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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask what you think to this school new rule?

385 replies

Redsatin109 · 17/07/2025 19:35

Just heard from other parents that apparently they’ll be reducing the amount of water y2 and upwards can have next year. So limiting the amount of times they can access their water bottle. This is because they’re only allowed to go to the toilets at breaks/lunch and it’s to limit toileting accidents in the classroom.

OP posts:
Morgenrot25 · 21/07/2025 07:10

Pricelessadvice · 17/07/2025 19:37

Years ago we were only allowed a drink at break and lunch. We all survived.
I’m not sure why kids have to permanently be attached to a water bottle nowadays.

This, to a certain extent.
Being properly hydrared does affect conservation/performance but it's perfectly possible to be hydrated without having constant access to a water bottle.

Pinkdhalia · 22/07/2025 15:07

I'm eighty I don't recall having access to fluids during lessons. We had milk then access to water fountains during playtime . I don't recall lines of thirsty children queuing for water then either. Who supervises the need for water in lessons . How often are the lessons interrupted how many children then need toilet trips. I think it's a learned distraction when children" need a drink" then others follow on...school is for learning, children are learning to wait until break for fluids. Unless there are obvious medical requirements of course.

HerNeighbourTotoro · 23/07/2025 18:40

5foot5 · 18/07/2025 17:25

Do you not think, though, that it would be useful for your children to learn a bit of forward planning and make a habit of going to the toilet at an appropriate and convenient time, rather than suddenly realise they are desperate and need to go at inappropriate and inconvenient times?

This doesn't just apply in school time, i.e. going at break time so they can last through the lessons. There must be lots of situations when this is a good idea:

  • at the cinema go before the film starts so you won't have to nip out during the film and miss some and disturb other people in the same row
  • before a long car journey
  • at these public toilets now before we start the walk or you will be going behind the bushes

Of course if a child is absolutely desperate then I suppose they must let them go during a lesson, but surely you can see how schools will very strongly discourage it. Maybe you are right about your DC and they wouldn't take advantage of this, but no doubt loads of kids would abuse the privilege if they were allowed to go whenever.

Show quote history

This is a very bad advice though. Is bad for girls (not sure about boys?) to wee "just in case" as it lasts too an oversensitive bladder in future. What it does is that the brains starts sending signals to the brain before the bladder is full and as a result we need to go more often.
I recently went on an NHS training abut incontinence and this was the first thing they mentioned. The room was also full of young women, while I expected there to be mostly older people.

Zonder · 23/07/2025 22:45

Wouldn't it be interesting if the Op came back and actually let us know if this new school rule was a real rule or just a rumour spread by a few parents with the wrong end of the stick?

ErinBell01 · 05/08/2025 01:06

Britneyfan · 17/07/2025 19:38

Completely ridiculous and asking for trouble especially with the climate getting hotter and hotter! Sometimes I feel like schools don’t understand they’re not prisons and that children have basic human rights and needs, access to water is a pretty crucial one… In addition children with toileting accidents at that age and stage may well be either be struggling with constipation or irritable/overactive bladder and limiting water will actually make those things worse…

I do wonder how we in the 50s survived when we only had access to water during breaks and lunchtime. And as we had to drink from our hands in the toilets during breaks we didn't tend to drink much. So milk at morning break and water with lunch was all we had. And no, there were very few toileting accidents. I do remember one in Infants class.

NeedZzzzzssss · 05/08/2025 01:09

This is a good thing! My cousin is a teacher and she's part of the school production. The main worry the children have is what happens of they get thirsty. These are 11 and 12 year olds. She said if they can't go without a drink for an hour then they probably need to be seeing a Dr!

mumatlast14 · 05/08/2025 08:28

Interesting how teachers think they are the medical experts instead of following the advice of medical experts.
Schools and nurseries - ERIC https://share.google/HpuwayDMVd5Psst7e

Zonder · 05/08/2025 08:39

Interesting how we have a whole thread with lots of people getting upset about something which probably isn't even true. Sounds like a rumour started by some kid telling his parent he wasn't allowed to go to the water fountain at a particular time. Op never actually got anything from the school about it, did they?

Treesarenotforeating · 05/08/2025 15:35

I wonder if it was all hearsay (Bull 💩)

Zonder · 05/08/2025 15:36

Treesarenotforeating · 05/08/2025 15:35

I wonder if it was all hearsay (Bull 💩)

I suspect we will never know!

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