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

The OP has a child with autism - so it isn't as clear cut as "they would drink water if they are thirsty". My DS has SN and he would go thirsty if he didn't like what was on offer. Luckily he actually prefers water!!

Andctge child with autism was given an exception.... The other will have to just suck it up.

I think unless you have been faced with a child that has eating/drinking problems it's all too easy to judge. It's very hard for some people to accept that there isn't one right way for all children and it isn't always as simple as just being firm. There are plenty of fussy kids out there, but this isn't always the case, with some children the issues are far more complex and deep seated and is something that's extremely distressing to deal with as a parent.

As for saying children didn't faint from dehydration etc during the second world war etc, how on earth could you know that - I'm pretty sure it's not something teachers would advertise and having heard other, less than delightful tales, of school days during that era from various family and friends it would surprise me at all. Not to mention it opens up a whole new can of worms about the treatment of pupils with SEN and whether or not they were even at school back then.

We didn't have water in our classrooms when I was at primary (1970s) and I did use to faint a few times every single summer.

Might your children find fizzy water more palatable?

I said die not faint! The point is, yes there will always be children who need to be the exception to the rule but they are actually quite few and far between so it is fine to have the rule and then exempt those few.

A child in Ds2 class has CF and so needs a massive amount of calories at each meal. The school rule is still fruit only for snack. He can eat crisps and chocolate because he needs to. But I don't want them to change the rule because other children would prefer them.

Then I think we're in agreement BarbarianMum. I agree water is the best and right option - don't have a problem with it being a school rule, but do think schools need to be flexible for individual cases where there is a genuine need/problem.

For me it's just yet another manifestation of the desire for a one-size-fits-all education that some schools insist on pushing, which is often what causes problems for so many SEN pupils - square pegs in round holes and all that. I say some schools though, as some (although in my experience they are not in the majority) are fantastic and gret at treating their pupils as individuals and supporting them on that basis. Not all school are created equal, there are good and bad and worse out there in every area.

We have water in the classrooms (to avoid sticky spillages) and water/milk available with school lunches. Packed lunches can bring dilute juice if they prefer. Presumably because the tables/floor get cleaned after lunch anyway.

Your kids can be as fussy as they like, they can refuse to drink plain water forever and ever. They only have to refrain from drinking milk or sweet, sticky stuff in the classroom.

Outside the classroom they can drink whatever you send them in with, I do not care.

Yes it's a bit too strict, but honestly I think it's a good thing

I was a child in 60s and 70s and, with the exception of free school milk (until thatcher) the only drink I had during school day was cup of water with school dinner. I walked 3 miles to and from school and never once fainted through dehydration. We also only had one school dinner: no choice. You are what was put in front if you/ put on your plate by dinner lady. Again, nobody died. Obviously there are done children with genuine needs but it is beyond me how it has got to this date where healthy kids (not SEN or kids with health issues) cannot just drink water and eat their dinners without do much bloody FUSS

Some children just don't drink enough, full stop, so inventive tactics need to be used, particularly if you have reason to avoid sugary drinks.

Liquid high foods are good to help boost liquid intake over a few hours where a particukar type of drink may not be available/allowed. -cucumber, that sort of thing.

Nomama, it is not always that simple. I totally understand why there would be a water-only rule for inside the classroom. Both my girls have attended (different) schools and preschools where there has been a water-only-at-all-times rule. Which meant no drink from 8.15am (when we went out) until 4.30pm at the earliest. That is not a good situation, especially when the amounts being drunk before and after school are also minimal (as per previous post).

Agree, ThatBloodyWoman, that there are ways and means of increasing liquid intake.

At my DD's school squash is banned for the same reason as nuts - some children can have such a serious allergic reaction they could die. Yes very few but no school would want it to happen in theirs. Teachers can't police 4 year olds offering each other a sip of drink, or getting identical Elsa themed bottles mixed up so - water only. Oh yes, and the stickiness thing too!

I don't agree with a lot that schools do, but whole heartedly agree with this.
Everybody likes water, they can't not like it as it has no taste.
If you were dehydrating in hospital they would give you water not cordial.
It is the best thirst quencher and free.
You can't beat a bit of council pop.

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?

matisse, drinking pure water is a modern fad, natural river water drinks, used for 99.9% of human history, far more closely resembled squash.

Squash is better for hydrating.

The water rule is to do with the ease of clearing up spills, not health, squash is healthier.

Thirsty children would need something like squash if they are running around a lot and sweating, but this does not have to be within the school day, they are only there for a few hours, and can presumable y drink squash at lunch.

It is very different for teachers, who are likely to be on site twice as long, and WOULD be at risk of dehydration if they didn't have access to proper drinks.

It is a sensible rule - healthy, sets good habitats and teaches kids they don't have to buy squash/fizzy drinks.

morethanpotatoprints if you were dehydrating in hospital they would absolutely NOT give you water, it would be very dangerous!

dd has been advised by the dentist to drink only water butby another medical proffesional to have weak squash as she was not getting enough water to be healthy. we stick to squash in her lunch and water in her bottle in class.

Aelf - How does river water resemble squash?

Squash and water have the same hydrating properties (it's the water in squash that hydrates).

Squashes are usually more acidic, sugary and can be filled will all sorts of unnatural things.

Water is perfectly fine for kids running around.

Yabu. They will get used to water!

It's a reasonable and sensible rule in itself, and one of those rules where once you start making exceptions there's no end of it. Others have said that learning to accept and live by rules is part of what school is about.

When I went to school in the 90's we didn't take any drinks with us, we had water with lunch and there was a water fountain in the playground, I don't ever remember being thirsty.

The child without asd needs to learn to drink water. Thechild with asd can have something else anyway, do you expect other children to drink unhealthy drinks just to make your child not feel like the odd one out?

It's school not a bloody picnic!

Squash and water do not have the same hydrating properties, squash is more isotonic, as are the hydrating fluids used in hospital.It can be absorbed. Pure water cannot be absorbed, it would totally destroy blood cells. it can be used to dilute body fluid, but not replace body fluid. Pure water is not a natural phenomenon, it is a modern chemical.

The reason water alone is not given in cases caused by say, vomiting or extreme sweating, is that the body loses salts when voiding and these need to be replaced. A bit of sugar helps with taste/energy levels but it is not the important bit.

Drinking water to keep hydrated day to day is fine as long as it isn't hugely hot, you are eating normally and not sweating buckets.

I don't think it is a major big deal for the small length of the school day, for children