To be very cross that school's incompetence may have made DS ill?

[user1498726699]

DS's year had a mini sports day on Tuesday. Parents were invited to spectate in the afternoon so DH and I went along. I noticed that drinks were not brought outside for DC (which has happened before so I had brought one with me) so tried to get DS to drink the bottle of water I brought but he was worried he would get told off so only took a few sips. This was a 2 hour event with no breaks. It wasn't hot but very overcast and sweaty. DS's hair was soaking. I went to the shop and left DH to wait for DS to come out afterwards.

On the way home with DH, DS said that noise/talking was annoying him as his brain hurt. DH put it down to lots of jumping around, gave him a drink/snack and told DS to lay down for a rest. He took himself off to bed and conked out very uncharacteristically! I woke him later as I was worried and he was very upset that his 'brain was hurting' and his body wouldn't work. He was clammy, and I realised that he was probably dehydrated. He then told us that he had not had a chance to drink his breaktime drink as some of the DC were chosen to practice for the afternoon event so he had spent most of the morning running around too. I asked if they were offered water and he said no. The only drink they were offered was after the afternoon event just before hometime when they were told to have a drink after they got changed. So DS did almost 4 hours of quite vigorous exercise with only his breakfast juice at home, a small cup of water at lunchtime, and a few gulps of water from the bottle I took with me.

DCs are only 6/7. Surely it is irresponsible of the school to not make sure small DC are hydrated during sports events in June?

I had to spend Tuesday night trying to get Dioralyte down DS (big battle as he hates it) and he had a high temp for most of yesterday with headache and lethargy so was off school. He is recovered today and has gone to school with a note that consideration should be given to this at future sports events.

AIBU to think this could have been preventable?

Accessing water is a fundemantal right in U.K. Schools. Personally I'd email the head and explain what happened and how it effected your son and resulted in a day off.

www.publichealth.hscni.net/sites/default/files/Water%20Provision%2009_10.pdf

But squished he did have access to water. His own mother had water and he only had a few sips of that too busy topping up his tan to drink more probably

The not wearing a hat would indeed be a bigger issue than the water. We had several students fasting during sports day (and the other recently hot days) and they were fine.

NoLonger, you forgot about the bit that all this can be changed by the addition of some squash.

And presumably some cultural/ethic variability because my Australian kids who only drink water, as do most of their friends, and who run around in very hot weather frequently haven't exploded. Nor does their water "pass straight through them".

Not being funny but this whole having water bottles thing is such a new thing!

Im only early 30s and our playground didn't have water fountains, we didn't have water bottles or drinks in class. We got a juice or milk at break, water at lunch and that's it. Sports day we got orange squash after.

Teachers are finding it a nightmare - 30 kids all sipping water all day long means 30 kids all needing to leave to wee at different times all through class.

Im not saying they shouldn't provide any drinks, of course they need something, but a break, lunch and after sport drink with the odd top up from fountain is fine, especially as it wasnt a baking hot day.