Who is BU - School or DH

[Ownerofmultiplechimps]

Ds school have said must bring own drinks every day & cannot use cups/taps etc due to Covid restrictions. I forgot to put ds drink in his bag so he’s gone 8hrs without a drink (is fine, had a drink before & as soon as home). Ds did ask but teachers said no as above.

DH is furious, thinks they should not have said no or at least called me/us to drop off his water in a socially distant manner (bottle was in the fridge & I’ve been WFH in office all day so didn’t notice).

School response was just quoting instructions.

I think as a one off, my fault & no harm done just leave it but DH disagrees.

[Rosehip345]

School IBU

They should have called you. You can’t leave a child without water all day!

[ComeOnBabyPopMyBubble]

@Ownerofmultiplechimps I apologise if it feels I'm attacking you, I'm not.

Just have a chat with them tomorrow, ask them to ring if it happens again and see what they say.

Only four more days to go.

[MrsR87]

I work in a school, although it’s secondary. However, I would say that seems like a fairly extreme policy. We’ve been providing our year ten bubbles with their own fresh water bottles everyday. I’m surprised the school doesn’t have a stock of these to use in case of forgotten drinks...although I guess it would probably go against their policy.
If they were adamant not to go against their policy then I think as your OH said, a call home would have been reasonable as then you could I’ve provided a drink. This is the action I would have taken if I had to work within those parameters.

[LittlemissAWOL]

I think they should have called and asked you to bring a drink

[saraclara]

Eight hours is too long. I probably don't drink as much as most people, but I couldn't go for eight hours without a drink.

To the poster blaming the parents - we all forget things sometimes. When we adults forget our own things, we have the resources to do something about it and put it right. A seven year old doesn't, so the school still has a duty of care.

[Ownerofmultiplechimps]

Thank you @ComeOnBabyPopMyBubble, I just wanted to answer your questions & not imply that my dh is to blame at all

[CloudyEggs]

I’m with your DH. I would feel unwell without having a drink all day, it gives me severe migraines and makes me tired if I get dehydrated.

This is going to happen on occasion, the school need to be prepared for that. What about children who don’t have their parents to make them packed lunches etc, are there provisions for them right now?

[monkeysox]

That's disgusting. Poor kid.

[Ellie56]

I agree with your DH. It is totally unacceptable to leave a child all day without a drink. They should have some disposable cups in case this happens, or they should have rung you to bring a drink in.

You should complain.

[WonderWebbs]

I wouldn't be happy with school at all. I totally get it that you made a mistake by not sending in a water bottle to school for your DS but to leave a 7 year old without water for 6 hours is not acceptable. It was 25C today (South East).

[Annabanana1234]

Back in the day we never got bottles of water in class and my teachers didn’t allow trips to the water fountain and somehow we survived. I’d be annoyed but not raging and more annoyed at myself that I didn’t do my usual double check.

[Slat3]

That’s shocking IMO and I would be annoyed.

[Ownerofmultiplechimps]

They are allowed to wash hands (only option as not allowed hand sanitiser). Each bubble has own toilet/sink facilities but they do state specifically cannot refill. I’m not sure if this is LEA guidance/ rules or school interpretation

[staceyflack]

I think it's totally shit / ridiculous of the school. We should be able to rely on them to give our kids water ffs. They should use paper cups or individual bottles. 100% with hubby on this sorry - 8 hours without a drink is way too long any day - but especially when it's hot. 💐

[MitziK]

@MrsR87

I work in a school, although it’s secondary. However, I would say that seems like a fairly extreme policy. We’ve been providing our year ten bubbles with their own fresh water bottles everyday. I’m surprised the school doesn’t have a stock of these to use in case of forgotten drinks...although I guess it would probably go against their policy.
If they were adamant not to go against their policy then I think as your OH said, a call home would have been reasonable as then you could I’ve provided a drink. This is the action I would have taken if I had to work within those parameters.

Probably all been given to kids whose parents have forgotten to pack a drink before today.

The difficulty would have been finding somebody with the time to look up the number and make the call - a lot of staff are still at home because they're high risk or shielding, particularly support/admin staff.

[Ownerofmultiplechimps]

@CloudyEggs no alternative food option

[Walkaround]

It’s very odd nobody called you to ask you to bring in the missing bottle. I would have thought that was an oversight, as school is in loco parentis and you wouldn’t want your child to go without a drink all day - eg whoever was asked to call got distracted by other things that were going on and forgot and the person who asked them to do it was too busy to check it had been done, then before they knew it, it was the end of the day and said child had gone without their drink all day.

[ParcelFarce]

School are being totally U. Pointless computer-says-no fuckwittery. You don’t leave a 7-year old without water all day FFS - it’s not his fault you forgot his bottle! They should’ve given him a drink and told you at pick-up not to let it happen again. Your DH is quite right to be pissed off.

[Stannisbaratheonsboxofmatches]

Absolutely awful. I’m with your DH on this. The idea of going 8 hours without a drink!

They should at least have called you if nothing else.

[RedToothBrush]

Schools should be doing risk assessments.

There is a risk associated with catching covid. There is a risk associated with going all day without water on a hot day.

Guess which I think is more likely to end up with an incident? And one where the school are liable too (unlike if someone were to have covid).

I would be demanding to see a risk assessment to justify their refusal to allow a 7 year old access to water.

They won't have one.

[ComeOnBabyPopMyBubble]

Each bubble has own toilet/sink facilities but they do state specifically cannot refill.

This would probably bug me more and would be something I'd ask clarification on and the reasoning behind it. Because it's very likely that more kids ran out of water (drank loads at once,spilled it, poured on themselves on a hot day) and more frequently, than the odd day of completely forgetting to bring one in.

At DD's school some year groups have used their water bottles to water the plants they've been growing, as instructed by the teachers. Imagine if they weren't allowed to fill them back up!

[Passmethecrisps]

I think I can see if he school response to your husband’s has been crap that fuels the issue.

As a teacher myself I can see that the pace of the day may just move things along and before you know that nice wee boy hasn’t mentioned it again. But then when the parent emails you apologise and be honest. An emergency supply of disposable cups is the obvious answer here. In a primary setting they can write their names on and leave it with the other bottles.

So yes, less the error itself and more the lack of empathy in the school response. I am making notes to myself to remember a million disposable cups for when our schools go back

[Fruitsaladjelly]

Absolutely shocking that a child is left without water all day, in particular in summer. This needs taking to the governors. Clearly they aren’t able to apply good sense so it should be escalated. Obviously they are determined that if covid can’t get get you dehydration will! It’s a worry these people are in charge of children.

[Applesarenice]

No way I’d allow one of my class to go without water all day. Your DH is right.

[anothermansmother]

I'm with your DH on this. Leaving a 7 year old 8 hours on a warm day with no drink is ridiculous. OFSTED stars children should be allowed access to water when needed throughout the day...even during Covid.
They should have called you or just given him a disposable cup, it wasn't intentional or the child's fault.