To wonder how we survived without constantly drinking water while working in previous decades?

[Chinsupmeloves]

A bit lighthearted but also a serious question!

Looking back at all the jobs I've had from age 16, working while at university and career after, it wasn't commonplace to have a Stanley or filled bottle nearby. We had breaks and mostly had a quick coffee and a food, same at lunchtime. No one took bottles of water, hot drinks or cans, that was it! At school also, juice at break and lunch then drink water at home.

A) On the one hand I feel the obsession with keeping hydrated has been propelled by the manufacturers of drinking vessels, especially with the imprinted quantities for times of the day, insulated to keep cool and so on. From this POV it seems OTT when people are walking around a supermarket with their bottles with the fear their bodies may shrivel up. In schools, having them on their desks, the bottle flipping, guzzling down a litre of juice from home in the first 10 mins of a lesson then desperate for the toilet, stating it's a human right to drink til you busrt! In addition the sales of plastic bottles of water to continue to carry around, you should see the bins overflowing with them in every classroom, so much for encouraging environmental values.

B) I've also realised yes it is important to keep hydrated during the day and we need more than a few cups of coffee as fluid to keep us sustained. I was one of the few, as a teacher, who would bring in a small carton of juice to sip at (days before reusable were used for anyrhing than to clip on your bike) as I got thirsty! I was however told off, that I shouldn't be drinking those few sips during lessons, yes truth. It was only a bit as drinking more would mean I would need to go to the loo, which I knew was impossible at break times when on duty or lunch when I had meetings, detentions, extra tuition. To walk to the staff toilets meant 2 blocks away outside, flights of stairs and a queue, so it was a scheduled comfort.

Back to the point...

AIBR Drinking during breaks and lunch is perfectly adequate, no need for constant sipping, especially in schools where it can cause so much disruption by those who take the mick.

AIBU We need to consistently sip to help us with talking, feeling well and focus.

As an adult I now value being able to have a bottle nearby at work, in the car on long journeys, but not a constant need everywhere I go. Xxx

I have always drank a lot of water and people thought I was a very strange child in the 80s. I think some people need more water then others and drinks like squash and numerous teas are more likely replaced by water. I think it's definitely better for your skin

i am sick of this “we didn’t have drinks and snacks” nonsense when offices had people employed as tea ladies to come round and give people cups of tea and biscuits or cakes at their desks, on top of lunch break drinks and meals.

The idea that Britain was powered by tea wasn’t a joke based on the idea you’d have one brew at breakfast, one at lunchtime then just cope until you got home. Having 6 or 7 cups during the working day was perfectly normal for office workers.

Some people functioned while dehydrated. Most people drank tea. We’ve switched to drinking water. Many younger adults don’t drink tea or coffee now.

I was in school through the late 80s and 90s, I remember being thirsty especially in the summer during primary school and not wanting to drink in case I needed the loo in secondary school. I got a lot of UTIs.

part time work in an office in the late 90s/early 2000s there was a morning and afternoon tea break, plus a drink with lunch. After that I worked part time in hospitality and had a drink on the side during my shifts.

Then full time in the office in the late 2000s, free access to tea/coffee/water for the whole day.

So really we have just extended the sane curtesy to children now that adults have always had.

My school days had free milk at primary, then we'd be allowed to take a juice carton from our lunchbox and drink whenever we wanted. Secondary school we could take drinks and kids would have them on desks, esp in hot summers. No strict rules. I recall water fountains too, but they always looked filthy. We were also trusted enough to go to the loo! No teachers cared as long as it was quick. I think kids were a little less like cattle back then though.

Your memory is lying to you really badly everyone drunk water we've had office water machines since the 50s diet coke breaks anyone ?? water fountains everywhere plastic water bottles and good posh mineral water glass bottles on every restaurant table in the 80s. and they have straw cleaners for Stanley's I'm not using your random water supply in an office kitchen sink or bathroom people are animals.

