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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask what you think to this school new rule?

385 replies

Redsatin109 · 17/07/2025 19:35

Just heard from other parents that apparently they’ll be reducing the amount of water y2 and upwards can have next year. So limiting the amount of times they can access their water bottle. This is because they’re only allowed to go to the toilets at breaks/lunch and it’s to limit toileting accidents in the classroom.

OP posts:
Welikebeingcosy · 17/07/2025 22:47

Isittimeformynapyet · 17/07/2025 22:45

Are you sure you haven't left anything out?

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🤣🤣🤣 Need that laugh emoji back

saraclara · 17/07/2025 22:47

Neverlookback32 · 17/07/2025 22:45

Children have very little autonomy in school.
One of the many reasons I home educate.

If you home educated 30 kids at a time, you'd soon cut down in their autonomy.

Oddly enough, working adults don't have a whole lot of autonomy either. That's life.

saraclara · 17/07/2025 22:45

I taught for nearly forty years, only able to drink and go to the loo at break and lunchtime, and yet never had a UTI or became unwell with dehydration. It must be some kind of superpower.

Neverlookback32 · 17/07/2025 22:45

Children have very little autonomy in school.
One of the many reasons I home educate.

Isittimeformynapyet · 17/07/2025 22:45

Annony331 · 17/07/2025 20:29

Like anything it depends on what problem they are facing.

Is water consumption being used to interfere with teaching, are certain children gathering. Is there a bullying issue, is where the water is accessed difficult to monitor. Are children interfering with others water or bringing in contraband that puts others with allergies at risk, is poor behaviour an issue, are some children targeting others? Then is there a toilet issue again interfering with teaching, an issue with bullying or damage across school. Is there a safeguarding issue? Is there child on child abuse. Water fights or situations that build to other issues, vaping?

When you introduce a new rule or change something it is in response to an issue. We need more information

Are you sure you haven't left anything out?

TheCurious0range · 17/07/2025 22:45

Welikebeingcosy · 17/07/2025 22:43

Pretty sure I've seen videos of surgeons having a straw from a carton of ribena held into their mouth for them during surgery.

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My comment was about going to the toilet, not drinking, in response to another poster's comment that employers can't tell you when you can and can't go

saraclara · 17/07/2025 22:43

Biscoffscoffer · 17/07/2025 22:38

I wouldn't be happy with that. Surely if they drink less they'll be prone to uti which would make them want to go to the toilet more regardless of whether they have any wee or not.

Yep, when I was a kid in the 60s and 70s, and my kids were kids in the 90s and 00s, we all had UTIs constantly from only being able to drink every 90 minutes or so.
Except we didn't.

Welikebeingcosy · 17/07/2025 22:43

TheCurious0range · 17/07/2025 22:17

What about if you're a police officer, a prison officer, work in court, maybe you're a surgeon or a train driver, do you think you can just nip to the toilet whenever you like?

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Pretty sure I've seen videos of surgeons having a straw from a carton of ribena held into their mouth for them during surgery.

Isittimeformynapyet · 17/07/2025 22:41

EggnogNoggin · 17/07/2025 20:25

The other unpopular thing to point out is how many kids have unnecessary dental caries because they won't drink plain water and the constant exposure to sugar is damaging.

So wait... what? Sugar damages teeth?

Thedevilhasfinallycaughtupwithhim · 17/07/2025 22:40

TwoPointOh · 17/07/2025 22:18

Of course they can. Confused I can’t go to the toilet when I want in my job.

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I can think of loads of jobs where you can’t go to the toilet whenever you want. Teachers for an start! Even office jobs I’ve had in the past time you and record how often you go during in working hours instead of breaks.

saraclara · 17/07/2025 22:40

TiptoeThroughTheToadstools · 17/07/2025 22:38

But the children are not any of those things, they are children, in a school.

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I was a teacher. In a school. I could only get a drink and go to the loo at break and lunchtime.

Welikebeingcosy · 17/07/2025 22:40

When I was at primary school we had our water bottles on our desks so there was no one getting up anywhere to disrupt anything. We filled them up at break at the fountain- although that limited our time to run around and play. People raised their hands to use the toilet, it was never an issue.

İt literally isn't a disruption to drink water, people do it at their job all day long and manage to be productive.

