To ask what you think to this school new rule?

[Redsatin109]

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.

Me too.

As a teacher I hated trying to teach something while kids were slurping water or juice from gigantic bottles.

^ This. We were fine, we passed our exams, and we didn't die of dehydration. I feel truly sorry for teachers today having to put up with this nonsense.

Fond memories - the big, aluminium water jug we shared at lunchtime, and the little plastic cups we used. Oh, and there was a water fountain I think! 1970s.

I think the world has gone a bit water bottle mad in general, not just kids.

It’s hard to educate when lessons are interrupted by children ‘needing’ a drink or the toilet 5 minutes after coming in from a break though!

constant interruptions don’t lead to the best education.

As pps have said, children drinking water as and when is endlessly disruptive. You start a lesson, you are interrupted by kids fucking about with their bottle, you ask a question and hands go up with their response being, "Can I fill my bottle?" "Can I go to the toilet?" Constant trudging to the sink, children coming and going to the loo. Start, stop, start stop. We tried limiting water and had multiple complaints from parents - not children. It is not surprising that the repeat toilet visitors are often those with lower attainment, yet to try to increase their achievement by actually learning is seemingly at odds with their human rights.

If ours have their bottles on their desks they are constantly fiddling with them or slurping from them. So they are kept on the side shelf
absolute pain in the arse

Sounds ok to me. Noone needs constant access to water and it can become a distraction in the classroom. As long as they have access to water in break times and a bit more, they'll be fine.

Through out my whole school career we weren't permitted drinks in the classroom. And we were allowed to go toilet whenever we needed. If we 'asked'. Maybe that was a more sensible way.

They’re not limiting water, they’re limiting the amount of times they can get up and drink. So they can have a good amount of fluid they just can’t sit there sipping all day

Because we only drank tea in the morning and orange squash after school. Maybe an ovaltine before bed. The school toilets were full of the scary girls smoking and they'd steal your 50p dinner money to buy half a cider at lunch, so a lot of us didn't drink so we didn't need to go.

I'm sure that no-one posting on this thread had a water bottle on their desk when they were at school. Yet here you are, alive and reasonably well educated.

So why the howls of IT'S NOT FAIR when your own kids are expected to get through a whole hour and a half without a drink? You managed it, so why can't they?

Yes.

Are you being unreasonable to ask what we think of this school rule?

No, it's not unreasonable for you to ask.

But it seems odd that you're asking only about limiting drinking, and not about limiting bathroom trips, and that you're providing no specifics.

….We were all wandering round like dehydrated husks in the 1980s, without a water bottle attached to our side.

You got a drink at break (if the Tuck Shop was open), a glass a water with lunch (from a massive metal jug).. and that was your lot.

My year 6 DC said they pretend to need the toilet to get out of lessons when it’s boring

When I was at school you were only allowed your water bottle at lunchtime (and then it was never just water it was always squash or a carton of umbongo).

This.

Exactly, I’m not sure why people are upset, most children would be fine drinking only at breaks.

As others have said it depends on how they are implementing it. No access to water for long periods of time, is not ok, but telling children they can’t go during the teacher input, or during assembly is perfectly fine and stops disruption. If anything it teaches children to manage their water intake.
It never ceases to amaze me how riled some people get about this. I once had a parent threaten me with governors/ Ofsted etc because I didn’t let them have a drink when they asked. Apparently their child having to sit through a 15 assembly without a drink was ‘against their human rights’, even though they were reminded to have a drink before they went and could have one as soon as they returned to class!

At my DS primary school there was 2 toilets right by the classroom door. One boys and one girls. The kids could use but generally went in and out without hassle as could only be one in each at the time and they didn't have to go in corridors etc so not opportunity for messing about

It’s sensible. I visit lots of schools and they all try to manage it. It’s not as if they deprive the children and they all seem very happy with the routine.

I'm 50 this year. No-one had a water bottle at school, neither did my brothers who were 6 years younger.

Drinking water is important if they're running around, but it's really not needed in the classroom environment. A drink at first break and lunch is fine.

I thought the science was we (ie an average adult) needs 2l of water a day, nearly all of which comes from our food. No way a young child needs to drink 3l of water.

In the hot sweaty weather we are having now you will need to drink more, and drinking cold water cools you down too.

IME drinking water all the time is pointless, it just goes straight through me and yet seems to make me more thirsty at the same time.

I would want to know what limit the school is suggesting before getting my knickers in a knot about it.

This recent thing of kids constantly sipping water is really weird to be honest (I’m only 33 and have small kids but find it weird!). Mine have a glass of water any time when they are at home or out we take a water bottle but I have friends who are encouraging their kids to drink literally constantly. Why?! They can manage from break til lunch then til home time without a drink. Jesus I’m a nurse and I go 13 hours without a glass of water….!

Ok, so if this is such a big issue…how frequently does your child drink water over a day at the weekend. I’m willing to bet it’s no more than this will result in.