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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Juice in school

370 replies

Fubar01 · 13/09/2024 08:42

My DD’s teacher is being very combative about her taking juice to school (primary) in a clear drinking bottle. He says it’s against school healthy eating standards, but if she brings it in a non clear bottle it’s fine! She brings a very healthy lunch and has perfect teeth. She is also very sporty . She point blank refuses to drink water. Yet others in her class bring crisps and chocolate and nothing is said .
AIBU to stick with the (new) clear bottle?
i dislike petty rules that have no bearing on her education ! Especially when the rules are not enforced for others !

OP posts:
Rooroobear · 13/09/2024 09:48

Not getting anywhere. Send the water in and stop morning then. If she doesn’t drink then she doesn’t drink! Or complain to the head teacher and look more of a dick!

Fubar01 · 13/09/2024 09:48

Catza · 13/09/2024 09:26

Well we don't actually know if she also drinks tea or milk at home, do we? So it's a bit of an assumption to make that she only drinks juice. Even so, we established above that it isn't actually juice at all but merely a very watery squash. So what is that... 45 calories and 10g of sugar per liter or something. So less than a banana.

She drinks milk at home , she has a large bottle of water with a splash of juice in it fr school. She has sweets once a week and crisps if she is at a party. We don’t go to McDonalds and we don’t eat takeaways . So thank you 😀.

OP posts:
Findmebythesea1 · 13/09/2024 09:49

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Fluufer · 13/09/2024 09:49

Fubar01 · 13/09/2024 09:45

It is the school rule but she was told by the teacher just put it in a non clear bottle and nobody will know . That’s what I find unacceptable

So send her with water then. It's 7 degrees at the moment. She's not going to dehydrate.

Fubar01 · 13/09/2024 09:49

LameBorzoi · 13/09/2024 09:38

Kids actually don't need to wee like a dog on a walk.

No but you would expect them to go at least once in a 6 hour period

OP posts:
XMissPlacedX · 13/09/2024 09:50

Honestly OP, the majority of people on here are telling you that yabu and yet your still arguing with them, why ask in the first place if your not really interested in peoples opinions.

Just get a darker coloured water bottle for the juice. In my opinion the teacher is compromising and your the one that isn't.

Someone once told me regarding parenting: ' don't exhaust yourself trying to constantly win battles that are not worth the fight, otherwise you won't have any energy left for the battles that are'

Being a drama lama over this isn't teaching your daughter how to compromise, which is an important lesson in life.

Peonies12 · 13/09/2024 09:50

Children should only drink water or milk, juice is totally unnecessary and has no health benefits.

Herewegoagainandagainandagain · 13/09/2024 09:50

Schools have rules. You don't need to agree with them but you need to follow them. You have been given two very easy to comply with options, stop being awkward.

This is not a hill to die on.

ClockwiseHoneysuckle · 13/09/2024 09:51

Fubar01 · 13/09/2024 09:42

it’s not about the juice , it’s about a teacher teaching my child it’s okay to bend rules as long as no one knows about it . She is an anxious child and she doesn’t want to be doing something she shouldn’t do 🥂. It has never been an issue before but this year it seems to be a problem.

I don't understand this. If she was that rule-bound she would be drinking water, surely?

crumblingschools · 13/09/2024 09:51

Maybe he is doing a reasonable adjustment for your child, which they have to do for many children in a variety of ways. He knows your child doesn’t drink water. To make it easier for them he has said put it in a non clear bottle so the teacher doesn’t get inundated with questions from other pupils/parents why your daughter is allowed juice and they aren’t. Otherwise they can add it to all the other questions they will get in respect of other reasonable adjustments made, why is little Jonny allowed to be on an I-pad to play games when I’m not allowed, why is Jane allowed to bring in a comfort toy, why does Dan not have to wear school shoes etc etc.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 13/09/2024 09:51

If she does take juice she needs to know not to drink jt in little sips all day as you can with water, as you’re basically then bathing the teeth in it all day. She would need to know to drink it on a couple of occasions during the day, ideally with her food for at least one of these.

CasaBianca · 13/09/2024 09:52

Fubar01 · 13/09/2024 09:42

it’s not about the juice , it’s about a teacher teaching my child it’s okay to bend rules as long as no one knows about it . She is an anxious child and she doesn’t want to be doing something she shouldn’t do 🥂. It has never been an issue before but this year it seems to be a problem.

she doesn’t want to be doing something she shouldn’t do
So if the rule is no juice just stop sending juice.

tamade · 13/09/2024 09:52

Fubar01 · 13/09/2024 08:56

The juice is not the issue! The teacher has clearly said she can bring juice as long as it is in a non clear bottle!

I could be wrong but I interpret that as teacher saying they will turn a blind eye to what is in the bottle, as long as they can pretend ignorance. I'd applaud that as a common sense compromise and go along with it.

