Dehyration on school trip - WWYD?

[skewiff]

DS (5) went on a reception school trip today.

They had to walk to a bus stop, but they got the wrong bus and ended up throughout the day, in the sun, walking for a v long time.

I am not cross about the above. Just about the fact that when I picked DS up from school he looked v ill and tired. He was whimpering (not like him at all) and saying that he had a headache. After 1/2 an hour of sitting and drinking and eating an ice lolly I managed to get DS to make his/our way back home.

He could barely ride his bike and was wincing as he went over the bumps because his head ached so much.

When we got home he could not eat any tea and was really crying in pain. He went straight to bed and to sleep.

I've just woken him up to give him more to drink and he's still in pain and crying. I've given him some Calpol.

Is it unreasonable of me to complain to the school tomorrow? I gave DS a bottle of water. He never remembers to drink. I think many 5 year olds are like this. Surely on a long trip with lots of walking on a hot day - the children should be reminded at regular intervals to drink?

Dd was on a long day trip yesterday and was grumpy, tired and headachy in the evening. But she had drunk loads (sent her with drinks and all had gone).

Are you sure he didn't drink anything?

Sounds like the biggest problem was the heat.

www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Heat-exhaustion-and-heatstroke/Pages/Symptoms.aspx

Or he might just be ill.........

I am pretty sure he's not ill. I think it is heatstroke.

They may have got everyone to drink at regular intervals. But at the end of the day I asked where DS's water bottle was and he said that he'd left it at the place they'd visited.

So I can't tell if he drank anything or not.

I'll ask tomorrow.

Thank you.

id be annoyed they got on the wrong bus. didnt they do a dummy run first?

It's funny how you didn't mention heatstroke until someone put up a link. At 5 your son should take some responsbility to say if he is thirsty etc. He is 5 not 3. My year 1 children would be sure to say if they felt poorly, thirsty etc.
Yes getting the wrong bus was daft but it's posts like this that make teachers think it's not even worth the effort to go on trips sometimes. I would be sad if trips ceased because we couldn't risk it being too hot, too cold, the children being too tired, too thirsty etc.

Maybe cut them some slack and just mention (without moaning) that your son was ill upon returning and you aren't sure he had enough opportunities for drinks. I would stress to you though that your son needs to learn to say if he needs anything. 5 is perfectly old enough to take a bit of responsibility for his own drinks.

You could mention it, but tbh my 2 are rubbish at drinking during the school day. They get juice or milk at breakfast time and then have water bottles at school, they hardly ever use them though . I'm sure there were opportunities to drink on the trip, it's unrealistic to be prodding children individually.

My 5yo's water bottle hardly ever goes down more than inch tbh, although if he was on a trip in hot weather I would trust he would drink more, it's his lookout though, to either drink more tepid plasticky tasting bottle water (ick) or to alert his Teacher to the fact he has lost his water bottle.

When I was in primary school, it was the pathetic trickle of the germ infested water fountain in the toilets, or nowt (well the battered old jugs of water on lunch tables too, which kids regularly put food in). I survived, I was mightily thirsty but I survived

I've been a parent helper on many school trips and there have always been plenty of opportunities for the children to stop for a drink. Children who have run out of water have been provided with a top up from staff, even if it's meant having to go and buy a bottle of water for that child.

Did you provide your son with a hat to keep the sun off him? Any school trip on a sunny hot day please give him plenty of water (I usually give at least 2 bottles of water, sun cream and a hat). My experience is that with the little ones they do come home grumpy and very tired. The days out are very active and full of excitement for them, even the staff and parent helpers will be tired.

Speak to your son about the importance of drinking water when he's out in hot weather and walking a lot, this will be a good learning opportunity for him to know that he needs to take care of himself. If you're really concerned then perhaps before the next school trip mention to the staff that he's the type who is unlikely to remember to drink and can they keep an extra eye on him that he is drinking pleny of fluids.

I totally agree that some teachers don't look after children well enough on trips.
My DS (aged 9) recently walked 2 miles each way to a secondary school for a kids Olympic event. They then sat for nearly 3 hrs in a playing field and walked back to school. They were out of school for 4 hours......and were not allowed to take a drink or any food with them! There were no drinks available for them at the venue. DS had actually taken his drinks bottle with him when they queued to leave on the trip and was told to leave it behind!
It DOES happen!

Freeze one of the water bottles do that halfway through the day, it has melted but is still cold. Then they still have cold water to drink, and it keeps their lunch fresher too.

OK - DS has mild cerebral palsy and has a statement. It is much harder work for him to walk the distance that other children are covering with more ease.

He really was very ill last night and is asleep now, still, in bed - after waking up and going back to bed at 9.30.

I take your point about 5 year olds being responsible for their own drinking, but when DS is busy and excited he forgets to drink.

I will take this as an opportunity to speak to DS and say how he must learn from this the importance of drinking. And also next time there is a trip I'll ask someone to keep an eye out that he is drinking.

He has never been on such a long trip before and so this was a learning curve for me too.

Bless him, it sounds like it really took it out of him.

I think you would be right to ask the school to keep a closer eye on his drinking next time as you know he forgets especially if he is having to make an extra physical effort.

The first big school trip is often a learning curve, in my case DS2 had to be told in no uncertain terms that he could not wander off and do his own thing!

Ummmm you didn't mention the cerebral palsy before. I would say this is more important than the dinking which your son is responsible for at 5 years old. If he has cerebral palsy then the school should be thinking about whether the walking is too much on any trips they plan. Worth saying he was tired out by the walking due to his cerebral palsy.

Yes, I've mentioned that in my letter to them today.

I didn't mention the CP in my original post because I don't feel its part of DS's identity. The school treat him exactly the same as everyone else and I see DS that way too.

Its really helpful posting on mumsnet though because a lot of the replies made me realise that actually my gripe with the school was mostly connected with DS and his CP. I had not made them aware of his extra needs (we don't have many school trips so this is new to me) and they had not asked me if DS would be OK with everything.

It didn't help that they got the wrong bus and ended up having to walk much much further than was planned.

skewiff I hope he is feeling better now. I think you and the school will be better prepared for the next trip. Its not about focusing on your DS's CP but rather about making changes that mean he is not unduly hampered by it (I am probably phrasing this badly but I hope you know what I mean).

For example, DS2 has just been diagnosed as very long sighted (he is in reception) and the teachers have asked where is the best place for him to sit in the class - its not that his long sightedness is part of his identity now but simply that we are trying to find a way to stop his long sightedness inconveniencing him or making school harder than it needs to be.

how come you have the heat, could you give the sun a large boot northwards please and i'll swap it for a "bit" of rain (ok a months worth)
Hope your DS is ok today.

No you're not phrasing anything badly Chaz.

It is lovely and warm down hear Los, in between the showers. I am feeling the sun anyway, although lots of people down here still seem to be complaining about the weather ...