Getting their child to meet their daily requirement of H2O is a struggle many mums are familiar with. Our Material Mom Beverly Burgess has found a way around the problem, and she shares her tips here.
Most adults don’t drink their recommendated daily intake of water, and neither do many children. Considering water makesup 75 percent of our bodies, it’s important that we replenish our fluids regularly – especially in Singapore’s hot weather.
USDA recommends that toddlers drink 1.3 liters and young children up to eight years drink 1.7 liters daily. Do you worry whether your child is drinking enough water every day? Here are a few tips to encourage them to get their daily requirement of H2O:
1) Get your child to drink from a cup. Drinking directly from a cup naturally dispenses more water into your child’s mouth and also facilitates faster drinking. Try to wean your child off non-leak straws – those are notorious for making it hard work sucking any water out and the child often drinks less due to the greater effort required.
2) Flavour your water naturally. Does your child turn their nose up at plain ‘ol water? Boost it with some flavour like a squeeze of orange juice, or steep some cucumber in there. Water flavoured naturally with fruit and vegetables have the added bonus of giving their immune system a boost.
3) Chill your water. Few children will reject a glass of refreshing, chilled water. Pop a cube of ice into their cup to add interest (they can rattle it around) and icy coldness that is a hit with kids.
4) Use an insulated water bottle. When you’re on the go, invest in an insulated water bottle that you can fill with plain water and add an ice cube to. It will cool the water down and your child will have cool water whilst out – especially welcome if they are running around outdoors.
5) Serve more fruit and soups. Not all their recommended daily intake of water needs to come from plain water. Fruit, soups, and milk are also excellent sources of fluid and make a great snack for kids. Just remember, it is better for a child to consume plain cut fruit rather than fruit juice, which tends to have more sugar and lower fibre content.
Of course, I don’t need to tell you that dehydration has many unpleasant side effects such dizziness and sluggishness so be sure to practise what you preach and ensure that you, too, get your eight glasses a day.
About the author: Having blogged for the past two decades spanning life in Australia, China and Singapore, Beverly Burgess entered an alternate universe at warp speed when she went from career-driven shopaholic and social butterfly … to juggling being a wife and a mother of two kids. All within three years. The career is now replaced with the privilege of being a full-time mum, but the urge to shop and socialize still remains (albeit with two obliging children in tow). And, she wouldn’t have it any other way. She blogs at Beverly’s Adventures.