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.

I am in my 20s, dragging your water bottles to each lesson at secondary was the 'done thing' but some teachers got so fed up they made you leave your water bottle outside the class room before lesson started. In hindsight, I don't think it was necessary to drink during every lesson.

I also don't think it was necessary at primary either, even when I was at primary in the 00s it was only water at breaks.

Totally agree so I'll be joining you on the MN naughty step!

I'm a secondary teacher. Wouldn't be surprised if this is exactly the parent I'm thinking of- daughter is a rude, entitled PITA whose mum encourages this kind of attitude

Perfectly sensible rule.

I would imagine that the reverse is true, there will be constant interruptions to get water, go to the loo and they rarely will go alone, especially in High School, it's just another excuse for poor behaviour.

When I set off for a long car journey, I certainly do not encourage my kid to sip water every minute, knowing they'd need the toilet frequently. Yet wow they survive with scheduled rest stops. I expect the same of them at school. Do people forget how large this world is, and that we as parents are supposed to be preparing them for it? Kids need to manage their water intake and toilet needs for a host of scenarios.

If a kid has medical reasons, most schools should be reasonable and exempt them.

As long as there’s some common sense on hot days I’d say it’s fine.

The 'one' being the poor parent who encourages their sprog to be a brat then wonders why they fail in the long run, of course that's the school's fault.

They can drink at break and lunch though. They can learn to drink more during those times? I don't ever remember having a drink inside the classroom. I don't particularly think not allowing children to drink is good, but having worked in schools, there are a lot of children who seem to get a drink for something to do, or stand there for absolutely ages drinking. Some schools are more lenient than others about how often they can access their water.

I wouldn't mind the water restrictions, as long as they can still have a drink of unlimited size every 1.5-2 hours. The restrictions of toilet visits isn't on though.

My 12 year old has a strict drinking and toileting schedule which if he doesn't follow he wets the bed.

Agreed. I teach 45 minute sessions and spend loads of my time being asked if they can have a drink or go to the toilet. A good 60-70 per cent of the requests are time wasting or an excuse to get up and wander around. I'd be in favour of them all being told to have a drink before a lesson/activity starts and reminded no more drinks until the end of the lesson. Same with toilet visits unless a kid is genuinely looking desperate.

I recently had a consultation with continence services for my elderly mum who is bladder incontinent. They’re of the opinion that between 1.5 and 2 litres of liquid per day is plenty under normal circumstances.

Based on the amount of disruptions in my lesson around drinks and toilet trips I would agree with it. Straight away there is the assumption that the restriction will be unreasonable without speaking to the school.

I’ve put restrictions in my lessons already because it was unmanageable. I let students fill their bottles at the start or end of a lesson only, that means they have 2 opportunities in an hour to fill their bottle. Now I’m stood at the front speaking to the class, I wouldn’t need more than two bottles of water in the space of an hour so neither will they. I also have a rule that the bottle needs to be off of their desk, it can be at the side of the room, they can access it at the start and end plus once more during the lesson but not when I am speaking at the front because it’s disruptive and not during specific tasks. On their desk and they fiddle with it constantly and sip every two minutes, I will have to shout to be heard over 25+ kids fiddling with bottles and I’m not willing to do that, it also distracts other students which isn’t fair. They then also need the toilet because they’ve finished a full bottle of water, once one goes they all decide they need it. It’s disruptive and I can’t safeguard the students if they aren’t in the classroom, it gets too difficult to keep track who is in and out after a point.

I imagine the school will have similar restrictions and they aren’t unreasonable, they are because the behaviour has lead to it.

I'm nearly 60 and I remember we had numerous water fountain ms at our school which were accessible all the time

You walked out of lessons all the time to access them? Unlikely.

There has never been any official communication about this at my DC's school but it's definitely something I've noticed.

They did allow the kids to drink more when it was really hot though.

Do you know where they got this from?

I was thinking the same. The only exception was with a diabetic child and I only ever came across one.

I lived in Singapore as a kid and we didn't have or need water bottles on our desks. We drank before school started, at playtime and lunch. Nobody got ill and I'm pretty sure I wasn't sitting in class gasping for a drink. We didn't carry water to constantly suck on when out and about either. It was hot and very humid.

I'm assuming OP lives in the UK where 25 degrees is considered a heatwave

You could leave lessons to get a drink?
We had one water fountain in primary school. You could use it at break time and lunchtime. Or occasionally in lessons if someone felt unwell/sick, they were allowed to get a cup of water from the fountain.
But drinking all day whenever we wanted wasn’t allowed.

I've stopped letting my students have their water bottles at their tables, half of them are sucking at the straws or biting and not drinking, some get knocked off tsbles, others have lids not quite tight and they spill. The bottles get bigger every year. Kids don't need 24/7 access to water. British kids aren't dehydrated. This is an ok thing to do

To tell my children they can go to the toilet when they need? Or drink when theyre thirsty? I think it is.

The school have no issue with me or my children, and employers cant specify when its OK to go to the toilet either.

Thats ok, because you don't know my kids. They know how to advocate for themselves, that is not the same as being a brat.