To think water only at school is ridiculous

[Joanne279]

I'm having a gripe at my kids new school. We werent informed of the water only rule before we started.

Ds aged 6 and dd aged 9 (suffers with autism) now refuse to drink.

Ds, on the grounds he hates water. I gave him flavoured water which he likes, but the school said no!!!!!

Dd, has been allowed to take squash because is her ASD but now refuses to even take a drink because she's different to everyone else. She won't drink water at all.

The teachers all drink coffee/tea in the staff room but kids are water only! Surely the teachers should be setting the example?

I've rang the council who say the healthy rules are at the school discretion. I'm waiting for a call back from the head teacher because I think it's stupid! I could understand if I was sending them with coke or lucozade, but flavoured water a no no? Really?

Just wondered what you all thought x

[tallulah]

I started school 46 years ago and there was a water-only rule then. We tried to get round it by buying packets of Splash Down - a ghastly bright orange powder concoction that you added to water. It was soon banned.

My DCs started school 24 years ago (different county) and again it was water only. They never took water bottles to school and only had drinks at play time and lunch.

So I can't see that anything has actually changed in school policy over the years.

[SoonToBeSix]

Tesco sell still strawberry flavoured water you can get three one litre bottles for £1.20 they would never know.

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

I think water only in classroom water bottles is fine as rules go. I do think there should be a bit more flexibility about breakfast club/lunch boxes though.

[arethereanyleftatall]

I like this rule.

[wobblyweebles]

What relevance does the teacher drinking tea and coffee in the staff room have, at all? hmm. There is no actual need for kids to drink anything but water at school

There's no actual need for the staff to drink anything but water either.

[Notso]

It is a PITA if your child won't drink water but as long as they drink plenty before school, at breaktime, lunchtime and after school it isn't a major problem.
When I was at school you weren't allowed to drink in class at all and I don't remember anyone passing out from dehydration.
My daughter didn't like drinking water all through primary school. She is now 14 and drinks mostly water.

[DilysMoon]

I think it's a good rule. My dc's drink it as they never had an alternative when they were little, apart from milk. Can't understand the froth about water, why would you want a dc to have something sugary or full of sweeteners instead of water, baffles me.

[dawndonnaagain]

manic I missed your post and therefore apologise. Perhaps I should have stated additional needs, because at that time you had an additional need.

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

But Dilys what would you have done had your children not drunk water?
Some children will not drink it at all. What if your kids had only had milk?

As I said before my DS is not keen, he will have a quick sip from the fountain (he is at secondary now) but when he was at school it was water or milk and personally I was glad he chose milk as it's good for his bones, teeth etc.

[Gruntfuttock]

I think the water only rule is a very good one.

So there.

[moosemama]

manicinsomniac I totally agree. It isn't just pupils who have ASD or any other SEN for that matter, some children have real problems around food/drink and I do think schools need to be more flexible and work with parents in these cases, rather than putting some 'healthy school' certificate/award ahead of the actual health of some of their pupils.

Yes, in an ideal world all children would drink water and nothing else regularly throughout the day, but in the real world life isn't like that and where the majority of pupils will just accept it and have the water, consideration should be made of those that genuinely struggle with this, at least while the reasons are assessed and a plan of action put into place.

I believe there have been studies done into how dehydration during the school day reduces concentration etc and that's why water bottles in classrooms were introduced in the first place. (Sorry don't have links, but it's what we were told when our school starting insisting every pupil had a water bottle available.)

The classrooms in our school get ridiculously hot and I can always tell when my older dc's water bottles will still be full when we get home, by how pale and droopy they are when they come out of school at the end of the day. Dd is in reception. They have school milk each morning and this is taken at a table outside, under a canopy. They also have to have a bottle of water each and are reminded at regular points throughout the day to have a drink. This works really well and the pupils don't need their bottles on their tables - where they may get spilled etc - at all times.

[MatisseMatisse]

"I think the water only rule is a very good one."
^^
Agree.

People saying "my dc won't drink anything but squash" are totally annoying and previous. Anyone will drink water if they are thirsty. How did mankind survive with squash?

Seriously, OP, get a grip, think about all the children who die due to unclean water and get some perspective.

Ffs

[manicinsomniac]

now worries dawn Yes, I think perhaps 'fussiness' should be classified as an additional need, whether temporary or permanent. At the moment I think it isn't though, it is just seen as annoying.

[manicinsomniac]

no worries!

[MatisseMatisse]

*survive without squash

[Bue]

I don't really understand the scourge of dehydration that has seized hold of the nation's children since I was at school. No one brought water bottles to school then (we used a - gasp - water fountain!) but if we had, we certainly wouldn't have been allowed to down sugary drinks in the classroom to our hearts' content. As long as children are allowed milk or juice at lunch, I think water the rest of the time is fine.

[BertieBotts]

When I was at school, not that long ago, we weren't allowed drinks during the day! Only at playtime and lunchtime and usually we didn't have anything to drink at playtime, just a snack. There was a water fountain but you didn't always get a turn.

[DilysMoon]

I don't know to be honest Betty, perhaps watered down the milk gradually to increase the water content and done it that way. Wouldn't have offered a sweet alternative though, I can imagine we'd have struggled with ds2 with water with his sweet tooth if he'd had a chance to get a taste for sweet drinks.

[BertieBotts]

Xposted Bue

[JustADadHere]

The problem with the rule is just that - it is a rule. It takes parental choice completely out of the equation and is, in my opinion, overstepping the role of the school in my child's life. I am fine with guidelines and education, even to excess, but putting hard rules in place to enforce those ideas is too far.

[dawndonnaagain]

manic. I don't think it is fussiness, I think you were more accurate when you said frightened of foods. I suspect it is more common than people think.

[Madamecastafiore]

My kids wouldn't question it because they do as they are told by teachers. Just tell your kids they are the rules and that is that. If they don't like it they wait until lunch time.

I am turning 40 shortly and think back to when I was at school. None of us died, even I the most stifling weather, from only drinking at lunchtime.

[SoonToBeSix]

Matisse no anyone will not drink water if they are thirst , what an ignorant statement.

[fifi669]

When you go to a school you abide by their rules. It's as simple as that.

I have always hated the taste of water myself, but at school I'd use the water fountains if I needed a drink. It's not the end of the world.