Lack of information from Reception.

[LiLi2015]

My DD4 started school last week and seems to be getting on well, no major issues settling in so far (touch wood) However I am a little concerned about the lack of info for parents. I have no idea what her school days look like, what she eats (if anything at all!) or if she's generally getting on ok. I don't expect a full rundown of her day as I know that's impossible for 30 children however is a basic school routine and dinner menu too much to ask?

She has come home today with a full water bottle and said she hasn't drank anything apart from her milk at snack time.

Covid means I haven't even been able to set foot in the school and I just feel totally in the dark. I hand her over in the morning to strangers and I have no idea what she does all day 🤷🏻‍♀️ it's making my anxiety horrible.

Am I being crazy? Is this normal?

@HereWeGoAgain24

I agree. I definitely drink more than that and I don't drink bottled water. It's because I need a drink 🤷🏻‍♀️

Like you say, 6 hours is a long time. She won’t remember most of it.

Took me far too long to realise that.

If you ask questions like ‘what did you do today’ it’s too overwhelming for them to condense it hence the ‘nothing’. Try asking questions like ‘what was the best thing you did today’ or ‘what’s the most interesting thing you learnt’ etc

Just talk to her a little bit about your own day and she might, at random times, fill you in on some of the events at school. That seems to work better with my dc than questioning them when they get home. I'm a supply teacher and I sometimes tell them little bits about the children I've been working with, such as if they had the same names as them or some of the activities they'd been doing and then my dc offer up info about their day.

OP - ex reception teacher here (I don’t teach anymore). Ignore posters saying children don’t need to drink & they didn’t 🙄

We asked that children brought in a water bottle to put on a table or in a tray. The onus was on the child to drink if they needed. In reception, we didn’t remind them or schedule drink times etc. I would sometimes on hot days remind the kids to have a drink after playtime as they’d be sweaty & hot. But it was up to them. All children will be offered milk in the morning & water at lunch time in a cup. Ask your kiddo - did they have any water from a cup at lunch and I bet the answer is yes. If they didn’t, that would be their choice.

I have a DD who has just started reception & our school are lacking on info I find. We’ve had no food menu, which would be helpful really as I have a fussy eater! And who knows what she’s done all day. She tells us bits & pieces. But that is normal. That is what school is like. They get let out the door at home time & away they go.

We do get a weekly newsletter of the topic of the week & activities they’ll be doing. That gets emailed once a week. Maybe enquire if there’s anything similar? Or check the book bags for letters! Our school don’t print letters anymore, it’s all email & uploaded onto the website.

You can always contact the school & ask for a catch up with the teacher. Anytime, honestly. I’d have happily done it for all 30 parents if it made them feel better!

@LiLi2015 absolutely, I carry my (reusable) water bottle everywhere with me pretty much and drink water/squash all day long.

I think 6 hours is an awful long time without a drink and would be concerned about becoming dehydrated.

[quote HereWeGoAgain24]@Orangejuicemarathoner

Christ, your piss must be dark brown. [/quote]
no, I am completely healthy, as is everyone else |I know who doesn't carry a water bottle around or drink water at all during a normal day.

This need for constant water is just a fad and a myth.

My generation didn't do this, and didn't ever suffer any consequences of not doing it

In fact, water bottles are pretty unhealthy in that bacteria from your mouth can multiply very fast in the water bottle, and then very quickly be at dangerous levels in the bottle if it isn't cleaned out regularly throughout the day.

There was evidence precovid of students carrying and using water bottles missing more school through stomach upsets.

@Shakeyourface

If you ask questions like ‘what did you do today’ it’s too overwhelming for them to condense it hence the ‘nothing’. Try asking questions like ‘what was the best thing you did today’ or ‘what’s the most interesting thing you learnt’ etc

That's how I used to enquire about my dc's and childminded children's days, they used to all be keen to tell me. The children all seemed eager to share their highlight with me and each other.

