to wish that parents would send their children with water bottles etc

[katydid02]

Children are hot and thirsty with this lovely weather and yet parents are sending them to school with no water bottles, no sun hats and without suncream. 2/30 had a sunhat today and only about 10 had water bottles.

[Emilythornesbff]

Yes
Perfectly sure.

What's your point?

[runningforthebusinheels]

I too send dd (reception) in with a hat, water bottle and covered in sun cream. The water bottle seems almost untouched at pick up, I've seen them all out at playtime without their hats/chucking their hats around the playground, and 2 water bottles and 1 hat (all named) have gone missing this term. Not to mention her pe kit which came back with only plimsolls in the bag - no shorts or t shirt.

We were also required to send in wellies and waterproof trousers and jacket to keep at the school, which I bought specially last September ans have never been worn by the looks of them.

[Emilythornesbff]

Believing that children would benefit from having access to water so they can quench their thirst, which increases in hot weather is not synonymous with an obsession with dehydration.
I appreciate that it may not be medically necessary, nor desirable to constantly sip water. That does not mean that a water bottle isn't a good idea. It's just something to drink from.

There are of course degrees of dehydration. It's not one single emergency state.
Thirst is simply a symptom of dehydration.
One does not need to be in the Serengeti to suffer dehydration.

Let the little ones have drink.
And pop some sunscreen on when the weather is like it has been in this last couple of weeks.
Easy.
I can't imagine why none would argue with that.

[spidercatcherextraordinaire]

Runningforthebusinheels - Its the same hear with the wellies, I don't understand it.

[Emilythornesbff]

Yes sleepywombat
I've always wondered about the 8 glasses / 2 litres thing. I have never managed that. Maybe i'm missing out.

[curlew]

interesting article about this

[conorsrockers]

Well, my kids don't have sunscreen on before they go to school, they have school hats (but I know they don't wear them), and certainly don't have water bottles. However, they are blessed with common sense and go and play in the shade if its too sunny and drink plenty at lunch. It's just something else for people to get their knickers in a twist about. It reminds me of the parents that take a snack box to the sports pitch and offer them something to eat every time they are sent off for a quick drink. The kids are only playing for two hours! Seriously :/
Shoot me.

[Emilythornesbff]

Hmm. I do wonder if there's a tendency to over snack our DCs conorsrockers. I'm just getting used to the fact that my previously bf ds doesn't need to eat every couple of hours . It's quite liberating.

[Catsize]

This is all news to me. DS too young for school.
We all went to school without these things and now parents are being slammed as irresponsible per OP. I seem to remember there was one of those trickly water fountains at school back in the day.
Perhaps these a now breaches of health and safety or something...

[Emilythornesbff]

There's a generally poorer provision of water fountains these days apparently.

[spidercatcherextraordinaire]

Oh the snacking thing is ridiculous. I don't understand the women who walk around with packets of dried fruit in their bags.

Why?

Surely 3 meals a day are enough?

Why the need to constantly shove sugar into them?

[curlew]

The marketing people have done the "snacking" thing too. Supermarkets have aisles labelled "Snacking". Very euuuuuuuuuuu.

Interesting that they haven't yet convinced us that it's important to eat before hungry. But it's only a matter of time...........

[conorsrockers]

Drives me nuts - I sit and listen to them moaning about how their kids won't eat a proper meal, while they sit and dish out non-stop snacks. So basically, they are rewarded for not eating the meal they are given
How about, give them breakfast and then make them wait till lunch. They'll soon pick up that if they don't eat - they get hungry. They will not die from starvation - similarly they will not die of thirst if they don't have a sippy cup permanently stuck in their hand/mouth.
Just produces tired, confused parents, needy children (and bad teeth)....

[katydid02]

Catsize, nowhere in my original post did I say that they were irresponsible, I just said I wished they did because we have had days with umpteen children all wanting to go to the water fountain and then missing lesson time after each play as a result. They have all been provided with free water bottles to bring into school so it's not as if parents had to go and buy them.
In the end we just got jugs of water and plastic cups and had a drink waiting for them when they came in from play. Water bottles are much easier as they don't spill all over books.

[Emilythornesbff]

Well I suggest you keep your sensible suggestions to yourself katie

[Cremolafoam]

I agree the snacking is out of control. I have several acquaintances who are unable to walk the length of themselves without half a picnic tucked inside their handbags. Also OJ and other juices are packed with sugars and should count as food in my book.

[parakeet]

To be fair, Katy's OP did not actually say parents who send their children in without water bottles are irresponsible - although umpteen other people did.

And Emily, to answer your question, my point is that you said that some people were claiming thirst was a marketing ploy. When in fact no one said anything so ridiculous. Even the post you quoted didn't say that.

Feel free to admit you were wrong on that point any time you like...

[PrettyKitty1986]

Some people's cavalier attitude to sunscreen really surprises me.

I have medium tone skin that tans fairly easily. I sat outside for 20 minutes the other day on my work lunch break (with no sunscreen on) and that night my shoulders and nose were just slightly tender to the touch - that pre-burn stage where an extra 5 minutes would have turned into actual sun burn.

It's not hysterical or overprotective to slap on a little sunscreen before your kids go to school to ensure they are safe. Nor is it clever to say 'Ooh I never/hardly ever use suncream on them, aren't I a bad mummy!!'
Yes you fucking are, to be frank.

[katydid02]

thanks Parakeet

[conorsrockers]

Ummmm .... if you are referring to me trying to be clever kitty, my kids broke up from school 3 weeks ago - it wasn't very sunny then (and they don't go into the midday sun as I pointed out). There's no point putting sun cream on if you're not in the sun

[bragmatic]

Being thirsty is no more a sign of dehydration than being hungry is a sign of being starved.