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Original poster

Parents "sneaking" pop into water bottles - opinions please?

334 replies

Bozza · 15/09/2005 10:47

DS has just started reception and they have a policy that all the children are allowed to take in a bottle of water which are kept on a tray and they are allowed to help themselves as and when. Think this sort of idea is becoming pretty common. So I went out and bought DS a nice new Star Wars bottle to take it in and he was quite happy.

However loads of the parents are complaining and saying their kids won't drink water. Some of them have started sending in flavoured water and ribena. One even sent diet coke. I'm a bit peeved about this because DS knows they are only allowed water but that some of the others are taking these things. I know its only a small thing but I do think it is giving the kids the message that its OK to undermine the teacher and I think that its the start of the discipline problems that afflict lots of schools - the sort of thing that HMB describes very eloquently. What do you think?

OP posts:
unicorn · 15/09/2005 13:48

Bozza - did the school send a letter out in advance - warning parents that only water was now permitted, and explaining the reasons why?

Perhaps if schools acted in an adult fashion, by communicating properly rather than introducing new rules by a process of osmosis (as dd's school often does), then parents may respond in the same, respectful, manner and not have to 'sneak' any drink in.

hunkermunker · 15/09/2005 13:48

I wonder whether drinking adequate amounts of water will help with obesity levels too? Often people eat when having a drink of water is what their body actually wants.

By the time you feel thirsty, you're already dehydrated.

starlover · 15/09/2005 13:48

well we all did ok at school without constant drinks.

load of tosh if you ask me!

hunkermunker · 15/09/2005 13:49

Prettybird, interesting link.

hunkermunker · 15/09/2005 13:49

But you were hospitalised through dehydration, SL!

Ulysees · 15/09/2005 13:50

starlover, how well did you do? Only ask because thinking back I didn't concentrate that well tbh.

hunkermunker · 15/09/2005 13:51

I used to drink from the water fountain at every opportunity I got.

starlover · 15/09/2005 13:52

yeah but i still did very well at school!!!
well, i have 10 gcse's and 3 a-levels.

no real indication of how well i did at primary.. but i didn't have any probs

apart from the hospitalisation!

starlover · 15/09/2005 13:53

but i mean, i was an extreme. the other kids just drank the bloody water and they were fine!

Ulysees · 15/09/2005 13:54

I wanna an A level!!!!!!

well done you though starlover

hunkermunker · 15/09/2005 13:56

Seems to me it's another "never did me any harm" thing.

It stands to reason that if children aren't dehydrated, they'll concentrate better - in general. But obviously some children will still do well, despite not having drunk enough. Wonder how well they'd do if they had been properly hydrated though

starlover · 15/09/2005 13:56

i don't think i voluntarily drank water until i was about 15!

i had a "thing" about drinking anything though

starlover · 15/09/2005 13:56

well with water obviously i would be a rocket scientist by now
and none of you would benefit from my incredible wisdom on all matters... so it's turned out for the best!

Ulysees · 15/09/2005 13:58

pmsl

hunkermunker · 15/09/2005 14:01

Phew indeed, SL!

Prettybird · 15/09/2005 14:02

But Starlover, it could also allow people not as clever as you a better chance to learn. You might have been able to concentrate - but others might have struggled.

starlover · 15/09/2005 14:06

i guess so. but i still don't necessarily agree that they need access to it during lessons.
surely they can have it before school and during breaks?

hunkermunker · 15/09/2005 14:08

I get thirstier than that, SL. I have a drink of water on my desk and refill it often. DS is the same, already, at 17mo. He drinks loads of water.

starlover · 15/09/2005 14:11

oh for goodness sake. why can't you all just agree with me

i think i must just be a really un-thirsty person. my mum used to have to force me to drink anything

Prettybird · 15/09/2005 14:12

starlover!

Repeat after me, I must drink more!

(and no, I don't mean wine!)

wordgirl · 15/09/2005 14:15

I agree with you starlover and so does this

starlover · 15/09/2005 14:15

i still "forget" to drink now
it'll get to bedtime and i'll realise i haven't had a single thing all day!

i have just had a cup of tea though, and ds appears to be dragging a bottle of vodka off my "wine" rack for me! lol

nutcracker · 15/09/2005 14:15

Thye have this rule at the Dd's school and Dd1 will quite happily take water but Dd2 won't so she has squash.

We have big problems with dd2 about her not drinking enough and ending up ill, so I have to know she will drink throughout the day.

zippitippitoes · 15/09/2005 14:15

dd1 is like that SL she 21 and I still have to order her to drink (water|)

and she gets dehydrated claims shes not thirsty and used to slap me when she came out of school because she was dehydrated

Prettybird · 15/09/2005 14:25

\link{http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/Residents/GoingtoSchool/Health_Welfare/Food/Water/This} is Glasgow City Council's policy.

And wordgitl, while I agree with the some of the link that you provided - the amount proposed doesn't take into account the fluid you get from other sources - I will still argue that we are often at least partially dehydrated. I know if I forget to get myself drinks at work, my pee gets very dark - and I see the same sometimes with ds, especially if he has been running around a lot.

And I am in agreement with the article about the "goodness" of tap water. The Glasgow schools are all using chilled water from the mains.