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

Jesus fucking christ almighty. There are children all over the world dying for lack of safe drinking water and people are getting aerated because their darlings aren't allowed to drink squash all day at school.

FFS.

St my school (infants):

• in classroom water bottles - water only
• playtimes - water from water fountains available, no drinks bottles taken outside
• snack time - milk is provided for those who choose to pay for it, else water from own water bottle
• lunchtime - water is provided for school meals; if packed lunch then can have an alternative drink in lunch box

It is irrelevant what the teachers are drinking in their lunch/break times. However, I am not really supposed to have hot drinks in class at all, unless in a lidded mug, and only then really if children are not about. Most teachers and TAs here have water in the classroom during clas time if they have a drink at all.

Schools that have this Water Only rule can and do bend it when it suits them. I've seen this at the school I work at and heard about it from the school my kids attend.

Which to me begs the question why have it at all if they are not going to adhere to it.

Just as some of the Teachers on here have said and rightly so, they wouldn't like to be told they should drink only water so why should the kids?

They should have a choice just like adults do.

I can't believe you actually got onto the council about this! I think it's fine, good in fact!

Pop in and make them a cup of coffee then. Numerous posters have outlined the reasons why it is water only, apart from the surely blindingly obvious health reasons.
Teachers are adults at work. Does your place of work forbid you to drink a cup of tea or coffee in your break, in the staffroom?

This sort of problem irritates me. There is nothing wrong in drinking water- anyone would drink it if they were thirsty enough! You would think that people would be grateful that there are several hours a day when they can't have sugary drinks!

FFFFFFFFFFFFSSSSSSSS Ahem.

What do people for this suggest the children who cannot drink water do?

Also - the teachers do not make the rules. So why punish them by barring them from having a drink in the staff room?

We have been lenient on occasion. We had a child with ASD until last year and he was allowed squash in his water bottle. He was the only child to be allowed to do so. And you know what? Every child in his class, from EYFS to y2 accepted that, no complaining at all.

We had a letter home asking for water bottles for summer but water only as sugar drinks attract ants. most flavoured water are also full of sugars

They have a water only policy because there is a box from Ofsted on how schools are encouraging a healthy lifestyle and if they want the Healthy Schools award, then I think it is one of the criteria. Having had to clear up squash spillages because secondary students have put it in their water bottles instead of water, sugar-free or not it makes a mess and means instead of quickly soaking it up with a tissue, I need cloths, and some sort of soap which disrupts the lesson. Hence water only in their water bottles in lessons and then squash/juice/water/milk etc. at break or lunch.
Children don't have a choice the same as adults! We certainly aren't going to serve our pupils coffee! And yes, I do only have water in my classroom and not squash etc.

But what about the children like the ones of the posters on this thread who cannot drink water Ionacat?

For those querying a water only policy that isn!t adhered to.

Dc's school has this but 1 of my dc's h as different needs. She has a medical condition which means that every drink she has requires additional calories, these come in the form of a powder that is only palteable with flavour ( we use watered down Apple juice) both of my other dc's gave water as I recognise the benefits however the health needs of my other dc mean that the rule does not apply. Her classmates do nit query it they know she has to take medication throughout the day.

I wonder if there are charities shipping squash out to the water refusing children in countries where there is no access to squash.

Anyone can drink water- they just choose not to. No one lost in the outback for days turns down water because they prefer something else!

Apart from the fact that if there is one child with a particular medical reason they can be allowed it- it doesn't stop the rest having water.

I think it's a v sensible rule.

Have you read some of the posts on this thread Delphiniumsblue?

Unless you are suggesting these parents are lying, it's clearly not as black and white as that I'm afraid.

My sons drink water just fine but that doesn't stop me from considering that there are children out there with different needs/issues.

If they have a real need/issue then the school are going to meet it. The others can have water. I would fight any plan to let children have sugary drinks. It is a very recent thing to have drinks in the classroom anyway- it only started sometime in 1990's.

This thread reminds me why I was so glad when my DCs left primary school. No more having people telling me how to parent my own DCs.

It is their business when they are mopping up the spilt apple juice and dealing with the wasps!

Water is absolutely fine as I have stated upthread. However, I would like to understand hoe (if) diabetic children would be affected? I seem to remember that sugary drinks are sometimes useful to prevent an imminent hypo (spelling??).

Oh my god, sorry not read full thread but this is ridiculous, yanbu. I took squash to school, and we had milk at break times and nothing bad happened. I'm not obese, I have all my own teeth and I never had an allergic reaction by accidentally drinking a friends drink. And afaik none of my classmates have been adversely effected either.

School is for learning, surely it's up to the parents to decide what is healthy for their own children?

I'm still awaiting my pfb so I had no idea these rules existed in schools these days.

"My ds doesn't consider water a drink"

Well, then he would learn a valuable lesson for life with a 'water only' rule.