7 Tricks For Children to Drink More

Drinking water is a basic human need. For babies and toddlers, the need for water is very important compared to adults, because they need more fluids related to their body size.

In addition, the capacity of their kidneys has not yet developed to be able to quickly adjust to the amount of water in their bodies, and their thirst mechanism does not work until they feel dehydrated. Your child should drink plenty of water, especially in the summer when temperatures are warmer and your child will lose more fluid. A healthy 1-year-old child weighing 10 kg requires 4 glasses of fluid every day. How do you get your child to drink lots of water?

Tips to make your child drink lots of water 

1. Make drinking water a fun activity
Put water in an attractive glass (children usually like glasses with brightly colored animals or their favorite cartoon characters). Add straws, funny shaped ice cubes, or a few pieces of fruit like strawberries.

2. Limit their choices
Don't fill your fridge with colorful soda and fruit juice. If you want to consume the drink but don't want your children to go along, put it where your child can't see it.

But the best tips are not to store these types of drinks at home because children are very good at finding hidden foods. It would be better if you become a role model for them. If they see you drinking water, they tend to follow.

3. Drink water first, then give them a snack
If you want to let your children drink soft drinks, encourage them to drink a large glass of water first. Then after satisfying their thirst, they won't eat too much sweet food.

4. Explain the benefits of drinking water
Explaining the benefits of water is probably the best way to make your children understand, but usually children are indeed interested about the human body. Take them to the library and pick up some books about nutrition and how the body works. Teach them the importance of consuming enough water. Even a rebellious teenager might decide to discard soda if they know that soda makes them more spotty.

5. Make the taste of water be tastier
Cold water is usually more attractive to children, especially in summer. So the alternative is to freeze your child's water bottle in the fridge to take to school. You can also add lemon and lime slices to add to the taste of the fruit without having to add juice that contains lots of sugar.

6. Make water easy to reach
The best thing you can do to encourage your children to drink water is to make it easier for your child to reach it. If they play outside, bring them a bottle; at dinner, put a large bottle of water on the table. If all family members drink water continuously, they will get used to the habit.

7. Make changes gradually
Do not immediately sue the child to only drink water only. Start by making a sweet drink once in a while or just on weekends, give it in a smaller glass, and offer a better type of drink such as fruit juice instead of soft drinks.

At the same time, make it a habit to drink water at every meal. If your child is really fussy, start giving them more juice every day until they want to drink more water.