No drinking rule | Imamother

amother

Bergamot

Wed, Sep 07 2022, 3:23 am

In high school (11th or 12th grade) I had a teacher who wouldn't let two girls go to the bathroom at the same time. We had just enough time between classes to get to the next room, barely any time to use the bathroom between classes. She would block the door at the end of class if she had more to say and "too many girls had left during class." I remember her now as one of the worst teachers I had, over eight years later.
Don't limit kids' biological needs. Drinking water and going to the bathroom shouldn't be regulated.
I would switch my kids' class or school if necessary. It just shows control is most important, doesn't teach anything useful.

amother

Almond

Wed, Sep 07 2022, 6:05 am

I have occasionally had to tell a student that if she can’t manage to take a drink without disturbing her classmates while she does it she won’t be able to drink in my class- generally they get the message before I have to enforce it.

I do have a rule however that you can only go out to fill up your water bottle once per class period (like the 40 minutes you’re in my room) and you can’t take more than 3 water bottles (often one girl will fill for a few friends) to fill.

The school as a whole does have an only water during class rule which is great because of spills, And a no drinking over the chromebooks rule which also makes sense.

amother

Indigo

Wed, Sep 07 2022, 6:13 am

amother Lavender wrote:

My students get a limited number of passes per week/month that they can use to leave and take a drink in the hallway and/or use their bathroom during class.

That is cruel. And also unhealthy. Let kids take care of their bodily functions. It's not healthy to hold it in.

amother

Pewter

Wed, Sep 07 2022, 6:49 am

I've had strong confident teachers over the years who allowed drinks and bathrooms trips.
A teacher that is connecting well with her students doesn't worry about the distraction. It's a teachers issue if she can't deal with it, not the students.
Before teachers here get upset with me- I'm a teacher too!

amother

Oxfordblue

Wed, Sep 07 2022, 6:55 am

amother Lavender wrote:

I am a teacher. A nice one Very Happy

but I don't allow drinking in class.

I find it distracting, disturbing, and if it's not a spillproof bottle, spilling.

Why do kids need to be drinking during class in an air conditioned room if they took drinks before class, take drinks at recess, and take drinks at dismissal?
Asking seriously.

I'm a teacher, been one for many years and never found drinking to be distracting. On my supply list I write to bring in a spill proof water bottle with water every day. I don't even notice when they drink, and I have a spill proof water bottle too that I drink from. Can't imagine not having water easily accessible

amother

Cyclamen

Wed, Sep 07 2022, 8:03 am

My daughter has to go to the bathroom frequently. She’ll go at the start of recess but a half a hour later (15 min into class she may need to go again). I’ve had to speak to each teacher to explain that she needs to go and cannot wait. Telling her there’s another girl so she needs to wait will result in an accident. Some teachers have made her a special pass. She is careful never to abuse it.

It is cruel to make a girl have to wait for the bathroom.

amother

IndianRed

Wed, Sep 07 2022, 8:04 am

12 years of school and no one let us drink.. Boro Park.
I'm always surprised to read here that many schools already abolished this.

Actually no one brought water..there was a fountain. Maybe in high school some brought.

I'm such a water drinkef now. It sounds absurd.

amother

Dodgerblue

Wed, Sep 07 2022, 9:18 am

Can you tell a kid not to sneeze? Not to loudly breathe (say stuffed nose etc)?
How can you say they cant go to the bathroom? Or drink if thirsty?
I am a migraine sufferer and to not be allowed to drink would mean I would be in tremendous pain and not be able to concentrate. (Dont ask about YK...I am forced to sleep). Air conditioning doesnt resolve this. Lack of water causes major pain and brings on migraines for many migraine sufferers. Yes, kids can get migraines too.

You want to only allow sports top water bottles? That makes sense. No cups.
If 1 kid abuses the system then talk to that one kid.

taketwo

Wed, Sep 07 2022, 9:29 am

A teacher may not let drink during class is if that means walking around the classroom to get the drink. If you have 25 girls in the class, half of them getting thirsty during the class, so every few minutes another girl is walking around to get their drink, that could be very distracting.

If students are told to bring in water bottles, to be kept within their reach during class, and they are using it appropriately and not taking advantage of this allowance, then that should be allowed.

What I mean by taking advantage could be anything from having a noisy water bottle and on purpose over handling it through the class, on purpose spilling, spritzing, squeezing water, making funny faces every time they drink.

If the drinking becomes disruptive in these ways teachers may need to put rules down on the drinking. Teachers need to cooperate, as well as the children, if they want to be able to drink during class.

amother

DarkPurple

Wed, Sep 07 2022, 9:35 am

amother Lavender wrote:

My students get a limited number of passes per week/month that they can use to leave and take a drink in the hallway and/or use their bathroom during class.