I feel like schools these days just like to look for issues.

TheCurious0range · 17/07/2025 22:39

TiptoeThroughTheToadstools · 17/07/2025 22:38

But the children are not any of those things, they are children, in a school.

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Your comment was an employer can't tell you when to go to the toilet. That's what I was responding to. They can.

Biscoffscoffer · 17/07/2025 22:38

I wouldn't be happy with that. Surely if they drink less they'll be prone to uti which would make them want to go to the toilet more regardless of whether they have any wee or not.

Thedevilhasfinallycaughtupwithhim · 17/07/2025 22:38

I would support the school and assume the current way of working is becoming disruptive to learning. Very few pupils will need constant access to water and they will have a medical note to say so.

cyvguhb · 17/07/2025 22:38

TiptoeThroughTheToadstools · 17/07/2025 22:11

The school have no issue with me or my children, and employers cant specify when its OK to go to the toilet either.

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Are you in the UK? If so I think you're wrong about employers and toilet breaks, I think it's allowable to have set times

TiptoeThroughTheToadstools · 17/07/2025 22:38

TheCurious0range · 17/07/2025 22:17

What about if you're a police officer, a prison officer, work in court, maybe you're a surgeon or a train driver, do you think you can just nip to the toilet whenever you like?

Show quote history

But the children are not any of those things, they are children, in a school.

TheWickerHare · 17/07/2025 22:36

JassyRadlett · 17/07/2025 19:38

To be honest at that age they can definitely learn to manage their water intake and that there are times to have a drink and times to work.

Constant access to water bottles must be a nightmare for teachers in terms of kids fiddling with them etc, let alone the loo issues.

OK, and if they asked this of office workers there'd be strikes.

MissedItByThisMuch · 17/07/2025 22:35

Well they’re not actually reducing the amount of water are they? Just the frequency with which they drink it. They can drink the same volume of water in total, just in larger aliquots. It’s exactly the same physiologically, and perfectly fine even on hot days.

Yabberwok · 17/07/2025 22:35

Pricelessadvice · 17/07/2025 19:37

Years ago we were only allowed a drink at break and lunch. We all survived.
I’m not sure why kids have to permanently be attached to a water bottle nowadays.

This. I see 5 years old carrying two litres of water.. how much time do they spend in the loo?

adviceneeded1990 · 17/07/2025 22:33

JassyRadlett · 17/07/2025 19:38

To be honest at that age they can definitely learn to manage their water intake and that there are times to have a drink and times to work.

Constant access to water bottles must be a nightmare for teachers in terms of kids fiddling with them etc, let alone the loo issues.

It is. And the approx 2-5 times a day someone spills the whole thing over their work. But if you implement a water bottle station instead of bottles on desks parents complain that you are dehydrating their children.

OonaStubbs · 17/07/2025 22:33

TiptoeThroughTheToadstools · 17/07/2025 22:11

The school have no issue with me or my children, and employers cant specify when its OK to go to the toilet either.

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Of course employers can do this!

VanillaImpulse · 17/07/2025 22:30

MaryBeardsShoes · 17/07/2025 20:12

I bet you only drank water from the garden hose! 🙄🤣

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Not really sure how you came up with that idea. Strange comment!

Mamabear23679 · 17/07/2025 22:29

Redsatin109 · 17/07/2025 19:35

Just heard from other parents that apparently they’ll be reducing the amount of water y2 and upwards can have next year. So limiting the amount of times they can access their water bottle. This is because they’re only allowed to go to the toilets at breaks/lunch and it’s to limit toileting accidents in the classroom.

It’s disgusting and nothing to do with education.

Im a teacher ( thankfully no longer in a prison , I mean a mainstream primary ) and I was on supply for a while - no matter what the school policy I never refused a child going to the toilet or having a drink . I will stand there teaching , sipping a coffee so what right do I have to tell a child they can’t drink when they’re thirsty ! Going to the toilet is different - a teacher has to wait - but , the teacher is an adult and if I was desperate i would have called for a TA to cover me. It’s basic human rights

FortheloveofCheesus · 17/07/2025 22:24

Totally fine, kids don't need to sip constantly. There are regular breaks in school, they can wait until break for a drink unless its really hot.