Mum putting Movicol in water bottle at school, would you tell the school?

[Dramatic]

So one of the Mums at the school gate was telling me her daughter gets constipated sometimes and when she does she puts Movicol in her water bottle for school. The kids are in Reception so age 4 or 5 and probably still of an age where they might take a swig from someone else's bottle or get their bottles mixed up, do you think I should tell school she's doing this or just keep out of it?

Yabu - don't tell school
Yanbu - tell school

What else would I be concerned about? What other possible concern could I have had?

I am not ableist, I am an advocate for children with disabilities and have said nothing that comes off that way. I don’t really deal with any nightmare parents, all of my additional needs parents are especially amazing and would never dream of behaving the way you have on here, or claim to at school.

You seem to lack reading comprehension and I refuse to go around in circles with an adult so I’ll leave it here in regards to you.

Honestly if you a fellow Movicol giver and are nervous about approaching her just say “Are you still putting Movicol in Lily’s water bottle? Just as I’ve seen first hand what it can do to a kid so maybe do tell the teacher so they ca keep an eye on it before you’re blamed for someone else’s poo explosion!”. Keep it lighthearted.

And when you do send a packed lunch for school trips will it be vegan dairy and gluten free?

Ok, this is maybe what you should have led with.

They wouldn’t dream of handing over a medical plan and expecting the school to follow it? Really?

Well none of the teachers I’ve ever met would laugh at my son’s medical plan 🤷‍♀️ and if they did they’d be getting short shrift from me. Not sorry. I don’t tolerate bullies

Just do it. I bet she hasn’t even thought of it that way! She’s probably worried about getting told off and told she has to stop it and that’s why she’s said nowt

No, probably not. But then their teacher will be aware of the allergies of other pupils and will make sure they don't have access to other kids food. School dinners aren't all vegan, dairy and gluten free either so your point makes no sense.

Well I don’t really think anyone should be sending anything except a nut free packed lunch, but my point was you said I “give no fucks” about other kids because my son has medicated water, and other kids might drink it. So logic would follow that, by YOUR standards, not taking other kids’s need into account when sending food is “giving no fucks”.

I was making a point that you claiming I “give no fucks” is ridiculous when - just like you’ve pointed out with dietary requirements - it’s in no way my responsibility or within my control what other people’s kids do re my son’s water bottle

It's the way you say things sometimes though isn't it, there's ways and means of doing things without being demanding or rude.

I’ve never been demanding or rude. I’ve just taken a plan in for them. I’m not going to simper and beg and apologise and plead with them to follow it though. It’s transactional - my son has needs, here is how you support them. It doesn’t need anyone being pandering or overly nice or apologetic or guilt ridden. And it certainly doesn’t need laughter

But I do give a fuck about other kids and I just think it's a weird thing to say that you don't.

Just out of curiosity, if you don't give a fuck about other kids then why did you tell the school that you put medication in your sons bottle?

I mean I don’t wish them harm obviously and he has some very lovely friends I have bags of time for and are always welcome to my home and we have an open door policy with (within reason!). But actual emotionally caring for other people’s children, including what they may or may not do in school time, just isn’t in my arsenal. I am mentally - and sometimes physically depending on if my son has a flare up which thankfully we have avoided since December <touches wood> but can literally come any moment day or night and turn our lives on their head for weeks on end - drained from caring about my son and also my daughter who is healthy but I worry constantly about being sidelined due to her brother’s condition. Plus full time working, other family commitments etc - I’m afraid I just don’t have mental capacity for much else, let alone of a kid is gonna sip from son’s water bottle when they know they shouldn’t!

Just out of curiosity, if you don't give a fuck about other kids then why did you tell the school that you put medication in your sons bottle?

Well I’ve no reason to hide it! I don’t actually want to harm anyone else you know

If you read my post it wasn’t dramatic. It was commonsense. You obviously didn’t read it correctly.

@Dramatic what do you actually suggest I do? Stop sending my son with his medicated water? Profess loudly how much I care for all the children? I can’t help the way I feel but I’m harming nobody, so what should I be doing in your opinion

Nobody wants or expects that, all you need to do is inform them and understand that schools have rules in place for health and safety, so he might have have to drink it outside of lesson time, while supervised, if he was at a different school.

You are overreacting and blowing everything way out of proportion, absolute silliness.

