AIBU to be angry at teacher who refuses DS water on long coach journey???

[Gizzle]

DS came home very subdued and downcast after the annual school day trip to the seaside today. Turns out that he left his bag on the beach (not unusual, he's an 8yo boy after all) but luckily it was retrieved by a teacher. However, when he asked politely for the bag, she refused to give it to him for the entire duration of the return coach journey, even though it contained his water bottle and he was clearly very thirsty after a day on the beach. I'm not sure what kind of lesson she was hoping to teach him, but I would have thought that children of this age should be helped towards independence, and not punished into it. And refusing a thirsty child water? Is there ever a case for that?

Have been reading this thread open mouthed. We have wonderful teachers. They are loved, cherished, respected and treated like Queens by the parents and the HT. They treat the children like humans and get good behaviour back. I couldn't ask for better and we support them wholeheartedly. We are super super lucky. But by Christ if I had reason to believe they were anything like you lot I'd HE in a heartbeat. The things that have been said by some of you about a forgetful 8yo but we don't dare say anything against the adults because they're teachers and above all reproach!

ShelaghTurner
we don't dare say anything against the adults because they're teachers and above all reproach!

If you actually believe that people saying get all the facts are saying that teachers are beyond reproach, then you might want to rethink HE.

I was a bit shocked by the 'let the bitch have it' and so on.

Who said those things? Did you report it LyingWitch?

Teacher bashing threads all over. Come off it, derxa

Have you really? NavyandWhite? Who's done that on this thread?

My son is very forget too...no matter how much we try to instil in him to look after his own possessions...so you are not alone! I would be grateful to the teacher for picking up his bag but would question why she felt the need to confiscate his property (even in the short term). I too would be rather unhappy about this. Especially if it is an issue around access to water.

I'm a teacher and I don't think YABU. He should have been allowed water (never been on a coach in ten years of teaching that didn't allow water) and the teacher really shouldn't be commenting about a kid she doesn't know that well. If they had a good relationship sometimes a wee tease about something like forgetting might be alright (I know fine well this is not always acceptable) but not in this case. Kids forget and lose stuff on trips ALL THE TIME. A good trip organiser will get kids to double check they have everything before they head back to the coach. I would say to the teacher/school that you understand he caused an inconvenience but he's a child & likely to forget stuff occasionally (especially due to trip excitement!) but that you are concerned that he was denied access to his water.

Could have been several reasons why bottle of water and DS were not reunited. Can't help but think though that if this particular teacher is overly irritated by children losing/mislaying/forgetting anything and everything that us humanly possible she has a long and arduous road ahead of her. God actually I sympathies as I write...mine have managed to lose shoes/kit/letters from school/everything! Best to ascertain school policy on water drinking and ensure pupils can access where necessary.. Even the really forgetful ones.

Not sure who said that? I presumed it was on this thread?

Then find the post and report it Navy. Otherwise it's a bit lame, isn't it?

Have you considered the possibility that your DS didn't tell you the full story?

Yes, people can go 2 hours without a drink.

But he was THIRSTY!

You know, that feeling when you've been hot and sweaty and need a drink? And you know your drink is feet away but you are being denied it?

Never mind he forgot his bag. Never mind he is only 8yr old. Never mind the bloody bus company rules.

He was just thirsty!!

If I was a teacher I would hate to come across as being mean and trying to teach kids lessons where there are no lessons to be learnt. I would much rather come across as kind and caring.

So what if it had been a long day and the teacher was frazzled. She is sitting on a bus for 2 hours at this point and it would take seconds to pass the child his bag.

She sounds like a bitch OP and I totally and utterly understand where you are coming from.

I hope you have managed to have a chat with the teacher today, please come back and let us know how you have got on.

I wouldn't let children drink on a 2 hour coach journey either. Firstly they've never been allowed to drink on any coach I've ever been on with them, and secondly it nearly always results in having to stop for a toilet visit. 2 hours isn't very long, I would tell them DAYS in advance that they wouldn't be allowed food or drink on the coach, and that we didn't want to make any stops, then I'd make sure they'd been drinking all day, then going to the loo before they got on the coach. I'm in year 4 and have not had any issues with this ever.

can i ask what happens if a child feel sick and wants some water on these no drinks allowed coaches

You sound like you're taking the piss pasanda

If he left the bag behind he clearly wasn't eager to drink it's contents until the teacher said 'no'. There might be another part missing from the story........teachers don't generally deliberately dehydrate kids of any age.....

at our school,children would have a drink then go to toilets before getting on coach......as others have said above no drinking or eating on the coach

Well Limited you would be wrong.

It seems like most of the people on this thread are teachers. Teachers are adults, children are children. However much teachers whine on that they have all this responsibility, that is how it's supposed to be. Any eight year old child can forget. No adult, teacher or otherwise, has the right to deny them water as a means of teaching them a lesson. How would you so-called adult teachers like it if someone made you ill from dehydration. You are a pile of bloody idiots.

GabsAlot The coach would stop. In my experience, children don't usually want to drink water if they feel sick.

frangeslistic There is no evidence from the OP that her son became ill or indeed was dehydrated.

ok what about being sick then-they would stop every time?

Sometimes it happens pasanda

Yes, where is the evidence of this allegedly dessicated eight year old? Eh? Eh?

I require nothing less than a peer reviewed study before I give someone a beaker of water.