To say denying kids water is neglect

[YeahWhatevver]

www.eastlothiancourier.com/news/18649619.children-left-without-water-school-rules-confusion/

Kids back at school in Scotland. Local Authorities have left a lot of the COVID19 arrangements to individual schools.

Many pupils across the country describing how they weren't allowed to refill water bottles despite 20+ degree heat on the basis of some sort of concern over contamination. An arrangement that hasn't been communicated to parents!

Our DD7 took her usual 500ml bottle to school, drunk by midday, sat all afternoon thirsty, explicitly told by staff that no water was available and to bring 2 bottles tomorrow. She said there were a few who drank their water by break time.

Looks like its been sorted with a clarification from the LA to schools but AIBU to think that the kind of adult who thinks this is OK shouldn't be in charge of kids.

I just looked it up and children of that age are recommended around 1.3L of water.
500ml is fine, assuming they have fluids at breakfast and at home. They won't dehydrate.

@Pesimistic

I'm actualy interested why they cant refill bottles but they can allow someone to wash up all the plates, forks and knives the children have had their mouths all over

My dc' school have a packed lunch only available just now. So that's how they do it - no cutlery at all.

In normal times, there is usually free access. These are not normal times and we could all take a bit of responsibility for our child's needs. School staff are coping with huge changes to most ways of working and as they have only been back 3 or 4 days at most, I think 'neglect is a bit over the top.

Meant to add- although in this weather, an easy solution for the school would be to provide a single cup mid-morning and afternoon break for anyone who is particularly thirsty.

@extrappe

Leaving animals without free access to water is considered to be neglect.

Surely children should have the same protection?

Animals don’t have mealtimes where they have the chance to drink regularly. And voices to ask their caregivers for water in the many hours they are at home and not in school. Daft comparison.

YANBU, I remember getting awful headaches in primary school due to dehydration.

Children are recommended to drink 6- 8 glasses of water a day a child who has 500ml of water and a drink at lunchtime will not dehydrate

Send your kid in with 2 waterbottles. Problem solved.
Pp that said "I tell my children water is their right & no one should deny them that." Is probably a trump supporter 😂

@extrappe water does not need always be available, hence tethered travellers horses that are offered water only twice a day are not considered to be neglected.
I teach in a lab, and obviously am not allowed to drink in there, so it’s always a minimum of 2 hours between drinks, 4 hours if I have a break or lunch duty. Last time I looked I was perfectly healthy.

Why would you send them in with 2 if you were aware? Honestly, it's not just negligence by the school, it's utter and total stupidity.

I cant understand this necessity to constantly have water on your desk all day long
Kids should be able to go from breakfast to break, break to lunch and lunch to home without having a drink.

I sort of agree but I think there was someresearch done into drinking water and how well children learn a few years ago. This sort of thing I think www.livescience.com/38212-drinking-water-mental-performance.html. I vaguely rememeber when schools started saying children should bring in a water bottle to drink and I think it was mentioned how it would help concentration.

All fine in theory, except this has now turned into a 'health and safety' issue bcause a child has 'only' half a litre of water to drink in a day that is 20+deg (hardly a heat wave).

A school day is about 6 hours long and I imagine the children will have an additional drink in their lunch box, so about 500- 750ml for the 6 hours. I think the recommended water intake is around 1.0 - 1.5 litres of water a day per child, depending on age, so that leaves the morning before school and after school to drink the rest (around 600-750ml)

That sounds perfectly adequate to me (who wants to carry a whole litre of water around school anyway?)

Haven’t read all the posts but ffs- when I was at school there was no such thing as water bottles and you got a jug of water on the lunch table for about ten kids and that was it!! We all survived.

I don’t really see the need to constantly drink but I do think it has been very hot. We were only allowed one small drink in the 80s at primary and I do remember often being thirsty as a child.

And drinking an extra litre of water at school would also result in the loo trips.

Definitely agree with Bravefox that this is probably a case of a situation happens the school hadn't covered in briefing notes, the teacher made a decision on the spot. Teacher uses their opinion based on their interpretation of the guidance and the balance of kid goes a bit thirsty v there is an outbreak of Covid in the school and the teacher gets blamed. Nobody was hurt, teacher might be more flexible next time after discussing the issue with colleagues , parents might /should send in a bigger bottle.

No-one thinks teachers are saints. Fuck sake.

Locking children in a room and denying them water for days might be neglect or abuse. But not letting them fill up water bottles isn’t. Ffs as others said, a few years ago there was no such thing as water bottles in schools. Drinking water is a generally good thing but these are extraordinary times and we need to make choices

Yabvu
I'm in Scotland and was sent 3 emails and a text saying that there would be no access to water fountains, I suggest you check your email

30 kids in a class. Potentially 5 classes in a year group and 5 year groups. All wanting to fill water bottles. All then wanting toilet trips.

Everyone saying 'we survived with a thimble of water' - we don't think they'll die, but being thirsty is uncomfortable, can make you feel unwell, lead to headaches and ruin concentration.

Why would anyone want that?

Getting coronavirus could do all those things too, and then some.

@Rtmhwales

Lots of schools in different countries don't allow kids to drink during class anyway, just at lunch. I personally wouldn't be all that bothered by it.

I never had a water bottle at school, nor did anyone else.

I'm 40, nobody died of thirst.

@Rtmhwales

Lots of schools in different countries don't allow kids to drink during class anyway, just at lunch. I personally wouldn't be all that bothered by it.

This

MN hysteria at its most enjoyable.

A pint of water's a lot for a 7-yr-old. Younger children would piss all over the classroom.

It's not a pee troll is it?

I meant to write "why would you send them in with 2 bottles unless you were aware they couldn't get more in school (you wouldn't, obviously).