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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think the nursery my daughter goes to would not deprive her of water?!

67 replies

babblington · 18/06/2008 20:48

I love my daughter's (just turned 4) nursery, i think it is fabulous and she adores it, always happy to go in, talks very highly of it when she is not there.
Today they went on a trip to a park in coaches - 70 something children, adults for every 4 children, superbly organised, seamless, as i have grown to expect.
I pick her up and her lips are bleeding, she has an enormous hissy fit on leaving - quite unlike her. Over tired, i think. Turns out they brought juice for all the children to drink. My daughter doesn't like juice, only water or milk - did they have an alternative? NO - so she didn't have anything to drink for 3 AND A HALF HOURS despite running around like a wild thing at the park. How could they not have water?! Surely this constitutes cruelty of some kind?! I am horrified and flabbergasted.
Sorry this is very long. Am trying to work out how to contain my fury when i go to talk to them tomorrow.

OP posts:
Lauriefairycake · 18/06/2008 20:52

sounds like it's time for a conversation with her about drinking what's available even if it's something she's just not keen on

obviously the above doesn't apply if she's allergic to juice

Original poster
babblington · 18/06/2008 20:55

Shouldn't water just be available as a standard?

Would you say that if they had only had Fruit Shoots available?

OP posts:
WorzselMummage · 18/06/2008 20:56

if she was thirsty she'd have drunk the juice.

soopermum1 · 18/06/2008 20:57

not good, it's really not that hard to source water for her from somewhere.

moopdaloop · 18/06/2008 20:58

so you gave her a glass of water and everything is ok yes? no lasting damage then, no I'm sure not

mention to nursery that they need to ensure they have water in future and stop over-reacting

Tidgypuds · 18/06/2008 20:59

I agree with babblington I have to say, my daughter too will only drink water. She cant even stand the smell of juice or drink milk. Its not a lot to ask that they could have found her some water! I would be fuming.

Poohbah · 18/06/2008 20:59

If she was that thirsty surely she would have drunk the juice. If she nevers drinks juice then surely you would have told the nursery that she should always have water or milk????

Lauriefairycake · 18/06/2008 21:00

yes if I was dying of thirst then a fruit shoot would do

it is mostly water, not poison

KaySamuels · 18/06/2008 21:00

Thought water or milk would be offered rather than juice to begin with! (My ds avid juice drinker BTW but surely from healthy Ofsted approved POV, milk or water better?)

Individual chidren's needs should have been considered, and if a 4yr old was offered juice and said no I only like water or milk, would it have been hard to find her some?

I would give the nursery the benefit of the doubt this time if you are generally happy with it, but I would bring it up, to highlight your concerns.

callmeovercautious · 18/06/2008 21:04

I think you should point out that a trip in the Summer requires unlimited water and the juice should be a treat with their packed Lunches etc.

Next time pop a bottle of water in her bag and make sure she knows how to get it.

Not sure if it is relevant but DDs Nursery have had to get used to offerring her water more regularly. She was demand BF and still is at home (she is 21m). So she naturally just drinks when thirsty. She will often not drink the water at their set times and then be thirsty later. I just chatted to her keyworker and asked if it was possible for them to offer it more often, or leave a cup where she could see it so she could ask for it. No more hissy fits at home time or constipation, which had been a big problem.

Tidgypuds · 18/06/2008 21:04

Im at some of these posts! This is a 4 year old we are talking about not an adult FGS. Im sure if this was the other way round and your children had been offered water and they only drank Juice and had gone for 3+ hours you would be a tad annoyed too.
All the childrens needs should be catered for. Even at my DD pre-school they ask what your child drinks as they know that not all children will drink milk/juice/water.

Janos · 18/06/2008 21:04

I'm surprised they didn't have water, if only because it's free and juice has to be paid for!

I think you are within your rights to speak to the nursery and say you are concerned that they didn't supply water and ask them to make sure its available - no need to be furious.

2point4kids · 18/06/2008 21:05

YABU
Maybe they offered her juice and she said no thanks but didnt ask for water.
Perhaps she was too busy having fun and running around to even think about stopping for a drink.
My DS sometimes comes out of nursery gasping. They have water on the side all the time, he just doesnt think to stop and have some! I give him a drink when he comes out, he drinks it and everyone is happy.

Original poster
babblington · 18/06/2008 21:06

Lauriefairycakes - sorry, I'm not getting at you, but she's 4, and doesn't understand that not drinking something ANYTHING will make her feel better. maybe i should have a chat about drinking anything that's available, but again, she's 4, and she's not going to drink something that makes her sick. Water and/or milk should have been offered first - as per Kaysamuels Ofsted comment.

OP posts:
bossybritches · 18/06/2008 21:08

3 and a half hours with no drink while not ideal is hardly deprivation! She would have had a good drink before leaving nursery I expect. They get high as kites on these outings (we NEVER do them !!) so her hissy fit was probably due to the crash they always have afterwards.

I can understand you being upset but before you go in all guns blazing just check the facts. If the nursery are usually good I bet there is another side to this.

Original poster
babblington · 18/06/2008 21:09

2point4 - yes, that's probably right, but i would hope someone would have tried to ensure she had something to drink at some point!

OP posts:
wheresthehamster · 18/06/2008 21:09

I think I'd be more upset over the staff/child ratios. 1 to 4? Is that normal on a trip?

Our school nursery is 1 to 2 and they are all 3 or 4 year olds.

moshiecat · 18/06/2008 21:23

I'm surprised you're not getting more support here, of course they should have taken some water for her. Doesn't she normally have a drink at nursery anyway, they must know that she doesn't drink anything else.

YANBU

nappyaddict · 18/06/2008 21:28

i am also thinking they probably said do you want some juice and she said no thank you or something like that.

cornsilk · 18/06/2008 21:31

They were responsible for her. They should have got her something she would drink. Very surprised that they weren't aware that she didn't like juice.

Poohbah · 18/06/2008 21:41

Well it a bit extreme to say that her daughter was deprived of water when that clearly wasn't the case she was offered something but didn't take it. It is surely something that can be sorted quite easily by a discussion with the nusery in a adult way.

"I was a bit concerned that my daughter didn't have a drink as she was offered juice but doesn't like it...." wait for response.. then "Do you think that in future she could always have either milk or a beaker of water??" to which they will agree...end of matter.

bossybritches · 18/06/2008 21:45

Do you KNOW she didn't have anything offered her to drink OP or is this what she has told you? Sometimes the stories they go home with are slightly different to the reality of the situation.

Yurtgirl · 18/06/2008 21:45

I would be annoyed too tbh babblington

If it was a warm day I think they should have had water as well just in case etc. Its hardly difficult to take a 2 litre bottle of water and a few plastic cups is it

I get fed up that my kids eat healthily at home, then get offered sugary rubbish at school.

Original poster
babblington · 18/06/2008 22:04

Bossy britches - I do know what you mean, but she was very clear about it - and as I said, her lips were bleeding from having cracked from dehydration....

OP posts:
bossybritches · 18/06/2008 22:19

Not good then Bab- defiantely have a quiet word tomorrow- difficult I know when you want to slap them for being negligent!

It might be that the carer who SHOULD have been following nursery policy & making your DD have a drink was fobbed off by your daughter & didn't persue it when she refused juice.Not acceptable as sometimes you have to make encourage them to sit down &have something and as has been said water should have been available.

Not trying to excuse the nursery but with my bosses hat on this could be something they DO need to know about from the point of view of kicking someones butt & ensuring it doesn't happen again!!

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