To think the school were neglectful?

[frogshead]

Dd (8) went on a school trip yesterday in a heat wave, 40 minutes each way walking to and from a museum.

I sent dd with 2 bottles of water and she didn’t drink either of them and a hat which she didn’t wear.
She arrived home with a headache and has had diarrhoea since.

I know this was partly down to her but she is juts a child and nobody encouraged her to wear her hat or drink anything all day.
I applied sun cream before she went so at least she had that.

As someone who volunteered numerous times for school trips your daughter would’ve been reminded constantly throughout the day to drink water and have her hat on. At 8 year old I’m sure you have taught her the importance of Staying hydrated and sun protection if she chooses not to listen not much the school can do.

Rediculous that you woukd think that this was schools responsibly. She's 8 yrs not 8mth.

Oh I read your words.
You suggest bringing it up in a ‘non blamey way’.
Bit like telling the school staff to be aware of something that they are absolutely more than aware of.

Did YOU tell her to wear her hat and drink plenty? I honestly don’t think you can blame the school. Your daughter had water which she chose not to drink - a life lesson learnt.

I know our school reminds children constantly to drink, put on sunscreen and wear a hat however they can’t force a child to do it.

Wow. Perhaps she should have stayed at home where you could have monitored her water intake yourself...

My 8 year old went on a school trip on the hottest day as well. Worse, it was an outside adventure in a field. Of course he’s aware that he had to wear his hat and drink his water (Also sent him in with two bottles) Sounds like your daughter chose not to wear her hat or drink her water. I understand you’re upset but you can’t blame the school for her choices.

Hmm it's difficult to judge whether the trip should have still gone on, our school did cancel sports day this week as it would have been too hot.
However I think your daughter is likely to have chosen not to wear her hat, and unless staff rummaged around her bag they wouldn't know she had one. At lunchtimes I will constantly tell children to get a hat (and in winter a coat) but children say they don't have these things. Unless you have time to go and check everyone (or happen to know they came in wearing one) you cannot call each child out for potentially lying and having an adult check.
The same with drinks. We will tell children to get a drink but cannot physically hold the bottle to their lips and force it down them.
This is a good chance to chat to your daughter about why she needs to wear her hat in the sun and to drink when she is told to.

They remember when they feel thirsty! An 8 year old knows what to do when they feel thirsty and know they have a drink in their bag. If she were 4 years old, obviously that’d be different.

You could have kept her at home.

I wouldn’t be happy - when I have a group of youngsters at a swimming gala or camp etc I ask to see their bottles - it’s not that hard! I make drinking into a game. They’re still young - school should do better!

How do you know she didn't wear the hat? Did you watch them all the way there and back? I work with 8 year olds, very common for them to not have drinks or wear hats despite us reminding them to. We can't force them. Rather than blaming staff, maybe have a chat with your child about why she needs to do these things and the consequences if she doesn't.

Most 8 year old know when to have a drink.

I’m really surprised at the responses. 8 is very young. With the excitement of a school trip, a museum where they were possibly told they could only drink in certain areas, likely not stopping to drink whilst walking as thats not something you can do in a walking bus. Plus once dehydration sets in, you don’t feel thirsty - do those posting actually realise that?
I’d be livid OP. Hottest day of the year, they ought to have re-thought a long walk like that, or at least had compulsory sit down water breaks throughout the day.
Have you been able to check with any of the other parents as to whether their kids drank much and how they are today? I would defo speak to the school and share your concerns. People can say what they want about how an 8yo should take responsibility etc. but the fact remains, a child has become unwell with heatstroke after a school trip, so it absolutely needs looking at.