I think you should tell the school when your child has medication in their water bottle, which you already do. I'm just slightly confused about why you came on so aggressively. I wasn't saying this parent shouldn't give their child medication, I was saying the school should probably know about it, which you agree with me on. You were the most aggressive out of all the people who commented on the thread which just seems strange when you actually agree with me.

I don’t think I am. Your smugness and not (even put a 🥰 emoji) over how you’d laugh at a disabled child’s medical plan is very disturbing, and I expect better than ableist teachers

Keep out of it.
School are likely aware. We had a child like this in our pre school. We just kept their water bottle on a shelf. They could ask for it whenever, and if they didn't ask much, then we offered it regularly.

There’s that reading comprehension issue again. I said, “That would be me 🥰” to OP regarding giving “mean looks” because she thought a comment was directed at her. Again, I was not laughing at any children.

OP was also totally right about what I was replying to. Your attitude is awful when you’re talking about teaching staff.

A polite, if not a little patronising, chuckle when dealing with what are called “difficult” parents isn’t outrageous and is often about the most we can do to let you know your behaviour is absurd. Telling a member of staff, trained to deal with this kind of issue, not to follow protocol in the way you come across would be completely unacceptable and would warrant the response I gave—absolutely nothing to do with your child, his disability, or even the content of what you’re saying.

It sounds, from another reply of yours, like you have a tough time of it and aren’t always so hostile, and I feel for you on that. But the way you have come across towards OP and me is unpleasant at best so painting yourself as a victim of bullying isn’t going to wash.

no my attitude is not about ravaging staff it’s about YOU. Who like it or not DID say a disabled child’s health plan would be worthy of laughing. The fact you put “polite” before laugh doesn’t make it any less inappropriate

A polite, if not a little patronising, chuckle when dealing with what are called “difficult” parents isn’t outrageous and is often about the most we can do to let you know your behaviour is absurd.

But by your reasoning a difficult parent is one who expects the school not to discriminate against a disabled child. Is that reasonable? And you’re a grown up FFS, and a practical there’s never any need to be patronising especially when people are just wanting help for their child.

Honestly you sound like a smug unempathetic ableist who thinks teachers should never be called out. Once again thank god you don’t teach in my child’s school

Except I did not say that, I suggest you read my comments again.

You should see what teaching staff, admin all the way up to the head, are spoken to by difficult parents. We are used to it but we don’t have to tolerate it with a smile.

Following health and safety precautions isn’t discrimination, the children still get the medication when they need it. You are ridiculous and i’m just as glad i’m not dealing with you.

You’re angry for no reason. All your comments are irrelevant because no one is suggesting not to take the meds to school, just to inform teachers that your child has something that can in fact cause a severe allergic reaction to others. It’s very unlikely, but there’s no harm in letting teachers know -end of.

As a teacher, yes we should be told this is happening. I’m not saying it shouldn’t be given but school should be aware. Does it need to be kept separately or on the desk? Is the medication getting warm or drank quick enough? Children share water at times, making the school aware could prevent this.
I used to give this to a child daily at school and it had to be drank pretty quickly.
Also, any medication taken at school should be recorded for legal reasons.
There are so many reasons this shouldn’t be happening and yes, mostly minor issues, but still it is not right.
On the other hand, as a parent if I were you I would question if I was the only one to know and therefore if I told the school could I be identified by the other parent. So I would think about this first and if I couldn’t be identified I’d inform the school.

People saying don’t make a fuss or you are being ridiculous don’t understand how schools work. You shouldn’t have medicine that is not prescribed, and that if you don’t need this medicine it can cause upset stomachs, pain and other things not just ‘a sloppy poo’.

At least you’re being responsible, thanks

Not sure about telling the school. I think it might be worth pointing out that the mother will be unable to tell if her child has actually had the Movicol that’s she’s added? So how will she know if correct dose administered?
also, that as the original poster states, small children’s bottles get muddled up, I’m not to sure I’d be happy knowing that my child had potentially drunk some Movicol that wasn’t necessary. Also, someone stated that a sip of moviciol wouldn’t do much but firstly, how much Movicol was added to the bottle? And secondly, children have delicate digestion systems so you can’t be sure that it wouldn’t affect another child. Movicol is not without its side effects! I’d return to the conversation maybe by asking if her child’s tummy is ok now? Then say that in your opinion, adding Movicol at school isn’t the best idea, firmly state your reasons, if she argues, then maybe you then have good cause to mention to the teacher