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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

331 replies

user1498726699 · 29/06/2017 10:56

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?

OP posts:
Heratnumber7 · 29/06/2017 13:14

I think you're over-reacting just a tad. He wasn't ill, was he. He had a headache, you gave him some water, he got better.

It might be worth giving the school some friendly feedback, but YABU "To be very cross that school's incompetence".

llangennith · 29/06/2017 13:16

All local primary schools here tell parents to provide their child with sunscreen, a sunhat and a bottle of water labelled with child's name for sports day. The bottles of water are brought out to the sports field in a separate crate for each class. This has been the case for as many years as I can remember.
Have a word with school so that new arrangements re drinking water are in place for next year.

Original poster
user1498726699 · 29/06/2017 13:17

OK it must have been a very short virus that I missed after 20 years of dealing with just about every childhood illness known to man. The fact that he spent almost a whole school day running around on very little fluid on a sweaty day is pure coincidence.

I stand corrected. I will apologise to the school for even suggesting they should have ensured water was freely available during sports events Shock.

OP posts:
MusicToMyEars800 · 29/06/2017 13:20

I've never heard of schools not having water on sports day, My dd's school has a big table with jugs of water and cups on and they are told to bring water bottles to school everyday.

Original poster
user1498726699 · 29/06/2017 13:25

He was asleep for 4 hours straight after school Sirzy, had a drink and a snack then completely zonked, we thought he was just knackered. I had trouble waking him up, it was then I realised he was dehydrated as he was almost delirious on waking. Didn't know how little he'd drunk or what he'd been doing all day until he told us later. He wouldn't have eaten peanuts or crisps in that state. That's why we tried rehydration powder. Had to get it down him with a kids nurofen dispenser thingy which took ages, then he perked up considerably. No high temp until next morning. Bit more than a 'bit of a headache'.

OP posts:
Sirzy · 29/06/2017 13:29

Not sure why that comment was aimed at me, but I will ask for the 3rd time did he not have a drink with his dinner at school?

Amaried · 29/06/2017 13:31

Omg
Where does this stop. At 6 your ds should be able to ask for a drink if he was thirsty. Feel so sorry for schools these days with parents waiting in the wings to find something to complain about.

Original poster
user1498726699 · 29/06/2017 13:32

That was in the OP if you read it. I thought you were referring to his dinner at home. We call lunch, well lunch!

OP posts:
Sirzy · 29/06/2017 13:34

I assumed you meant that was break time. Surely he ate at lunch time so not sure why he didn't drink? Confused

Original poster
user1498726699 · 29/06/2017 13:34

Not if he thought he couldn't stop and ask for one Amaried.

OP posts:
ChardonnaysPrettySister · 29/06/2017 13:34

You are such a little ray of sunshine, OP.

Sirzy · 29/06/2017 13:35

But he came over to you for some of the drink so he did stop to get some!

comeandgetyourtea · 29/06/2017 13:36

You are not being precious OP or overreacting.
A child with a latent urinary tract infection, URI, and these are not uncommon, might be badly affected by a lack of water.
It is possible for the infection to travel up to the kidneys and even cause sepsis, if it is not flushed out.
OTOH, drinking too much water is said to be more dangerous to humans as it can cause brain swelling. Im not a doctor, but I think the happy medium is around two litres a day for adults. Not sure what it is for a child. Im sure there`ll be a medic along to confirm!

Original poster
user1498726699 · 29/06/2017 13:36

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.

There Sirzy. Hope that's clearer now.

OP posts:
RoseTico · 29/06/2017 13:37

Press the school to provide drinks on those occasions. I'm a 70s child, I know we didn't have water bottle drink-drink-drink culture back then, but we also drove around without seatbelts lived in smoke filled houses with both parents puffing away! Things change. Now we expect children to have access to water when they might need it.

Original poster
user1498726699 · 29/06/2017 13:37

The morning practise covered breaktime so they missed it.

OP posts:
Notreallyarsed · 29/06/2017 13:37

DS1 went out with his useless cunt of a dad a few years ago on a very very hot day and when he came home his head was really sore and he wasn't coherent at all. I was panicking until DP realised he was severely dehydrated and got some fluids down him, plus dioralyte. When I called XH he stated that he hadn't had a drink for 9 hours despite it being 28 degrees, because "he forgot". So actually, even though OP is being quite snotty, I do agree that it sounds like her DS was dehydrated. OP did you give him a big drink on the way home?

Sirzy · 29/06/2017 13:40

Right the morning practise covered breaktime so still doesn't explain why he couldn't have a drink while he ate his dinner?

FearMe · 29/06/2017 13:43

YABU

redladybird · 29/06/2017 13:48

Some children will not ask, they see teachers as an authoritative figure and some will not have the confidence to ask...especially when they are just 7 old! It is very easy to pull out the teacher from the parent replies on here and I really do wonder why some people choose to be teachers when they are so cold and hard faced! Water should have been provided. Our school has marquees set up and children do a certain amount of circuits and then stop for a drink under the marquee. My junior school child sports day is literally all day and I think it is too much. He usually feels quite sick afterwards.

unlucky83 · 29/06/2017 13:53

This need to constantly hydrate is nonsense - it is spin created by bottled water manufacturers.
My favourite is you are dehydrated before you feel thirsty...so millennia of evolution has left us in danger of dehydration. How do animals get on?

This article in the BMJ sums up my thoughts www.bmj.com/content/343/bmj.d4280 - its behind paywall but you can read the first page which gives you the general jist - and this is an overview
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110712190822.htm

I suspect it was a virus or being outside in the fresh air all day when not used to it...or depending where you live exposure to polluted air all day.
If I have a headache the first thing I do is have a drink of water and give 10-15 mins - if it is a dehydration headache that is enough to cure it...

And I remember 1976 - and the drought.
We had water bowsers on the road - no plastic bottled water - we had to boil and cool water to drink ...
The temp reached close to 36 deg C and it went on for weeks (pretty sure it was above 30 for over 2 weeks)....
We were out all day playing - without water bottles Shock we would go home if we got thirsty and hide in the shade if we got too hot... (And I remember the best cider ice lollies ever when the ice cream van came round...) People do get ill - and die - from heat exposure and dehydration. But they aren't usually healthy children who have run around for a couple of hours on an overcast day...

Original poster
user1498726699 · 29/06/2017 13:54

He had a paper cup of water with his lunch Sirzy. See OP.

OP posts:
Sirzy · 29/06/2017 13:55

So he went from 1 - 3 with a cup of water and the few sips he chose to have when he could have had more. Can't see the issue then!

gillybeanz · 29/06/2017 13:58

We managed fine in the 70's without needing to be attached to a bottle of water.
They didn't even sell them in those days.
A whole generation or two, three, four etc have managed fine. It's a modern thing of thinking you need to be drinking gallons and going to the loo every 5 mins.

livefornaps · 29/06/2017 13:59

This thread has given me a right laugh. OP suggests school should make water available on a hot sports day : "no! Get over it! It's your fault! Your child is fucking spoilt! He should ask himself, what's wrong with him?!! In my day we went on three day desert treks and only stopped for a sip of water on day 2 i.e. the good old days, none of this namby-pamby "staying hydrated" lol lol lol lol