No healthy diet is complete without staying properly hydrated throughout the day. It is important for children to get in the habit of keeping themselves hydrated. Sometimes in the winter, when we are not outside in the sun all day, it’s easier to forget to drink enough water. Drinking water is important regardless of the season.
When your child isn’t drinking enough water, their body is not working properly because the cells that need water are not getting it. Children may feel tired, ill, or have a difficult time focusing. They may be less likely to want to be active.
There are ways to make sure your children are drinking enough water throughout the day:
- Make sure they’re drinking water with meals
- Make sure you’re drinking water too to show a good example
- Drink water rather than sweetened juices and soft drinks
- Have water readily available whenever your child feels thirsty
- Remind your child to drink water when they are being active
If your child doesn’t want to drink water all the time, milk is a great alternative because of its nutritional value. It’s healthier than sweetened drinks like juices and soft drinks and provides much needed calcium.
If your child is stubborn about drinking water, providing a special cup or a silly straw might help encourage them to drink water. Helping children get their own water without asking by having a water dispenser or easy to reach water pitcher gives them independence. When children are able to get water without help they can feel more grown up and learn to get in the habit of staying hydrated.
At Childventures, alongside snacks available all day, we also have water readily available for your children all day. When we have meals, water is on the table for everyone to drink. We know it’s important to encourage children to stay hydrated, so we like to do just that!