The water only rules. No juice.

[OnlyWantsOne]

It's there for a reason. Isn't it?

So why do some parents still send juice in bottles concealed as water for their children?

One child in my dd's class has juice. Every day. Her mother won't MAKE her have water because she doesn't feel she should have to.

Except dd and one other child I know of have been whining how it's not fair - how they want juice too etc etc etc and I've had enough.

Didn't want to post in AIBU but needed to vent.

This is the point where I recommend Robinson's Pear and Apple barley water because it looks like water in one of those slightly translucent school water bottles! And yes, DS2 is autistic and would rather die of thirst than drink water...

"I would be really thirsty after 6 hours there without a drink."

Of course you would. Good thing that no child is in their classroom for more than about 90 minutes, then, isn't it?

Either boiling hot or freezing cold!

My class, when I had one, had water bottles. I preferred it to be water because of the sticky mess issue if there was a spillage. And there was one child I REALLY didn't want to have sugary drinks as it had a baaaaaad effect on his behaviour. (And I don't care if 50 million scientists have disproved the sugar link, I've seen it!)

I carry a water bottle at all times because I get really thirsty..think it is because the school is so hot.

Eightieschick I think there's just an expectation that kids have sweet stuff. Look in a baby food section in the supermarket there's loads of different baby juices about which I think are marketed as 4months plus. I bet loads of children never even try water. Obviously not talking about children with medical needs etc.

There is no way either of my children will not have water. That's the only drink available at home on an everyday basis (other than tea/coffee), we only buy drinks for parties or when people come over. So there was never any option to not like water.

Also it's interesting that children who "just will not drink water under any cirumstances" are exclusively found in the privileged world of developed nations. In the many millions in my own country I bet there wouldn't be one.

Hmm. My DS1 and DS3 will both drink water happily, but they are NT, I suppose. It's only DS2 with ASD who has very rigid food and drink issues. I'd cut people a bit of slack, it's hardly a big issue.

Teacher point of view here - water spilled on work doesn't ruin it, juice / squash does.

I don't get the the water bottle thing either...when I was kid we had bathroom breaks and recess and whatever every few hours, and you just lined up at the water fountain and had a few gulps with everyone else.

Special needs aside, don't people think it's a little- distasteful - to talk about privileged, developed world children who "just won't drink water"? I in 6 of the world's population has no access to clean drinking water-and we have children who "won't drink water"?

'It's only DS2 with ASD who has very rigid food and drink issues.'

Like my two, one with a dx, one not. They are 17 and 21 now, and will only drink milk, water or hot chocolate as drinking choices. They do stand out a little in the world of fizzy pop and coffee-swilling teens. Although DD does like vodka now.

I completely agree Seeker.

I just asked DD and she said that if they are thirsty they put their hand up and tell the teacher and they are allowed to go and use the water fountain.

I have also not spotted older children carrying bottles of water in with them.
I am not convinced this is something that happens in all schools and I have to agree with seeker. Same as my mum thinks people are all mad these days basically, having to take water with them everywhere they go as if they are commencing a really difficult expedition. When in fact they are just going to be on the bus for 1/2 hour. Whole thing is silly IMO.

At DD's school we have to send them in with a water bottle, AFAIK they can have it whenever they want, and I agree with that - DD is a fidget bum very active girl and drinks a lot at home, so why not school, IMO.

I agree with you OP, there's obviously exceptions where the school need to be told but surely a lot of the DCs are perfectly capable of drinking water.

I think that the water bottles are just 'there' though - I really doubt that they spend all day going to drink, the teacher would keep a stern eye on it if they were blatantly doing it to get out of work. Besides in younger years they are far too busy on free play to want to miss anything.

DD has a friend who would rather stay thirsty than drink water. There are such children who exist.

Only in the developed world.........

True, but that won't make a reluctant child drink water if they don't want to.

A NT child will drink water if they get thirsty enough.

And despite the marketing campaigns the drinks manufacturers our children are not going to turn iinto small piles of carbon and calcium dust if they go more than an hour without "re hydrating"

I've had the opposite problem at ds nursery they only have juice freely available and he only drinks water. He was drinking the juice whilst there but it was giving him a really bad stomach so now they have to be reminded daily to provide him with water.

DS had undiagnosed ASD when he was in primary school. He would not have drunk water, regardless of how thirsty he was. He would do PE, be sweating and hot and would still refuse to drink water, even though his last drink could have been some hours ago.
Some children would refuse water to the point where it affected their health, and even once it affected their health, they would still refuse.
DS is almost 21 now, and still does not drink water. He rarely drinks hot drinks either.

DD, OTOH, is offered squash, juice, water, milk at home, yet is quite happy to drink water at nursery too. DD has no problem with drinking water at all, and will choose to drink water at home too, but likes to have the choice.
I have no concerns about DD going to school where only water is available.

And despite the marketing campaigns the drinks manufacturers our children are not going to turn iinto small piles of carbon and calcium dust if they go more than an hour without "re hydrating"

This.
And adults believe this as well

When I worked in town, people would often act with surprise that I ventured onto the tube without a bottle of water. Because obviously going on the london underground is a challenge as great as a trek across the serengetti (sp)

Well my DD does have a lot of AS traits so maybe she isn't NT. I don't really know as we've never pursued a diagnosis for her. She does have food issues too, but as with the water we are slowly overcoming them with time.

She first got given squash to drink when she was small and ill and getting dehydrated. I suppose I could have just refused to offer anything other than water and let her end up in hospital on a drip but actually I was quite keen for that not to happen and in desperation offered alternatives until I found something she would drink.

When she went to school, nursery year, she had three UTIs and a lot of constipation that year from not drinking enough. Sorry if that's distasteful to talk about. She also had school dinners that year and refused to eat almost every single one, though she did develop a taste for sausages.

She was ok once she started her current school in reception because she went on to packed lunches and had a drink of juice with her lunch and that was enough to keep her going albeit, like DS now, she'd come out thirsty. DS gets to drink squash at home because it's hard to deny a small child something their older sibling gets all the time, but like I say he will also drink water happily enough at home, I'm not sure what the issue is at school. He also doesn't have the food issues DD has.

I'd imagine there are children like my DD in poor countries. I guess they either get over it or die. I'd imagine given the choice their parents would give them squash. I hate that argument.

I don't think anyone thinks children are going to die from dehydration during the course of a lesson. There has been research though that shows children can concentrate more and learn better if they can have a drink when they are thirsty. Not really rocket science when you think about it. My children's school is very insistent about water bottles being taken in. It's not the parents insisting that their children need a drink.