The role of water in children

Water plays an important role in sustaining life. For babies and toddlers, the need for drinking water is extremely important because young children need an amount equal to their body size, even more than adults. In addition, the kidneys of babies and toddlers are not able to regulate the amount of water in the body. Therefore, it is very difficult for a child to adjust to his or her thirst, unless the child's body is completely dehydrated. You should always make sure that your child has enough water to drink at all times, especially in the summer when the temperature is getting hotter and the humidity is reduced. A 12-month-old healthy child, weighing almost 10 kg, needs to drink 4 glasses of water per day.

Here are 7 very effective tips for mothers to encourage children to drink more water:

1. Make drinking water more enjoyable for children

Pour water into an eye-catching glass (children love it on a glass of water with bright colored animal pictures or their favorite TV characters), put a funny straw into the glass, use Use fun-shaped ice cubes, or add a few small pieces of fruit such as strawberries to delight children with a drink.

2. Limit harmful drinks

Do not leave carbonated soft drinks or colorful fruit juices inside the refrigerator. If you still want to drink but do not want your child to drink, put these drinks in places where your child cannot see them. But it is best not to leave unhealthy drinks in your home: children are very good at finding hidden items in the house and are easy to copy. If your child finds you drinking these drinks, they are more likely to imitate you.

3. The baby has finished drinking the water before being rewarded

If you still want your child to drink carbonated drinks for a long time, encourage them to finish a full glass of water first - once they are no longer thirsty, they may not be too excited. soda cans.

4. Explain the benefits of water for children

Preaching to your child the use of water will only make your child more indifferent to water. However, children are often interested in the human body. Take your children to the library and show them some books about human functions and essential nutrition. Teach your kids that they need water - even if they're a teenager. They will probably quit drinking soft drinks if they realize that the more they drink, the more likely they are to get acne.

5. Add flavor to water

The usual cooked water that we often drink does not seem very attractive to babies. Children often prefer to drink colder water, especially in the summer, so freeze the water bottle they bring to school (the water will melt automatically before lunch). You should keep water in places in the refrigerator that can be reached by children. Add a few slices of lemon or lime for a delicious, fruity flavor with less sugar than other fruit juices.

6. Always have water available for children to drink

Having enough water to drink at all times is the best way to encourage your child to drink plenty of fluids. If your child is playing outdoors, bring your child with you to drink water; at dinner time, you should place a large water bottle on the table. If all family members drink water more often, the whole family will automatically get used to drinking water and consider it normal and a priority, the baby will probably imitate this good habit.

7. Make changes gradually

You should not suddenly change your family members' soda drinking habits. Start to change gradually by using soft drinks only on special occasions or on weekends, instead of drinking soft drinks every day in your home, give your child some Low-sweetened drinks with little effect on health, such as less sweet juice instead of carbonated drinks. At the same time, you should regularly encourage your baby to drink water. If your child does not want to drink water, reduce the amount of juice gradually, until he or she uses only filtered water.