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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that teacher should make sure 4 yr old has a drink?

178 replies

aliharris · 04/10/2013 20:05

OK, DS just started school, had 7 half days and then started full time this week.
All the children have to take a water bottle in, and as DS won't drink anything else, this isn't anything unusual for him. However, he always needs to be reminded to have a drink as he won't stop playing etc to have one unless he is absolutely desperate.
I quickly realised that he wasn't drinking very much and put a note in his home to school book (the messaging system). TA wrote a note that she would encourage him to drink plenty.
Today I picked him up to find he hadn't had anything to drink from his bottle at all. He said he had had one drink from the water fountain, but nothing else, not even at lunch time. I waited to speak to the teacher and she just said, "Well I remind them to have a drink, I can't check individually".
Now I realise he has to learn to drink more, but I am so, so cross that he has gone a whole day at school without a proper drink - his bottle is transparent so it's not like you can't see.
AIBU? If it continues what can I do?

OP posts:
Artandco · 04/10/2013 20:08

I don't think thy can do anything. They have said they remind but they can't force.
I would just make sure he has a long drink before starting school and take a drink for when he finishes.

He won't dehydrate in 6 hours. And I he is thirsty he has his bottle and fountain to choose from

WipsGlitter · 04/10/2013 20:09

He will not die because he's not had a drink all day.

Get a grip woman.

Tavv · 04/10/2013 20:09

I think the teachers should be able to respond to individual needs like this. YANBU

babybythesea · 04/10/2013 20:10

Talk to her properly. Arrange a meeting, explain you are concerned he's getting dehydrated, and ask if there's anything that can be done while he's still learning. She's right, she can't always check everyone individually, especially if she is reminding them. If he says "I'm not thirsty" there's little she can do. Don't get angry - talk to her again, and try to come up with a strategy.

Sirzy · 04/10/2013 20:10

she encourages them to drink, she can't stand over 30 children and monitor how much they drink.

hettienne · 04/10/2013 20:11

All the teacher can do is remind them - she can't force him to drink, and she can't check all 30 children have had more than one drink a day.

Tavv · 04/10/2013 20:11

she can't stand over 30 children and monitor how much they drink

No but she could help this particular child with this particular thing. All children have different things they need help with.

DaddyPigsMistress · 04/10/2013 20:11

9-3 isnt all day.

Im pretty sure we were not all swinging on water every three minutes in school and we are all still alive

ZenNudist · 04/10/2013 20:12

He will drink if thirsty some people don't feel that thirsty. As his mum you can make him drink at breakfast & dinner, don't sweat the daytime drink, ds will be fine.

VinegarDrinker · 04/10/2013 20:13

The 2 yr olds at our nursery aren't "checked up on" to see they have drunk. If they are thirsty they'll drink.

We are talking 9-3.30 ish, right?. And he drank from the fountain? He drank before and after school?

So hardly going to get dehydrated.

What's the actual problem?

Amy106 · 04/10/2013 20:15

The teaching staff can't do any more than they are doing now, I'm afraid. There are too many children to monitor each one individually and of course they are not going to force a child to drink if they refuse. They will continue to remind the children as a group but now they know there's a concern with your child may give him some special attention at least for a while. You need to encourage to your child to drink well before and after school and give lots of praise if his water bottle shows signs of use during school hours.

MrsPnut · 04/10/2013 20:15

We had this last year with Dd2, what her class teacher did was got the whole class to have a drink when they came back in after break and lunch. This helped because everyone did it, no I'm not thirstys etc.

TheApprentice · 04/10/2013 20:16

You really do need to spend a day in a reception classroom. There is no way on earth the teacher will have the time to be looking at individual's water bottles. She is there to teach! If he is that thirsty he will drink!

littlewhitebag · 04/10/2013 20:19

I don't recall my children ever having a water bottle in school. I certainly didn't when i was a child. You drank at breakfast, lunch then when you went home. No-one died. Get a grip.

BellaVita · 04/10/2013 20:19

Yabu.

mumofweeboys · 04/10/2013 20:20

When I went to school, the only time you could drink was on your lunch. So 9 -12 then 1-3 without drinking even from reception age. Yabu

harrietlichman · 04/10/2013 20:20

Yabu.

reeta30 · 04/10/2013 20:21

I have a laugh at these posts every time I see them. Some parents must expect individual attention for every child for a whole host of reasons - little Johny needs to be reminded to drink, little Susan needs to have sun cream put on before going out, never mind the other ten in the class who have shoes they can't put on or coats they can't zip up. As much as teachers would love to give individual attention to every child for every little thing, in the real world there isn't even time for the teacher to have a comfort break themselves during the day. Catch a grip OP a general reminder to the class to have a drink is the best that the teacher can do. YABU

Mintyy · 04/10/2013 20:22

My children have never taken a bottle of water in to school, other than in the height of summer when it was extremely hot.

So yab a little bit u.

But, at the same time, if children are being encouraged to take water in these days, then maybe the teacher could just stop activities and say "Its time for everyone to have a drink of water now" - otherwise, what is the point of sending them in?

PinkSippyCup · 04/10/2013 20:24

OP I mean this to be helpful...

You're being ridiculous.

Floggingmolly · 04/10/2013 20:24

No child will dehydrate to dangerous levels if they have access to water.
No teacher will waste time monitoring water bottle levels to weed out the die hards either. It's up to you...

PinkSippyCup · 04/10/2013 20:24

Oh and please don't 'arrange a meeting' about this, you'll sound like a loon.

lljkk · 04/10/2013 20:26

it wouldn't do the teacher any harm to remind all her charges to drink at some point in the day. But you can't make her.
When I worked as MSA We had a few in reception who needed to drink a lot (kidney issues). Tried to do that but never perfectly able to monitor all the children's needs.

Usually it's the school reminding us parents to send in a bottle, they are pretty clued up how important hydration is to learning.

IsabelleRinging · 04/10/2013 20:27

Everyone is obsessed with kids being dehydrated!

YABU!

VisualCharades · 04/10/2013 20:27

sweet jesus I admire teachers and TAs so much. wot mumofweeboys said.
I only remember drinking at lunch maybe a bit from the dirty water fountain or pond and am sure there wasn't a observation chart filled in.

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