Why do you think it's ok to determine how many times a kid can go to the bathroom per week? Let's say they have a stomachache and mon and tuesday and get their period in middle of class on Thursday or have another stomach ache...too bad on them?? You want people limiting how many times you can go to the bathroom? As a parent of children with stomach issues I find this so disturbing. Do you know how much my kids suffer from stomach pain and then on top of it they have to worry they will get in trouble for going to the bathroom. My heart breaks for them. I really think you should rethink this. And guess what...if a kid needs a break and cv"s goes out for five minutes for a break and doesn't need the bathroom life will go on and everything will be ok.

amother

Honey

Wed, Sep 07 2022, 9:37 am

I went to school with zero air conditioning and no drinking rule when it was really hot they let us drink water. My kids drink well but don’t drink all the time it’s called scheduling and discipline. Also if a girl uses the bathroom by recess she should be fine for the next hour if she needs to go more often mothers speak to teachers and they allow her to go more often. In high school they don’t like more then one girl going out at a time because when my classmates left we never came back to class we partied.

mom39

Wed, Sep 07 2022, 9:45 am

I teach HS and I allow drinking from a sports cap bottle only. No cups of water - they tend to "accidently" spill. As far as bathrooms, I tell them I am treating them as adults. I don't want them to ask me if they can go to the bathroom. If you have to leave, just get up and go (as long as no one else is out). However, I make sure to tell them I will notice if they go out every day and if they stay out for a long period of time.

amother

Hibiscus

Wed, Sep 07 2022, 9:46 am

Yes the bathroom passes are cruel and beyond comprehension. My dd has some stomach issues and often needs to rush to the bathroom urgently. It's really embarrassing for her.

She has come home in tears many times that she used up her passes and teacher didn't let her go resulting in her sitting w wet underwear throughout the day. Not to mention the smell. My heart breaks for her.

I send a note every year to the teacher to understand her and provide her w more passes because when she asks to go she really needs to go urgently. There has been maybe one or two out of all her teachers that have granted her an extra pass or two.

When I was in school there was no such thing. If we needed to go we would be allowed to go. I actually told my dd if you need to go and don't have a pass, just run out of the class, dont wait for the teacher to give you permission. please don't worry if your teacher will punish you. A punishment is much better than an accident. And besides if she punishes for this, it's the teacher's issue not yours.

I make it very clear that I will never be upset if she gets punished for this. I need my dd to understand how critical it is for her to go when needed, regardless if she has a pass or not.

keym

Wed, Sep 07 2022, 10:02 am

I think I've vented about this before.

For some reason girls schools severely limit and control bathrooms and by extension drinking.

Do you know what recess in my daughter's high school looks like? 450 girls milling around waiting for the 15 toilets, trying to grab a sip of water, something quickly to eat, running to the next classroom. All in 8 minutes. And that's assuming the teacher doesn't keep them "for just 3 minutes to finish what I'm saying".
The average girl has to decide which is more important. To wait on line and hope she can get a toilet in time, or to eat her pretzels.
And that doesn't even take into account the 45 minute bus ride before and after.

Most girls choose not to drink to avoid having to beg to use the bathroom.
They come home at 5:30, starving, dehydrated and ois mentch.

Compared to my boys. At least by 5th grade they leave to use the bathroom, take a drink, stretch their legs. The menahel patrols the halls and bathrooms to make sure nothing is getting out of hand.

But my Mesivta boys take water, coffee, bathroom, even gasp an apple or some cereal if they need. Literally the only 2 times that boys can't leave are 1) during a test and 2)when a visiting Rosh Yeshiva is speaking. And even then, they're given advance warning and time to take care of their personal needs.

I laugh sometimes when people talk about the insane Lakewood boys schedule.
Because it's true. The hours are long. But they aren't in personal prison. They can take a drink of water, use the toilet, or take a small stretch as needed.

amother

Cyan

Wed, Sep 07 2022, 10:06 am

amother Hibiscus wrote:

This. I’m a teacher and I’m horrified by this type of system. No child should be denied the right to use the bathroom. I had one student have an accident because she had a sub for a different class who didn’t allow her to leave. Every principal needs to discuss this at the beginning of year meeting.

notshanarishona

Wed, Sep 07 2022, 10:08 am

None of the schools I teach at follow such archaic rules. Kids are allowed a water bottle and the only time that is taken away is if they play with and purposely spill the water. Bathroom is allowed whenever, but only 3 kids at a time (or some teachers allow 2).
They have a snack time in addition to recess in about 90% of classes.
The only rare occasions when no drinking is allowed is when they have chrome books or state testing.

amother

Jean

Wed, Sep 07 2022, 10:23 am

Only time I didn’t let drinking was when I taught primary during circle time. It causes big disturbance getting away from the circle and then water would always spill on the carpet. I told them to take a drink before. I also didn’t let bathroom but if I saw a girl needed it then I let.
Circle time was never longer than twenty minutes.
I also never let more than one student go to the bathroom at once because it encourages the kids to come back faster and this way there’s no party out of the classroom

amother

Navy

Wed, Sep 07 2022, 10:28 am

amother Hibiscus wrote:

Get a doctor’s note and speak to the principal. This is not acceptable

amother

Nemesia

Wed, Sep 07 2022, 12:37 pm

I totally get the no drinking/no bathroom rule. Drinking is a distraction. The kids are not dying of thirst.
In my high school days the bathroom was a hangout. The teachers tried to limit it by letting girls out one at a time. If someone really needs to leave, they can stand up and leave and explain it to the teacher after class. The teacher is human too.
In elementary, bathroom passes are perfect. But I still think no drinking is acceptable.
@Hibiscus- Your daughters situation obviously calls for more passes. You gotta speak to the teacher.