Depending on where you live and the type of skin your child has I probably would not have sent them on the trip yesterday. Two of mine have white skin, overheat easily and are at risk of sun stroke. My third probably would have been fine.
All three would have worn a hat had they gone or they may have lied to me that they had worn it as hat wearing was non negotiable.
They would have taken sunscreen and reapplied if at lunch and before coming home. They also would have drunk and refilled at least one water bottle even if it were only to pour over their legs at home time.
All three knew from age 3 that sun and overheating is dangerous. Not a big deal just something they took responsibility for same as getting washed, dressed, toileting and cleaning teeth.
Your daughter sounds a little unusual for an 8 year old. Thus I am guessing she has learning difficulties? That is hard for you. I volunteered for trips when I could. If you can’t do the same it is useful if you seek out the parent volunteer, by nature of those who offer they will offer your child a reminder or some help. The teachers have a heck of a job on trip days and I believe need the support of parents, this includes your own child doing things that are expected.

Indeed, that would make it a learning experience for the child. There's also no guarantee that her feeling ill has anything to do with it.

I does seem a little neglectful of the school to take children out in the heat of yesterday but I imagine the teachers asked ‘have you all got water and do you have a hat’? Standard practice I guess.
However, for some reason your daughter chose NOT to drink her water not to wear her hat, she now feels poorly and is paying the price for not heeding advice from you or her teachers.
Personally, I don’t think it is worth raising a concern with the school as they have more than one child to supervise.
Use this a learning curve for her, explain she is poorly because she ignored sensible advice and thought she knew better. Her symptoms will pass.

Those saying she’s 8 years not 8 months…I think of it like this, what would the response be from school if the same scenario happened under the parents care? If the answer is safeguarding/social services then the school need to be held accountable the same as parents would be. It shouldn’t be one rule for one and one rule for the other when it comes to children’s welfare.

You think it would be a safeguarding/social services issue if a parent reminded their child to drink and wear a hat and they didn't... 🤨

Also it's not actually clear if she didn't wear a hat or drink her water so the whole bloody thing is completely pointless to discuss. The fact the OP hasn't returned suggests she was simply looking for yet another teacher pile on.

Parents have the authority to enforce certain things. But potentially the same thing could have happened with the parent - what are you supposed to if your child doesn't want to have a drink? Are you going to force feed them.

Doesn’t say anywhere in the op the child was reminded and chose not to. Just that they didn’t drink anything or wear a hat. That’s all we know. So assuming child wasn’t reminded if child suffered heatstroke and the parent hadn’t prompted their child to have a drink all day in the blazing heat yes I can absolutely see school reporting that as safeguarding. They do for a hell of a lot less!

That word assuming is doing a heck of a lot of heavy lifting... 🤔

Also schools are not reporting parents to social services for their child refusing to drink water and wear a hat ...

Meanwhile, children in hot places are walking miles to collect fresh drinking water on a daily basis and carrying it back to their home.

I’ve been yelled at by parents for not letting their kid drink water as their water bottle was full at home time.

Turns out their kid has refilled it at least 4 times and again at home time but gets attention from parent who yell how rubbish teachers are. One raised eyebrow from and a question about the water bottle being full meant a full confession from said children as at the start I tell children they will get in more trouble for lying about something than whatever they did. Did the parent apologise? No of course not. Did parent tell child off for lying to them? No.

Next time, book time off from work and volunteer to help on the trip.

That’s ironic that you are also assuming the child was reminded and refused don’t you think? That is an assumption. So no I’m not saying schools are reporting for children refusing to wear a hat and drink water but that they would if a child was suffering heatstroke due to not being properly cared for in the weather. Not hard to grasp.

Yes it's an assumption because that's literally what happens in every school on every trip up and down the country. I mean honestly do you really think she wasn't once reminded. Really?

It's also pretty unbelievable that just this one child is apparently suffering from heatstroke if they weren't all reminded...

It's staggering that so many people think teachers hate kids to the extent some on here seem to believe.

That last part was so dramatic 😂😂 good old Mumsnet. Regardless of if they were all reminded or not, ops child ended up with heatstroke, if it was a parent ‘but I reminded her!’ wouldn’t be good enough. So it shouldn’t be for a school either.