They used to have have fountains and drinking cups a lot of places-though these had all gone before I was born, some parts of the fountains remained in parks I played in as a kid. Don't suppose this was very hygienic. And if you read older books, people seemed to drink from streams/well if they were out and about.
I don't think people knew how being dehydrated affected us, plus there wasn't as much central heating/air con in the old days. I don't know if eating better, more natural food made a difference.
Given the smoking/drinking that used to be normal, maybe not keeping sufficiently hydrated was the least of their issues.

It is a bit OTT but as someone who was permanently dehydrated until about ten years ago (and got persistent headaches) and now feels the benefit of drinking more water, I can't get too excited about it.

Cake trolley used to come round!

I can remember being gasping when I came home from school. I can also remember going out with squash in a bottle to drink when I went out with friends.

Those big Stanley cups look ridiculous and aren’t necessary in offices. You can fill your cup as many times as you like in the day as your workplace has to have a drinkable water supply. So why you need a whole bloody cistern on your desk is incomprehensible.

but I think people were too thirsty in the 70s, often. I was. I can remember banging headaches from it, gulping water when I got home. The only water available in the day was in the big steel jugs on the table at lunch time. I didn’t drink much because you weren’t allowed to go to the toilet in playtime; you were supposed to be outside and would be told off if you asked to go in to the toilet.

there is an argument that those stupid big Stanley cups are a reaction again a weird controlling of bodies in the past. Being able to get a small drink of water, stretch my legs and my eyes and use the toilet for two minutes whenever, as an adult, is something I take for granted but I remember extreme discomfort at school not being allowed to do any of those things.

With DC we just use the flip top ones and put in the dishwasher. We now have a cupboard full of water bottles for all of us so there are clean ones! Who could have imagined this in the 1980s lol 😆

YANBU.

As for that BS about "if you feel thirsty, you're already dehydrated" 😂

Er no, you're just thirsty so have a drink. You are not "dehydrated".

We can’t have drinks at desks so only on breaks and lunch. Works fine

Strangely enough we weren't! Definitely more robust and resilient. Xxx

SNACKING! Oh goodness yes.
At breaktime they serve cheese on toast, garlic bread, bacon buns, pizza slices etc. It’s become completely normal to eat what is essentially another meal before dinner time!

I don’t know, I remember my mum and my grandad suffering from kidney stones quite regularly and I had repeated UTIs as a teen until I started drinking more water. But I need the water within sight/reach otherwise I forget to drink. I’m happy with reusable water bottles being more common place nowadays.

We didn't all work in offices though, I never have. All of my jobs have been stand up then breaks in the staffroom so sorry I don't have this experience.

Totally agree, like sucky calves as we say here! I don't own one of those bottles and in fact seldom even drink water, lots of other things obviously but not bottles of water. Seriously doubt it's having any detrimental effect on me!

i agree. The only time we drank was at mealtimes. I never recall drinking between meals, and even at uni (late 8Os)) I don’t recall carrying water around. Not sure when drinking regularly came in.

To add I just make sure I drink some water on each break and have a cup of tea usually at lunch time
I get headaches if I don’t drink enough water so make sure I drink plenty before and after work!

But we did have water fountains at primary school that we could use before school, during the morning and afternoon breaks and at lunchtime

Yes this. And what about ridiculous coffee shops everywhere ?!

Yanbu I remember at school 60s/70s we had a drink of water at break if thirsty and then at lunch. No wonder the kids at school these days need to piss every 5 minutes with these huge water bottles.
Same when I was a checkout supervisor in a supermarket. Every bastard 5 minutes someone needs to go to the toilet while chugging down huge amounts of water. Seriously it was like the bloody bog Olympics
😬

Juice is bad though… all that sugar.

Drinking during breaks and at home is adequate for most people, but equally some people prefer to sip water throughout the day and that’s fine too. If someone feels better for having a water bottle on their desk all day and feels better for it, then does it matter that they would survive without it. We do lots of things for our comfort.

Personally I’m an insulated water bottle carrier. I don’t ever really feel thirsty; even when breastfeeding I still have to actively remember to drink. So I carry around my Owala with icy water which is nicer to drink than tap water and reminds me to drink. I’d live without, but I’d also have a lot more headaches and dry bleeding lips and only pee about once or twice a day. I really don’t know why reusable water bottles annoy mumsnet so much.