that. Grrrr....
So...what to do if a dck cannot be trusted using the bathroom on their own? If I leave the door open, all the other kids will be running in and out. Do I accompany him in and treat him like a 2 yo?

IMO he has shown he can not be trusted so yes, you do need to stand outside the door and make sure he is doing what he is supposed to. I would secure the other children and then stand right there. Put a childproof knob on the door so he has to ask when he needs to go and can't sneak in when you are busy.

[daycare]

NO one here (I have 5 and under) can use the bathroom alone. I made that mistake once and ended up with an $800.00 plumbing bill. After that when they have to go, the bathroom stays ajar, they still have their privacy, but I can hear everything that they are doing....

[MarinaVanessa]

No one here is allowed to go into the bathroom unsupervised without first letting me know they are going in. I have a really difficult doorknob safety lock that requires you to reach into two holes with your fingers in order to be able to get through and get the doorknob opened. My 8yo DD sometimes has a hard time getting in. This is so that kids don't "sneak" in when I'm not looking. After they are done I check the bathroom and flush the toilet. No DC child here is allowed to flush the toilet, only I am.