10 Ways That Work to Have Kids Drink More Water
Easy as it may seem, getting kids to drink the daily recommended amount water is a challenge many parents face. But why is it so hard to get them to drink more water?
Exposure to gadgets have made kids disregard water in their daily lives. And since they do less physical activities, the more they don’t see the necessity to drink. But that’s not the only factor that has led kids to drink less water. The biggest challenge is the presence of so many alternatives in the market like soda, chocolate drinkS, artificial juice drinks, and other sugary drinks, that has even made it impossible for them to choose water to quench their thirst whether at home or outdoors.
For some, they simply don’t like the taste of regular water from the tap. This maybe because water supplied by municipal water centers is treated with chlorine before being distributed to households. If only it was this simple, then an effective water filter like SJ Wave Faucet Water Filter can solve the problem. It removes chlorine, fluoride, and other hard metals that give off that unpleasant taste in water; but leaves behind the beneficial nutrients for your kids. Unfortunately, you have to try harder. So if you find yourself in this battle everyday, maybe these tricks can work.
1. Make Drinking Water Available At All Times.
Have a water pitcher inside the fridge filled at all times; and make sure it’s within your toddler’s reach.Don’t give your child any reason why he or she won’t drink water.
2. Start Early And Make Drinking Water A Habit.
Pediatricians recommend introducing water as soon as an infant starts to eat solid foods. Make it habit to give your kids water after every meal for a start. For teething infants try making ice pops. This is a fun and soothing way to introduce them to the taste of water; and ice will do the trick in soothing their sore gums too.
3. Set An Example
Your are your kids’ role model. Make sure to show them good drinking habits by drinking water every time you are with them. And since kids follow that their parents do, make it a point to drink water in front of your child. As a better trick, drink water at the same time like bonding time.
4. Ice It Up
Kids just love drinking anything cold. So make it even more exciting for them by putting shaped ice in their water. Go get some of those 3D ice molds in the market for your kids and make them look forward to drinking every time.
5. Add Some Flavor and Color
Drinking water can really be boring for kids. Pep up their drinking experience by adding some color and flavor to their water. Add chunks of fruits or mint to cold drinking water; or better yet, get those fruit-shaped ice molds and add real fruit chunks; and see how your toddler crave for more of those fruit ice shapes.
6. Have a Water Bottle at Home
Having a personal water bottle for your kids will teach them the habit of drinking, not only when they feel thirsty. Besides, it comes in handy anytime they feel thirsty. More often than not, they tend to take their thirst for granted until they just forget or feel lazy to get water from the fridge. A personal water bottle at home is also something they can bring outdoors. This way also, you get to monitor how much water they have consumed throughout the day.
7. Get a Good Insulated Water Bottle to School
Let your kids bring their own water bottle to school. If possible ask the teacher if they can have it with them while having class so that they can drink anytime of the day. Make sure to get an insulated bottle that can keep your kid’s water cold throughout the day too.
8. Let Your Child Chose Their Glass, Cup or Straw
Drinking from an ordinary glass or bottle may not be attractive to your kids. One trick that never fails is to delight your kids with colorful water bottles or sippy cups of their favorite cartoon characters. For added delight, get a few of those colorful straws for them. Encourage them to drink water throughout the day by reminding them that these colorful cups and straws may only be used for drinking water.
9. Remove All Sugary Drinks From Your Home.
If water is the only available drink at home, your child will go for it. Sugary drinks and other flavored drinks are very attractive to kids and having them in your household easily available will make it unlikely that they will reach for plain water. Rid of all sugary drinks from your pantry and refrigerator. That way, they will only have water to drink when they feel thirsty.
10. Give Them Lots of Fruits and Vegetables.
Certain fruits and vegetables have high water contents. Let them eat their water by serving them water-rich foods such as cucumber, lettuce, oranges, and tomatoes.
However you encourage your kids to drink more water, remember to train them early and as soon as they are old enough to understand; slowly educate them on the benefits of getting the right amount of water. Let them be aware of how lack of hydration can have ill effects on their health. But most importantly, set a good example. Let your kids see you healthy and drinking water throughout the day.