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AIBU?

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Original poster

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

467 replies

Gizzle · 13/07/2016 21:16

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?

OP posts:
CalleighDoodle · 14/07/2016 19:19

Im pretty sure i didnt srink a glass of water before i was 27.

limitedperiodonly · 14/07/2016 19:21

They have CCTV and punishments have been issued for anyone caught breaking the rules.

What kind of punishments? Staking out in the sun smeared in honey over an ants' nest?

I realise wrangling a school trip is difficult. But if people can't cope with a bit of sick then the coach company shouldn't be bidding for the contract and teachers shouldn't go on it.

LockedOutOfMN · 14/07/2016 19:25

Haha limitedperiodonly. No, the coach company passes onto school and we give them a detention then put them on the sanction steps if it's repeated. Staff get a warning.

limitedperiodonly · 14/07/2016 19:25

Also, with primary school aged children in particular, there is the issue that if they drink, they will then need the toilet.

Why don't we tie them to a potty like they did in Romanian orphanages?

CatNip2 · 14/07/2016 19:26

Op isn't coming back. She has discovered her DS had his bag taken off him for spraying his water bottle all over his mates and got a bollocking then sulked all the way home whilst pretending to be dying from dehydration to deflect the attention away from his bad behaviour.

limitedperiodonly · 14/07/2016 19:28

LockedOutofMN you're joking? Your school doesn't really do that, does it? It's a joke, right?

PersianCatLady · 14/07/2016 19:30

I'm sure that when I was at school I managed to go 2 hours without a drink. This whole obsession with kids needing to be able to access water constantly is nonsense. No child is going to die of thirst on a 2 hour coach journey.

I thought that too, kids today must be constantly needing the toilet because they put jugs of water in the classroom so the kids can have a drink whenever they want. If I were a teacher it would irritate me that kids would be constantly getting up to get a drink.

When I was at junior school I remember that we were allowed the drink from our packed lunch at lunchtime and if we were really thirsty at break time there was one really old water fountain in the playground for 300 kids.

I can understand kids having water at break time but I think that it is ridiculous to have it in the classroom and for the kids to keep getting up to get a drink.

OurBlanche · 14/07/2016 19:33

Catnip2!! Smile

teacherwith2kids · 14/07/2016 19:34

"But if people can't cope with a bit of sick then the coach company shouldn't be bidding for the contract and teachers shouldn't go on it."

Flashbacks to crawling around between and under seats of a coach doing 70 down the motorway, frantically mopping a tide of highly liquid projectile vomit that was gradually seeping its way down the coach floor under the seats, helped by a convenient little channel just between the side panels and the floor that the sick would slurp into as the coach turned one way, run rapidly down and then flow out again as the coach swayed slightly in the reverse direction. Green-looking children huddled with their feet up on the seats above me as I wielded my paper towel roll grimly.

I smelt all day, and nobody would sit next to me on the way home, but it meant a great trip went ahead...

limitedperiodonly · 14/07/2016 19:35

As an adult I am allowed a drink whenever I want. I have found that when it's freely available, the novelty of asking for a glass of water for attention-seeking wears off.

Same with putting my hand up to go to the toilet.

PersianCatLady · 14/07/2016 19:35

I don't understand why you didn't just retrieve his bag from the teacher and give him a drink yourself OP? After all you were there right?

Couldn't have put it better myself. I am so sure that there are two completely different sides to this story. What amuses me is that when I was at school and I had told my mum a story like this the first thing she would have said is "Did it really happen like that? You asked her politely?"
Nowadays parents seem to believe every single word that comes out of their kids' mouths.

CalleighDoodle · 14/07/2016 19:37

catnip2 Smile

Or he was throwing it trying to get it to land upright. Over and over and over and over and over.....

limitedperiodonly · 14/07/2016 19:40

teacherwith2kids I wouldn't find that the highlight of my career either. However, you can't solve it by not letting a thirsty child have a sip of water.

Vomiting children on school trips are an occupational hazard of being a teacher.

limitedperiodonly · 14/07/2016 19:43

Nowadays parents seem to believe every single word that comes out of their kids' mouths.

My mum did. Believe it or not, it was because I was a truthful child. Now I am an adult I realise that not only do not all children tell the truth, adults, including some teachers, don't either.

Gwenhwyfar · 14/07/2016 19:45

" Euphemia Wed 13-Jul-16 21:23:19

Eating and drinking are prohibited on coaches."

No, they're not! Where did you get that rubbish from?

Gwenhwyfar · 14/07/2016 19:47

"As an adult I am allowed a drink whenever I want. "

Me too, but those adults working in any kind of customer facing roles are usually not allowed to drink in front of customers so there are lots of people who can't drink water whenever they feel like it.

