Ed Wendell

I have a need for suggestions:

My just turned 7 nephew loves gaming sooooo much that he will not stop to go to the bathroom - even with gentle queries of "do you need to go to the bathroom?" he will say no, play a bit longer and then eventually wet his pants. Any suggestions on how to get him to go before he wets his pants and our carpet? If we insist he stops gaming long enough to go he gets very angry.

I don't know if this is relevant or not but he is mildly autistic, goes to school in a regular classroom, is allowed to play games at home as much as he wants (well not really since he does go to school).

He is coming this evening and I am looking for suggestions -

Oh and his mom (my sister) will not be here.

Here is one of my ideas - a tarp that would cover most of the open space where he would sit and then a blanket on top of that? That would at least save my carpet.

I do ask for several changes of clothing when he comes but his parents do not always comply - especially his dad. BUT then again he will only change his clothes when we make him. Zac is almost 15 so we do not have any clothing that fits our nephew.


Lisa W.



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Sandra Dodd

-=-My just turned 7 nephew loves gaming sooooo much that he will not
stop to go to the bathroom - even with gentle queries of "do you need
to go to the bathroom?" he will say no, play a bit longer and then
eventually wet his pants. Any suggestions on how to get him to go
before he wets his pants and our carpet? If we insist he stops gaming
long enough to go he gets very angry.-=-

I would say to put a timer on (for you, not for him) and either watch
him or get your son to watch him, and suggest a pausing place (a
saving place, or a still part of the game). Then say "Pause it."
And when he does, say "go to the bathroom, and then come back." If he
really doesn't need the bathroom, he could at least get a drink of
water and maybe a snack and then go back to it.

-=-Here is one of my ideas - a tarp that would cover most of the open
space where he would sit and then a blanket on top of that? That would
at least save my carpet.-=-

Sounds too much like newspaper for a dog, to me. It will help him to
know that he CAN pause a game, and that it's better for himself and
everyone else and the carpet for him to go in the toilet and not in
the chair.

-=-I do ask for several changes of clothing when he comes but his
parents do not always comply - especially his dad. BUT then again he
will only change his clothes when we make him. Zac is almost 15 so we
do not have any clothing that fits our nephew.-=-

You could get some of your own from a thrift store, maybe (just in
general theory, for future purposes...)

Sandra

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Ed Wendell

Thanks - that is what I was thinking about the tarp too -

I like the suggestion about the timer - we use a timer so the other two (ages 8 and 3) get a turn gaming if / when they want a turn. Though I can set my 8 year old niece up on this computer with some on-line something I find.

So we'd set the timer and then that would alert me or Zac (our 14 yr old) to watch for a pausing place? It was watching for a pausing place that I was missing.

THANKS!
Lisa W.

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Sandra Dodd

-=-
So we'd set the timer and then that would alert me or Zac (our 14 yr
old) to watch for a pausing place? It was watching for a pausing place
that I was missing. -=-

That's what I was thinking. Not a timer for the younger player.
That's like a school bell or a game-show buzzer. That's not fun.
But something more subtle so he could be helped in a compassionate,
generous way by people who love him!

Sandra

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Jenny C

> So we'd set the timer and then that would alert me or Zac (our 14 yr
old) to watch for a pausing place? It was watching for a pausing place
that I was missing.
>
> THANKS!


Isn't it funny how sometimes the answer is so obvious, yet you didn't
think of it?! And since, you are solution oriented, your kids pick up
on that and eventually start solving the issues with even better ideas
than the ones you come up with! That's my experience anyway!

It just happened today, in fact, when I was dropping Chamille off at the
mall and working out transportation. She came up with a solution that
worked the best for all!

casa_divina

I know I'm about a week behind in reading the posts, but here in Ecuador it is totally normal to have a "potty" in the room for kids (or adults, for that matter) who don't want to go to the bathroom at night (bathrooms are outside sometimes). Could you put a pot or another kind of "potty" in the room for him to use if leaving the game is too hard? Maybe looking at the game while he goes in the pot would be easier than having to leave the room to go?

I also think buying extra clothes at a thrift store is a great idea.

Molly in Ecuador