To wonder how we survived without constantly drinking water while working in previous decades?

I was in school through the late 80s and 90s, I remember being thirsty especially in the summer during primary school and not wanting to drink in case I needed the loo in secondary school. I got a lot of UTIs.

part time work in an office in the late 90s/early 2000s there was a morning and afternoon tea break, plus a drink with lunch. After that I worked part time in hospitality and had a drink on the side during my shifts.

Then full time in the office in the late 2000s, free access to tea/coffee/water for the whole day.

So really we have just extended the sane curtesy to children now that adults have always had.

i am sick of this “we didn’t have drinks and snacks” nonsense when offices had people employed as tea ladies to come round and give people cups of tea and biscuits or cakes at their desks, on top of lunch break drinks and meals.

The idea that Britain was powered by tea wasn’t a joke based on the idea you’d have one brew at breakfast, one at lunchtime then just cope until you got home. Having 6 or 7 cups during the working day was perfectly normal for office workers.

Some people functioned while dehydrated. Most people drank tea. We’ve switched to drinking water. Many younger adults don’t drink tea or coffee now.

I have always drank a lot of water and people thought I was a very strange child in the 80s. I think some people need more water then others and drinks like squash and numerous teas are more likely replaced by water. I think it's definitely better for your skin

All the people I know who are 55+ drink about 12 cups of tea a day, so I don't think being well hydrated is new? Just a different form.

Wait, what? Aren't your kidneys designed to deal with drinking water? Unless someone is downing 5l a day, I thought it was good for your kidneys (and the rest of the system - bladder, bowel etc) to be well hydrated.

Everyhere i worked it was encouraged to drink and I was born in 1975 we were allowed to drink in school we had water fountains plus our milk and a drink with our school lunches

I’m mixed on this one. It’s definitely done overboard but I was a child in the 80s/90s and do recall getting thirsty and having to find water somewhere, queue for the water fountain at school and barely be able to drink more than a trickle before you had to step aside for the next child, etc. I think having a water bottle in your school bag is a step up from then, but the Stanley’s, other beverages, constant drinking is overkill. I’m a hypocrite though because I talk a lot in my job and am constantly drinking water, coffee and tea all day.

I’m 36 and I remember being so horribly thirsty in primary school. The only thing we could drink from was a disgusting shared cup that was leftover from art lessons and caked in old paint.

I’m pretty sure free access to water (and toilets) is a good thing for kids and everyone else. Some people will complain about any changes from “back in their day”, it seems!

Surely its a balance ... being better hydrated is better for us all overall. Being too hydrated also a issue. You find your limit.

I suspect I might have diabeties or something because I constantly need to be drinking

@maddiemookins16mum

so true, kids snacking constantly

I grew up in a hot climate with no aircon yet at school we didn't have bottled water or breaks to go get a drink! I'd look forward to an ice lolly at lunchtime. At home it was cups of tea for the adults. I drank diluted cordial mainly.

I like that my DC drink lots of water. My water bottle sits on my desk & I forget to drink thanks to the few sips is fine all day upbringing (my DM is constantly on how ridiculous my DC having water bottles are instead of toughing it out in 30+ degree heat)! I'm constantly noticing my body is paying for it, too. Everything down to your teeth are affected (got into trouble with the dentist!!).

The ridiculous water bottles is just companies finding a way to make a profit. The bigger & more noticeable sell better. DC aren't allowed to get up during lessons so learn to go to the loo on breaks.

Yanbu, it’s become an obsession, but just one of many in modern life and unlike many of the others, this one is harmless enough.

It was normal historically to drink loads of weak beer, then tea, now water.

It was only kids who weren't allowed in schools.

I had constant headaches at school….turns out dehydration has this effect I. Me. We weren’t allowed to drink during lessons and just before lunch or last period I’d have a banging headache. When I drank more the headaches stopped. I have a 500ml cup at my desk that I refill throughout the day,

My parents weren’t concerned with sun exposure or hydration when I was younger. I suffered from severe heatstroke multiple times. I remember when I was about 4/5 falling asleep in my parents bed in the middle of summer and waking up in hospital

I think all the supping is working as an adult pacifier because everyone is so stressed.

Yep, I work in a school and every single lesson disrupted by kids who have downed a full water bottle demanding to go to the toilet. And the complaints from parents if you dont let them is rediculous.

I think lots of industries used to have numerous cups of tea/coffee (and a cigarette!) on the go during the working day.

We do live in a very ‘Now’ society culturally though these days, 24/7 news, continuous snacking, immediate phone access to just check something quickly or be entertained, so the water just fits into that, and actually is a positive thing for us.

Can’t be any worse than the prolific UTIs in the current elderly population

Yes I agree with you, we never had water bottles in school and hardly consumed water as much as current generation.

All this over drinking is putting tremendous strain on the kidneys. It will be interesting to see the outcome by late middle/old age for this population.

I agree. I think a lot of schools have reached a tipping point (often literally) and most classes I’ve worked in now have them together in a box where children can go and take the occasional swig.

But yes, I’ve often seen 5 year olds sent in with huge bottles they can barely hold up!

(I’ve sometimes been tempted to pre-load my reusable coffee cup with a dash of Kahlua before I leave home 😜)

I get it, it is a change over past times but change is not always bad. I have a 1L bottle (and wash the straw with a brush) of water and it helps me keep hydrated when I now WFH but also It means my timesheets show I don’t take lunches, work longer and also the video calls don’t allow the very short breaks I used to be able to take for bathroom or drink breaks and so I am working more and trying to stay healthy(alive) with water during the calls. If water drinking is such a big issue in your work days, I would say you are very lucky. There are much worse issues to deal with.