AgentPineapple · 14/07/2016 19:47

I would definitely be looking for clarification on what she thought this would achieve. It's unlikely that it will improve his memory. I doubt that drinking water would be prohibited on a 2 hour coach journey where the passengers are mostly children. Our school make such a point of ensuring the kids always have access to water and encourage them to drink often. After (I imagine) running about on the beach, rehydrating would be super important. A child forgetting their bag on a school trip doesn't really deserve punishment, perhaps just a reminder surely to be more careful? The comments from the teacher were completely unnecessary.

NaughtToThreeSadOnions · 14/07/2016 19:54

Thank you gwen I haven't read the whole thread but I was literally just came on to say that I was on a 12 hour coach journey from south west to a north eastern seaside town last year sat right behind the driver was positively encouraged to eat and drink!

The only things your not allowed on are alcohol (which I presume a load of year 3's wouldn't have) or hot food, even hot drinks were fine as long as they were in sealed cups not just an open one you could spill on yourself and other passages should the driver break hard.

I'm guessing euphemia is thinking of the no food and drink signs you see on public buses. Again as has been explained it's sticky smelly stuff that's really banned, indeed in London in the summer there's signs everywhere saying if your traveling on public transport in this hot weather please carry water with you.

Gwenhwyfar · 14/07/2016 20:02

Naught, you're not allowed alcohol on the National Express, but nobody checks. Yes, euphemia probably doesn't know the difference between a bus and a coach.
Having said that, I wouldn't drink anything if I was on a coach with no toilet and no toilet stops.

Original poster
Gizzle · 14/07/2016 20:13

Goodness, just came back to check in and amazed to see the traction this has garnered. Not to mention some of the bile, the vitriol and the hyperbole. No, I am not a she bear intent on creating WW3. I am not even a helicopter parent. I respect and admire the noble profession that is teaching. I am not an hysteric and my child is well behaved and truthful, but is annoyingly forgetful (he's also 8 years old). To clarify: the journey was 2 hours long; the bus was hot; the children were not allowed to eat on the bus but they were allowed to drink; they all had their bags with them; the teacher sat behind my son; she held onto his bag for safekeeping because clearly, he's incapable of looking after it himself; he politely asked her twice if he could have his water bottle from within his bag (at her feet) and she refused; he was extremely hot after a day on the beach. I haven't yet spoken to her but I hope to do so tomorrow. I will thank her for the lovely day, her kind attention to his belongings, and also ask her why she withheld his water bottle when he was clearly thirsty and in need of it. Hopefully, we will have a mature discussion about it; but I doubt I will ever agree that it is in any way acceptable, whatever the circumstances, to withhold water from a child who is extremely thirsty.

OP posts:
limitedperiodonly · 14/07/2016 20:14

Gwen I realise some people aren't allowed a sip of water in customer serving roles, but that's wrong.

My husband - I hate invoking my hubby, but it's relevant - has a shop. The staff are allowed to drink water, soft drinks, tea and coffee in public. They are encouraged to offer selected customers a drink too - including spirits, beer or wine.

Sometimes, near closing time, they are allowed to have an alcoholic drink themselves, but only if they have been very good.

I tell him that one day his minions will rise up and slaughter us for this leniency, but he ignores me.

LockedOutOfMN · 14/07/2016 20:19

limitedperiodonly No, I'm not joking. It's a rule and so if it's broken there is a sanction.

lordsteatime · 14/07/2016 20:20

I am wondering if he actually drank from his bottle before he got on the coach?
I am fairly confident that the teachers would of reminded the children to drink and go to the loo before getting on the coach.

I wonder if you child left his bag, had fun and didnt listen to the teacher that day?

I would have a word with the teacher, and your son. I think he can learn his lesson here, on his next school trip he should keep one bag on his person at all times.

Ditsy4 · 14/07/2016 20:21

No. The bus companies we use don't allow food and drink.

Flash back to several trips re sick. However one stands out. Two hour trip. Child sick on himself and child next to him. A huge proportion of sick. Covered the seat, floor and three coats that a parent had allowed the kids to keep on their seats( I always put them up) child kept vomiting x4 and when we eventually arrived five more had been sick. The child in question had to strip off his top clothing and borrowed an item off an adult. Joggers had to stay on as we had nothing to fit. The smell remained with us all day. Three of us reckon we had sick on us despite washing in ladies.
On the way home he said he felt sick and as I grabbed a bucket and bag to pass he was sick all over my hand. He was then sick three more times. His mum had given him garlic sausage sandwiches!
Is this what you meant limited periodonly "people can't cope with a bit of sick." We couldn't cope it was everywhere floor, seats window, other children, staff, himself! I retched at least four / five times. Apart from that we had a fabulous day.
Pity OP hasn't returned to enlighten us. Bed early for me I'm off on a school trip with 90 kids tomorrow!

lljkk · 14/07/2016 20:22

Please do update tomorrow, Gizzle.

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