@Bobholll

Thank you for putting my mind at ease 😊

I have just asked about lunch and she said she had a cup of water and drank some with her food. Which she can't remember what she had 😂

I think it's just me worrying about nothing, I'm a planner and I'm very anal in my own life about knowing what's going on and at what time etc I guess I'm just going to have to relax and go with the flow on this one and hope that the mantra 'no news is good news' applies here.

Thanks again!

I hear ya op 😂 DS is 3.5 and started pre school this month. It's like pulling teeth trying to get any info out of him. Yesterday he told me he had ice cream for dinner 😂 website hasn't been updated with lunch menu yet. Drop off/pick up is like a cattle market and I haven't had an opportunity to ask anyone how he is getting on 🤷‍♀️

It's taken me a bit by surprise how much of an adjustment school has been for us parents as well.

After years of nursery and preschool I thought it would be fine, but it's a big thing isn't it?

My DS told me he'd watched Pepper Pig all day ... I'm hoping that's an exaggeration lol.

On another note, I wish they offered a milk alternative in the morning as well as normal cows milk. I think DS is feeling a bit left out as it's just him and another girl who can't have it.

@Orangejuicemarathoner

why would you worry about not drinking? Its just a modern fad invented by the bottled water industry- we never drank anything during the school day

Not sure how old you are, but even 30 years ago in primary school I was constantly at the water fountain!

I think the water thing is fine. When I was at school we had a drink of milk in the morning then just a little cup of water with lunch.
I can't ever remember any ill effects or anyone ever drinking anymore than this really.

@QueenLagertha

I hear you! 😂😂😂👌🏻

I think it’s normal too. Our school emails the menus though so you should be able to get those

Try asking different questions - "what was the tastiest thing you ate today" rather than "what did you have for lunch?"... I also quite like "did you eat anything horrible"

Same for questions about their day - ask if anything made her laugh, if anyone got in trouble, what is the best thing she learned.... that sort of thing.

Mine tend to remember the highs and lows much more than they do the general - what did you do today...

@Orangejuicemarathoner so just because you didn't need to drink that must mean no one else does? I find it strange if you know the drinking routines of your colleagues or friends etc.

It's nothing to do with some fad you keep banging on about.if you are an adult woman you should drink roughly 2.5 litres of water a day.

I know I drink a lot of water but my husband doesn't. That doesn't mean what he does suits everyone nor the amount I drink. You drink if you're thirsty...it's a simple as that.

no, 9-3 is not a long time not to have a drink of water, on a normal day. Like I said, just a modern fad invented by the bottled water industry

What planet are you on? They're just little kids. I work in reception. They do so much playing and learning inside and out, running around, often in a warm, stuffy classroom. Of course they need a drink and I ensure that the kids in my care get one!

Oh and all children get offered water at lunchtime with their meal.

Out school aren’t publishing menus at the minute because they are having issues with deliveries. They plan the menu day by day depending on what they’ve been delivered that day. I think this may be an issue in other places too.

@Jellybeanlovehearts

Thank you for saying this 😂👌🏻

I think its fairly normal not to get much communication. Its very different from nursery.

Its not normal not to drink all day. I'm almost 40 and we had water fountains at school to drink from.

At my daughter's school we are asked to send the children in with flasks of water everyday so I don't think you are being unreasonable in asking. I imagine they must be given drinks though at break times / lunch.

@Twizbe

We provide alternative milks for those that can't drink cows milk, we currently have one almond and one soya

Try asking things that you know aren’t possibly going to be true ‘I heard there was a dinosaur on the playground today, was it a T. rex or a stegosaurus?’ And then she’ll likely laugh and reply that of course there wasn’t, I played with x and there was a great hopscotch on the floor. Working with my 4 y o.

@Twizbe. I have a child with a dairy allergy. He wasn’t offered alternative milk- it’s usually more expensive and no ability for the school to buy in bulk- but I just sent a carton of his preferred milk (oat) in each Monday for him to have over the week. Maybe try that if your DS feels left out?