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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:
Windermere · 15/09/2005 12:55

I recently studied for an open learning course and on the monthly seminars we were only allowed to drink water in class in case drinks were spilt. So if it's good enough for adults then its good enough for kids!

MaloryTowers · 15/09/2005 12:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

unicorn · 15/09/2005 12:56

that's the best idea all thread Malory...
let them have beer!!!!

start the lager lout mentality from day 1,I say!

Lonelymum · 15/09/2005 12:56

If you don't like th school rules, go through the appropriate channels to try to change them or......

change schools.

Has anyone bothered asking the school why they came up with the rule in the first place? I know there must be at least 5 reasons or water only. The only reason for allowing other drinks seems to me to be that some people allow their children to be ridiculously fussy.

hunkermunker · 15/09/2005 12:57

Twiglett, will now be considering "Pooki-crumbs" as a name for DB. Whaddya think? Will save time when DB is older and I give him/her chocolate cake and Maltesers to munch on during lessons because I want him/her to have them and otherwise I won't vote (or something - did I get that right?!).

cod · 15/09/2005 12:57

Message withdrawn

goosey · 15/09/2005 12:58

If the children were to just bring in an empty bottle that they could fill themselves once at school, and leave at school, would that work better? And have whatever their parents give them for their snack/lunch. Would encourage independence too, although the school would then have to be responsib;e for the hygeine of the bottles I suppose.

oliveoil · 15/09/2005 13:00

Is this worth wading through? I will add my thoughts anyway.

Dd1 started playgroup last week. Only drinks are water and milk. Dd1 doesn't like either. Woman asked me to try and get her to drink it at home. No success.

Fast forward to this week....guess who is now drinking water and milk??? Yep, dd1.

So they will drink things if that is the only option.

I am just peeved that it took them a week to do somehting I have been trying for a year .

Ulysees · 15/09/2005 13:01

I think some parents must be doing this in my boys school too as we keep getting letters. My DSs like water and I'm sure the others would learn to if that's all that's available on a hot day?

Juice drunk throughout the day = decay so on their heads (parents) be it.

SoupDragon · 15/09/2005 13:01

I don't like getting up to take DSs to school - can I just bring them in at whatever point during the day I feel like it?

FFS get a grip - it's a rule about a drink of water only not forcing your child to take crack cocaine.

Ulysees · 15/09/2005 13:01

oliveoil. Peer pressure starts young though eh?

waterfalls · 15/09/2005 13:02

My ds prefers his water to the juice he gets in his flask for lunch time. He has always drank all the water so far (sterted reception last week)and left the juice, so I think I am going to put water in his flask for lunch now.

The school provides the water bottles and they are transparent so you could'nd get away with putting anything else in.

How do these parents expect their children to learn rules if they don't abide by them themselves.

BigBumpBonnie · 15/09/2005 13:02

My dd has just a tiny bit of fruit juice in water just to give it a little bit of flavour for her. I see what you mean about following rules, and this is important. At the end of the day I suppose if she saw everyone else drinking water, she probably would as well. (see, told you I don't like arguements )

jacobsmummy · 15/09/2005 13:04

we often have friends round for tea who "don't drink water" but I'm afrraid that's all we have (well ok, the odd bottle of wine for ME!)

They soon get thirsty though and drink it without any problems, I thhink the schol should stick to it's guns.

zippitippitoes · 15/09/2005 13:05

elderflower cordial will be difficult to spot

hunkermunker · 15/09/2005 13:08

Get the children to bring in bottles, fill them at school, take them home for a wash, then bring them back in empty the next morning.

Simple.

Mosschops30 · 15/09/2005 13:08

Message withdrawn

waterfalls · 15/09/2005 13:08

hunkermunker

Good idea.

Twiglett · 15/09/2005 13:09

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

SoupDragon · 15/09/2005 13:11

Oh let's just ignore all the rules we don't like shall we? I'll do whatever I want with my children and stuff the rules and everyone else.

Mosschops30 · 15/09/2005 13:13

Message withdrawn

oliveoil · 15/09/2005 13:14

When my children go to school, the school is in charge as far as I am concerned and they can make as many (reasonable) rules as they like.

Socci · 15/09/2005 13:14

Message withdrawn

cod · 15/09/2005 13:15

Message withdrawn

puddle · 15/09/2005 13:15

Do you think the campaign to improve school dinners is also telling parents what their children can and can't eat mosschops? Your daughter may have a balanced diet at home but not all children do. Which is why schools try and encourage healthy eating haits in ALL children while they are in school. What you do out of school is up to you.

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