HerewegoagainSS · 13/09/2024 09:53

Arrivapercy · 13/09/2024 08:52

I dont know how young kids get so they "won't" drink water. How do they discover there's anything else?

We just never bought squash. So they don't drink it.

Absolutely this. You offer them sugary crap of course they will go for it.

Bomdigi · 13/09/2024 09:53

How an earth, as a parent, do you manage to bring up your child to not drink water?

LostTheMarble · 13/09/2024 09:55

Matronic6 · 13/09/2024 09:45

Fuck sake, if anyone wants an idea of the kind of nonsense teachers have to deal with on a daily basis, this is a classic example.

Teacher can do no right. Clearly the school does not permit juice in school. OP's daughter refuses to drink water, instead of addressing her childs unhealthy behaviour, OP decided she would do what she wanted and send her child in with juice. Making every other child question why does that child get juice when they are not allowed.

Teacher also worried child may not be getting enough fluids give OP a solution, put it in an opaque bottle. You can literally buy one for a couple of quid. OP is not happy with that. She wants her child to be the exception and for everyone to know she is the exception.

Every day, without end, we deal with nonsense like this from parents.

In general I support teachers and appreciate that they do a very difficult job under increasingly trying conditions. But, teachers are not impervious to criticism however small it may be. The fact is they are giving mixed messages here, over juice (a bloody silly hill to die on for many schools to start with). Either juice is allowed or it isn’t. And if it isn’t, then many kids will go without all day. There are many adults who’d choose plain water as a last resort drinking option, yet apparently kids will turn to fat sugar addicts if they have one bottle a day.

MN would have fainted at what was given to me as a child, full glasses of lucozade was typical! Fruit juice boxes constantly, chocolate bars twice the size they are these days. Wagon Wheels as big as your head. There’s a line between caring about children making healthy choices and simply being a jobsworth, kids these days are already in a much better position than we were 30 years ago.

Fubar01 · 13/09/2024 09:55

Bomdigi · 13/09/2024 09:53

How an earth, as a parent, do you manage to bring up your child to not drink water?

Edited

How on earth as parents did yours raise you to be so judgmental? Not your child , not your business

OP posts:
PeachBalonz · 13/09/2024 09:57

LostTheMarble · 13/09/2024 09:55

In general I support teachers and appreciate that they do a very difficult job under increasingly trying conditions. But, teachers are not impervious to criticism however small it may be. The fact is they are giving mixed messages here, over juice (a bloody silly hill to die on for many schools to start with). Either juice is allowed or it isn’t. And if it isn’t, then many kids will go without all day. There are many adults who’d choose plain water as a last resort drinking option, yet apparently kids will turn to fat sugar addicts if they have one bottle a day.

MN would have fainted at what was given to me as a child, full glasses of lucozade was typical! Fruit juice boxes constantly, chocolate bars twice the size they are these days. Wagon Wheels as big as your head. There’s a line between caring about children making healthy choices and simply being a jobsworth, kids these days are already in a much better position than we were 30 years ago.

They’ve said it isn’t. OP complained. Kind teacher gave a compromise. OP now complaining that said kind teacher is now a rule breaker.
Conplain to Ofsted. Chair of governors. Petition for other parents? Local paper?

XMissPlacedX · 13/09/2024 09:57

You've sort of made it our business by plastering it all over mumsnet. If your not interested in other peoples opinions why did you even start the thread?

LostTheMarble · 13/09/2024 09:57

Peonies12 · 13/09/2024 09:50

Children should only drink water or milk, juice is totally unnecessary and has no health benefits.

They should only eat fruit, vegetables and organic meat as well. Yet even schools offer cookies and chocolate puddings as part of a lunch meal. Bit hypocritical isn’t it.

LameBorzoi · 13/09/2024 09:58

Fubar01 · 13/09/2024 09:49

No but you would expect them to go at least once in a 6 hour period

I actually don't know how often my school aged kids go, and really don't care! They will listen to their bodies and drink and toilet when they need to.

User79853257976 · 13/09/2024 09:58

You’re lucky they even let you hide it in an opaque bottle. They aren’t supposed to allow it at all.

Fathercrispness · 13/09/2024 09:58

Just change the bottle. My DD drinks water but if all her friends came in with juice she would ask for it. I wouldn’t be happy with the school allowing it. One of her friend’s mums has the same issue of her daughter not drinking plain water so she sends in flavoured water. That may be an option too? But it’s certainly not an arbitrary rule.

Bluevelvetsofa · 13/09/2024 09:59

Is your child learning?
Is your child making progress?
Is your child happy?
Does your child have friends?
Does your child feel safe and comfortable at school?

If not, move her. I’d hazard a guess that any other school would have the same expectation about drinks.

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