Would this bother you? Daycare related.

[brooklyn]

That is so sad! They should give him water however he'll drink it.

[brooklyn]

And my 18 month old is nowhere near ready to drink out of open cups reliably. He loves to dump them on the floor. We'd be in trouble if we had that rule.

[ilikedonuts]

So they are going to fucking let him get dehydrated because he can't drink from an open cup because he's basically a baby still??

Hell yes that would bother me. a lot!

[marina007]

Yeahhhh, that would bother me too.

Surely they could help him drink out of an open cup of they won't allow sippies/straw cups?

My DD is 12m and no way can she drink from a cup on her own, but she'll lap up water from one if I hold it for her.

[havarti]

Um, yeah, I'd be pissed.

[justjen]

Yes. A lot.

[redheadk]

I would absolutely expect them to frequently offer and assist him (by holding the cup themselves, if necessary) rather than let him go thirsty. Because this isn't an isolated incident, I'd say something.

[imojoebunny]

Is it Montessori? I think that is often part of their deal. It would bug me because I was doing well to get my kids to eat and drink at all at that age. It is an artificial and stupidly ridged expectation, but if it is Montessori, it's kind of what the parents signed up for.

[mrsGreeko]

My DS immediately asks for a snack when I get him from daycare and then comes home and eats a ton. And he asks all the way home for a snack. But, I know he has a snack like an hour before I pick him up so he's not starving, but he knows that I have "better" snack and will let him have another snack.

So I doubt he was thirsty because he didn't drink all day, he probably just likes the easier cups that you have and wanted to use them at home or whatever. If he was really thirsty I find it hard to believe he wouldn't be able to figure out a cup enough to get water.

[ladygrey]

Unacceptable. Have you asked how much water he drinks during the day? Are they not even offering him water, or does he flat out refuse it?

[SJ]

Yes, that would make me furious.

I don't think withholding water from a thirsty child is a good strategy.

And I almost always say "no" to "would this bother you" posts.

[Brie]

I wouldn't be okay with this. My 25 month old can't drink out of an open cup without a LOT of assistance. Hell no.

[kershnic]

My interest would be whether daycare helps him with the open cup or not.

[pugz]

girl that is some bullshit

[shellbear09]

I am pretty breezy about stuff but this would really piss me off and I would talk to the director.

[dcn]

So my just turned two year old is in a room with no sippies and the first week he was chugging like 8 oz of water when he got home. I asked the teachers to please make sure to offer him water more often (bc he isn't great at asking for it) and to help him more when he does drink so he wasn't so thirsty.

They were happy to do that and a combo of that and practice and he is better after just a few weeks.

I would ask them to help him more, 19 months is pretty young for exclusive open cup drinking.

[zarapipe]

Nope. That's too young.

Dd had to start at 24 months though in the 2yo room.

[smile]

How big are the cups in your son's class? I ask because my 21 month old is in an open cup class also. The cups are very small and only hold 3oz in order to be manageable by toddlers. DD is pretty good at drinking out of an open cup, but I notice that immediately upon getting home she chugs 8-9oz of water or milk like she is dying of thirst. Her problem is that she doesn't ask for more after finishing the first 3oz. The class rule is that more water will be given if the toddler asks after finishing the first 3oz. I think she only ends up drinking a max of 6-9 oz of liquids while at daycare for 9-10 hours. 

[laurenh]

I'd be in the director's office faster than I can even type my response. Withholding liquids from a child because they are unable to use an open cup is unacceptable. DD is 25 months and only just started using an open cup semi reliably without spills.

I'd ask them to regularly offer him liquids with assistance if they are going to keep that rule because he's clearly thirsty.

What about kids whose motor skills are behind? Are they not allowed to be in that classroom?

[pinkpinot]

Burn. It. Down.

[ssmjlm]

Oct 29, 2014 17:29:21 GMT -5 @natariru said:

You know what just dawned on me? If they were letting him try to do it by himself, shouldn't his shirt be wet?

We let E try and drink out of an open cup tonight and it went all down her shirt.

I would be pissed.

[Ashley&Scott]

Yes I would be mad. I would push back hard. They need to give your child water, even if its breaking their sippy cup rule.

We had one teacher that tried to push open cups. I told her she could offer the open cup but he was to have access to his straw cup as well. I won.

Go to the director.

[aspentosh]

That would bother me. If he is that thirsty, they need to HELP HIM learn. And it doesn't sound like they are. And if he can't get the water he needs, then offer the sippy or straw cup.

19mo seems young for reliably using open cups. Hell, all the kids in preschool (except DD) have straw cups. A few moms said it was just easier but some haven't mastered it yet. This is a 2.5-3.5yo class.

[panicked]

I'm a dcp. After weaning from the bottle, open cups are used exclusively. No other cups allowed. It takes some kid a few days to master, other kids take longer. I can almost guarantee that they are actively helping your child drink from an open cup (hence the dry shirt) and is not dying of thirst. Kids want the easy way. If he can suck down 6 oz. in a few minutes from the sippy, he's going to choose that over an open cup. He's not going to be patient enough to drink the same amount in an open cup because it will take considerably longer. They want it NOW, they want it fast, they want it their way so that they can continue playing and learning. 

I'd bring it up with the staff, but honestly, this is all part of the learning process. Are you helping him with an open cup at home? 

[natablue]

I would ask for an explanation because I would be very unhappy about this.

[docholly]

I have the same problem with my daycare. My 18 month old moved to a new room and is expected to have no sippy. He also goes one day a week, and he also seems thirsty when going home. On the first day, he spilled orange juice all over himself.

[Deleted]

I would ask them to explain. But I will also say that for probably the entire month of September miss r would beg me for water as soon as I picked her up from school and chug an entire cup on the way home. I think she just liked that the sink in the room is at her level and wanted water. Point is maybe there is a simple explanation. talk to them about it before you make yourself nuts.
Eta. I don't want to downplay your concern. I would be upset too. I think the rule is a little nutty and would question it. We have a sippy cup still.

[spk926]

I'd be pissed and would go straight to the director. I would bypass the teacher since I'm guessing this rule came straight from the top. I would then tell them that this is unacceptable and not developmentally appropriate (sure some can at that age but ALL kids that young ONLY drinking from an open cup is some bull shit) and your child will not be forced to follow this rule. Then I would send a sippy or straw cup the next day and instruct the teacher to offer it to your child X amount of times per day and allow your child to use it at mealtimes.

[undecidedowl]

Yea, they are basically withholding fluids based on a developmental capability. Not okay. You pay them to meet certain basic needs, hydration is one of them and they need to find a way to do that sippy cup or not.

[arch01]

I just can't get upset over the no sippy cup rule. When DS moved to the toddler room at 16m, there were no sippys allowed. The teachers assisted. I laughed at the time and thought to myself "good luck with that", but like most other things, DS does things a lot better at DC than he does for me at home-and he only goes 3 days a week for 7hrs/day.

I also agree that he's likely drinking that much at a time because it's easier. Heck, even at almost 3, DS will drink more out of a sippy than he will an open cup and he mastered the skill over a year ago. It's easier, he has to concentrate less, and if it's there, he'll drink it.

I'd ask the question about how often they're offering liquids, but I certainly wouldn't go in all pissed about it.