Water only at school- thoughts please

[lemony21]

I'd love to hear your thoughts about children being told to bring in only water to drink during school time.

Can understand all the arguments for it, but it meant my eldest didn't have anything to drink at school for years. Same still ongoing for dd. Sure that's not good for them either. Ds finally cracked when he was in the final year of primary, but still only drinks the water when he's desperate so doesn't have much.

Same at my child's school but I always put lemon and lime in his. If I didn't he would only drink his milk at lunch and nothing else, resulting in very bad behaviour from him as he is so thirsty.
I try to counter it by only giving water at home. There is a big difference between a lovely fresh, cold glass of water and some warm water out of a plastic bottle though.

We bought those fruit-diffuser water bottles cheaply from Amazon for DS2 who wouldn't touch water from the moment he could drink solo. DS1 even now at 11 will just automatically drink water, DS2 refuses it. The fruit water doesn't contravene school rules but ensures he still drinks enough to keep hydrated.

I work in a Reception class and often find the children who don't use the snack/drink bar are the ones whose behaviour wobbles mid-afternoon. I take a water bottle in with me every day and find they drink more when I drink more. Schools ought to really encourage it, even if it means very diluted squash or fruit juice.

Definitely just water - I see too many children on their way to school with cans of energy drinks and huge bottles of cola. It does them no good and has a terrible effect on them in the classroom. If parents are allowing anything other than water then they should rethink what this is doing to their children both their health and concentration in the classroom.

Woooo. I'm dreading DS2 starting full time as I know he won't touch water, but I'll look at a fruit diffuser thing from Amazon. May be the answer.

Quite right. G and T anyone?

lolalola19. Where on earth do you live. That sounds extreme.

I think being given water is fine at school, but if they want to bring whatever drink e.g. ribena, squash- in their lunch box that should be ok.

I'am an adult who doesn't like the taste of tap water, either. (Potential ASD might explain it, although donlt have any other food issues.) Drink weak sugar-free squash. And yeh, if really thirsty I'd drink water. But to stay optimally hydrated, it's much easier to have something I prefer drinking.

I think some people can taste stuff in the water. London tap water is minging, IMO. Other areas not so bad, mineral water usually tastes ok too. Ice-cold water is better too - the coldness numbs your taste buds a bit, I think. But the very fact that there is a difference in taste means that it must be possible not to like the taste of some water!

Water or sugar-free squash should be fine in school. Although not sure if it's necessary to have a drinks bottle in the classroom...

Water is fine, as long as reasonable adjustments are made for children with additional needs/health needs.

It was water only at my DC's school, it didn't do them any harm.

In the school where I work, pupils are not allowed to bring food or drink into the classrooms. Nobody has a water bottle! There are drinking fountains dotted around the school - and the children have water provided for them at lunchtime and in morning break.

I think it would be rather distracting for children to have bottles of water on their desks during lessons,not to mention all the potential spillages and resultant messing around.

What I find interesting is when children / babies decide they don't like water. When I was breastfeeding my 4 I offered a tippy cup of water as an alternative. they all spat it out the first few times and then drank it. I didn't consider that they didn't like it - I just thought it was different so they needed to get used to it. They all drank water from then on. Yes they now, apart from dd1 drink other things. We have water at meal times and I send it into school. What did others give at the baby stage? Also as a teacher I have taught nursery children and we offered milk or water at snack time - no alternatives and I can honestly say that I can only think of one child who had serious health issues who drank anything else and then she had water as well. On a hot day we just gave them as much water as they wanted. Only water rule in their drinks bottles and no complaints.

Good idea. Id thought pretty standard now

I think they should bring back Top Deck shandy.

The water only rule is good, but there are plenty of children too stupid to drink it when they need to. But if they alternative is Red Bull...

Basically, I'm in two minds.

What became of the drinking fountain? I'm probably showing my age but that was all I had access to all through school.

I'm sick and tired of finding, washing, mopping up, funding replacement water bottles.

My son and daughter have had that rule for nearly 13 years. Pretty standard at schools and helps prevent tooth decay.

Everything in moderation.

I always had a variety of drinks when I was at school - I found it refreshing. Just like adults enjoy a tea or coffee, children enjoy something a little more flavoursome. It can brighten your day a little. I mainly drink water now but I wouldn't have done so in school. As long as it's not high in sugar then there's nothing wrong with squash or flavoured water every now and then.

Totally fine. Same at our schools.

I'm not averse to the 'only water' schools - and I had a water refuser. I understand the rationale behind it and would support it for all those children without a recognised need.

My DD was hospitalised twice for refusing to drink. She went from breast to suddenly nothing - wouldn't take formula, wouldn't take milk, wouldn't take soy milk, wouldn't take water and so on. This was at 8 months. Doctors suggested smoothies and yoghurt drinks - that worked. She had watered down smoothies for the next few years (Sainsbury's strawberry and banana - no others)

At 3 we moved to a hot country and the pre-school was water or nothing. We listened to everyone who said "she won't die, she'll drink water once she's thirsty. Well she didn't and I'll beat myself up for her second hospitalisation for the rest of my life. She was really fucking ill. The doctor tore me to pieces, and when he'd finished with me her tore the pre-school too. They allowed juice and squash from then on.

She drank 50/50 apple juice and water until she was 8. Then she started drinking water just as suddenly as when she stopped.

We are in UK and no child here will die if they drink squash/juice/whatever at home but nothing at all from 9-3. They may dehydrate on a very hot day, but not to dangerous levels. We ensured that DD had a very large drink before school, access to water just in case (never drank) and DH met her at 3 with another large drink that was generally finished before he was even out of the car park. There is very little need for juice drinks during the school day if you have a child who won't drink water - parents just need to make sure they drink outside of school.

In our school children can have squash or juice as part of a packed lunch but water only during the rest of the day. The children are encouraged to have water bottles on their desks. Our guidance tells us that a drinking fountain won't provide sufficient hydration, especially in hot weather if children can only use it at breaks, although we do have drinking fountains in the cloakrooms.

Oh and I don't like water fountains - breeding ground for bacteria and the spread of illnesses.

Water only in classrooms etc is fine (Don't know why they need anything during lessons really)

But they should be allowed juice, squash, milk, milkshake etc with a packed lunch. (I understand no fizzy drinks because of the tenancy to explode everywhere)

I think it's great. My daughter only drinks water (& milk of course) and she loves it! So much so that she goes "Ahhh" loudly after every mouthful! (She's 2!) Hates anything flavoured.

Then again, we live in Harrogate, the home of Harrogate Spa Water so our water is obviously very nice here