We all know how essential water is to sustain good health including energy levels, healthy skin, a properly functioning digestive system and indeed essential to life! As mums, we also all know how it can sometimes be difficult to make sure that our children stay hydrated. Lethargy, poor ability to focus, headaches, constipation can all be signs of dehydration.
Here are a few tips, which could prove helpful.
1. Teach them as early as possible about the colour their urine should be: very pale yellow is good. Dark yellow/orange or browny colour means they need to drink more water. Children are very curious about their own body and love learning facts.
2. First thing in the morning and before you give them any food, give them a glass of diluted fresh juice. Try 50/50 or, as children are not easily fooled, progressively decrease the amount of juice over a few days until you reach that ratio.
3. Have beakers or sports bottle (BPA free please) filled with water in the car doors or near the car seat.
4. Always have a jug of water on the dinner table, continental style. If it's there, they'll drink it.
5. Lead by example; children do as we do more than they do as we say so make sure you drink water too!
6. Improve the taste of water. Tap water contains loads of residues including chlorine, which give water a bad taste and increase it's toxicity. So invest in a jug filter. Filtered water is also less toxic than plastic bottled water.
7. Give them raw fruits and vegetables to snack on. Cucumber and watermelon are particularly high in water. If they won't eat them, juice them or blend them with some filtered water or hydrating coconut water.
8. Breastfed babies usually get all the water they need from your milk, although they may need more feeds in hot weather. Bottle fed babies can be given extra filtered water or cooled fennel herbal tea; they do not need baby juice often made of water, colourings and sugar.
9. Children are often thirsty at night and I'm sure I'm not alone in being called back into their room because they want a glass of water! I find that letting them have a water bottle/beaker on the bed side table or anywhere within their reach works well. If you're worried about 'accidents' ( bed wetting) or disturbed sleep, only partially feel up the bottle.
10. During the hot weather season, leave filled up glasses/cups in plain sight and within their reach, with a full jug for them to use or re-fill their glasses often. Also offer water more regularly. Home made ice lollies for snacking (50/50 ratio water and fresh unsweetened juice) can also do the trick. In colder seasons, offer them soups/broths or hot water with lemon juice (not boiling or all the vitamin C and beneficial enzymes will be destroyed) and/of fruity herbal teas; mint and fennel teas are also good, palatable options for children; all these can be sweetened with a little Manuka honey.