To ask if anyone else seemed to spend their childhood permanently thirsty and/or needing the toilet?

[Cheeseandlobster]

I remember another thread a while ago that touched on this and I was surprised I wasnt the only one.

I was born late 70's and my parents used to take us on lots of trips to random towns on the train, often changing trains in London. They would never bring or buy a drink until we had arrived and walked around a bit. Then they would buy one big bottle of fizzy drink which we all shared, often after salty fish and chips. I remember being more thirsty than I have ever been as an adult. They bought me a drink once when I cried as I was so thirsty and I was pleading with them saying I would pay them back with my pocket money.

Additionally they were obsessed with not missing connections for trains and we were never allowed to stop to use the toilet so I also spent a lot of time absolutely desperate for the toilet, again where I was nearly crying with the pain but not allowed to go unless there happenned to be a toilet on the train

I swore when ds was born he could always have a drink or use the toilet no matter what we were doing. And now I am older I am just incredulous they let us suffer this way.

They were toxic in many many ways, but was this normal for the 80's? Was anyone else deprived of a drink or toilet facilities for prolonged periods of time?

Everything I've said is based on what you've told us. If your child does drink in the mornings, isn't denied fluid while you're out, doesn't drink large quantities when it's actively offered and isn't expected to "plan ahead" for drinking at eight years old - and all this by someone who describes carrying water bottles as an "obsession", uses inverted commas to mock the word "hydrate" and complains about children in school "constantly sucking on water bottles" - then perhaps you shouldn't tell us that he is.

I was born in the early 60s and can’t remember anything like this. We had free school milk in those days, which was frozen in winter and warm in summer - yuck. I went to boarding school from 10 and we had plenty to drink. Cocoa at break time, jugs of water on the table at lunch and supper, tea at teatime (they were always feeding and watering us!).

I do remember quite a lot of weeing at the roadside, but I think that was because there weren’t so many loos around and I always seemed to need a wee when we were miles from any loos.

I went to boarding school from 10 and we had plenty to drink. Cocoa at break time, jugs of water on the table at lunch and supper, tea at teatime (they were always feeding and watering us!).

It’s interesting though that you class that as plenty to drink, I agree. But when you look at it it’s only drinks at meal times, not any time you want. You might have to wait until a prescribed time to drink.

Everything I've said is based on what you've told us. If your child does drink in the mornings, isn't denied fluid while you're out, doesn't drink large quantities when it's actively offered and isn't expected to "plan ahead" for drinking at eight years old

He drinks more than enough 99% of the time. 1% he tries it on because he wants the novelty of using my water bottle (which is cute) or thinks it will score him a Fruit Shoot. My water bottle holds 300mL. If it’s half full and he drinks the lot it’s hardly a sign he’s going into renal failure. What is more likely, however, is that I will get oesophageal ulcers trying to take my medication without water, if I’ve forgotten he’s drained it and not refilled it. He can wait 15-20 minutes.

- and all this by someone who describes carrying water bottles as an "obsession"

Constantly carrying a water bottle is a relatively new thing. If you were around in the early noughties, celebs were photographed carrying water bottles because it was a novelty and Evian sales soared. Yes, it is a pretty recent ‘obsession’ for want of a better word. But maybe you can suggest a better one.

uses inverted commas to mock the word "hydrate"

Because it’s a wanky use of the word, like I’ve said. Not because I think drinking is unimportant.

and complains about children in school "constantly sucking on water bottles"

Quoting from at least two teachers on this thread. Not my words initially.

- then perhaps you shouldn't tell us that he is.

Maybe you shouldn’t leap to massive assumptions off one post?

it is a pretty recent ‘obsession’ for want of a better word. But maybe you can suggest a better one.

A sensible thing to do? A normal practice? The fact that we've only relatively recently woken up to the importance of hydration doesn't negate the need for it. This is literally a thread about people feeling constantly thirsty as children in the past!

Quoting from at least two teachers on this thread.

And through repeating the disparaging words with agreement, you take them as yours.

it’s a wanky use of the word

Even if it weren't perfectly normal to describe drinking enough as staying hydrated (it is), the only reason to think it's "wanky" is to disparage the concept as not being important enough to deserve the word. You had to make a point that you carry water only for your medicine, nothing so "wanky" as keeping fluids up.

My water bottle holds 300mL. If it’s half full and he drinks the lot it’s hardly a sign he’s going into renal failure. What is more likely, however, is that I will get oesophageal ulcers trying to take my medication without water, if I’ve forgotten he’s drained it and not refilled it.

Why can't you "plan ahead" to ensure you have enough water and refill your bottle?

Your earlier posts are entirely about disparaging the importance of drinking frequently and plentifully, and berating an eight year old for not "planning ahead" for fluids. Obviously once this was raised as an issue, along with the fact that your son appears to be showing signs of thirst, suddenly he only ever had to wait ten minutes and hardly drinks much and none of it matter. Obviously. Your reason for not letting your child drink from your bottle was because you weren't prepared to carry more. Not because you knew he never got thirsty until you were almost home...

If you no longer think drinking enough is merely a silly modern (from the 00s?) obsession to sell Evian, and do actually take it seriously, that's great. Write posts that give that impression. And get your kid to drink.