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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

8 year old not drinking at school

24 replies

BathshebaDarkstone · 30/09/2015 12:24

We've had this problem since nursery, she's now in year 3. Wednesdays she has art club, and last week, the first week of the club, she told me she hadn't had any water from lunchtime at 12.15 until I picked her up at 4. She forgets to drink and says she doesn't feel thirsty. Because I'm not there to nag her, I have to rely on teachers to remind her. I'm hoping having a water bottle in her satchel with her pre-club snack will help. Any other ideas please?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Flowerpower41 · 30/09/2015 12:43

Unfortunately I am not aware teachers remind them to drink water. I guess they have more than enough to see to as it is. Why don't you put a fresh mineral bottle of water in her bag each day when ds had a phase of not drinking water it enticed him as it was a slightly better type of water - although more money of course.....

KoalaDownUnder · 30/09/2015 12:52

Why do you think it's a problem?
She's probably not drinking because she's not thirsty.

Gileswithachainsaw · 30/09/2015 12:55

Unless she's getting headaches or showing signs of dehydration then I wouldn't worry. it's there, if she's thirsty she will drink

greenhill · 30/09/2015 12:57

My DD is the same.

I made sure she has a big drink of milk or juice with her porridge, then remind her about the water fountains when we arrive at school.

I used to put a juicy water carton in her lunchbox and bring a bottle of water at the end of the school day. I'd add grapes, peach, pear, tomatoes, cucumber etc to her lunch box so that she was always hydrated from fruit or veg. I'd always ask her how much she'd drunk during the day, when she was refusing to drink more than a sip.

If she's not drinking much during the day I give her fruit ice lollies when she gets in from school and offer hot chocolate etc at bedtime. As well as interesting drinks with meals.

Even now her water bottle just seems to be carried back and forth to school and not thought of, but at her worst she was getting headaches and back ache in her kidney area. Symptoms of which would be alleviated half an hour after a pint of squash.

Straws in drinks really helped as she could compete with her brother to drink it faster / noisier than him

swashbucklecheer · 30/09/2015 12:57

She'll not die of thirst in 4 hrs. Teachers have enough to do.

Original poster

BathshebaDarkstone · 30/09/2015 12:58

The teachers do remind her as I've asked them to. She barely drinks at all unless I nag her to. I may be wrong but I understood that we needed to drink a lot to keep our kidneys functioning? Also it has a knock-on effect that she then drinks copious amounts in the evening and wets the bed. I'd rather she drank it all during the day.

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Original poster

BathshebaDarkstone · 30/09/2015 13:00

greenhill it's a no-packed-lunches school.

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Original poster

BathshebaDarkstone · 30/09/2015 13:02

I like the straw idea!

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Gileswithachainsaw · 30/09/2015 13:06

Someone on another thread suggested drawing lines on The bottle. and at break/lunch etc drinking to a certain line.

how about freezing the bottle. maybe the water is just warm and disgusting in the classroom. perhaps freezing may help.

hazeyjane · 30/09/2015 13:09

Dd2 has a bottle of water on her table, she knows it has to be half gone, her teacher has ok'd it being there. But this is because she seems to get dehydrated easily - skin peeling off lips, stomach cramps,uti's and ketones in her wee.

Dd1 could go all day with just a few sips and is fine.

I think you only have to worry about it if they are actually suffering adverse effects.

Original poster

BathshebaDarkstone · 30/09/2015 13:14

Thanks hazey that's helped to put it into perspective.

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madamginger · 30/09/2015 13:20

My dd was like this and she has flavoured water instead, it's clear so the other kids don't know it's not plain.
I buy the Tesco water at £1.50 for 4 1l bottles

Mrscog · 30/09/2015 13:26

I think you need her to try and drink a decent drink in the morning, (and have cereal for breakfast as the milk will also provide hydration) and then not worry too much. In the 90's drinks weren't allowed except at lunchtime, and I used to manage the whole day on one tiny juice carton, as did most of my peers. I'd then encourage a big drink at 4pm but less before bed.

BlueBlueBelles · 30/09/2015 13:29

Is she over drinking in the evening because you're getting her to, overcompensating?

This water bottle in school thing is relatively new. I know we never had it - we would have a drink with breakfast, one with lunch, and then when we got home.

I have two different boys with different habits. One drinks like a fish constantly, the other barely even at mealtimes. Neither is right or wrong. I don't push ds2 unless it's really hot.

Original poster

BathshebaDarkstone · 30/09/2015 13:32

madamginger ah but if the teacher found out it would be confiscated. It's against the fucking school rules. (Swearing at the school, not you! )

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Cedar03 · 01/10/2015 11:27

My daughter also doesn't drink much. In fact, she won't drink in the morning either unless I ask her to drink something. And she is allowed a water bottle in the classroom but often only drinks a little.

She does tend to drink more in the evening at bedtime but she doesn't wet the bed (or hasn't for ages and ages now I've written this she probably will!).

Its not just water she's not interested in, she doesn't drink much in the way of squash or other drinks either.

I try to offer fruit, we sometimes do smoothies and things like that. She just tells me that she's not thirsty.

Ifiwasabadger · 02/10/2015 06:16

I don't remember this obsession with water when I was at school....a long time ago...

We might have had a drink at lunchtime but then that would be it. We weren't allowed. Carry water around with us. Areias now allowed to carry water to class etc?

TheGirlOnTheLanding · 02/10/2015 06:52

I have an 8yo water refuser too. In her case, she's avoiding drinking because she doesn't want to use the school toilets. I haven't got to a solution yet, but like you I worry she's getting dehydrated.

Original poster

BathshebaDarkstone · 02/10/2015 08:28

mrscog she barely drinks in the morning.

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Original poster

BathshebaDarkstone · 02/10/2015 08:42

BlueBlueBelles no I don't tell her to drink in the evenings, the water's always available, she must be very thirsty by then!

Ifiwasabadger they all have water bottles provided by school, with their names on, there are also drinking fountains all over the place.

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Original poster

BathshebaDarkstone · 02/10/2015 08:44

TheGirlOnTheLanding I think DD started in nursery because she was wetting herself and it was to avoid that.

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Orangeanddemons · 02/10/2015 08:48

I rarely drink much. Never have, just don't feel thirsty. Dd appears to be the same. We must both be camels

Ifiwasabadger · 02/10/2015 09:48

I didn't know water was so freely supplied, how things have changed! I would have been in and out of the toilet all the time if I drank like that, I have a bladder the size of a peanut... :)

hazeyjane · 02/10/2015 10:39

At dd's school there is a tray on the side with their water bottles on, which they bring in from home. At ds's school there is a jug on the side with cups and they can have water if they want.

Did anyone's school when they were growing up have those horrible metal jugs and metal cups in different colours - we had those on the side in the classroom, and if you wanted a drink you could have one - I don't remember it being a particularly progressive school, I though that was pretty normal!

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