Research-backed
Humans don’t need carbonated drinks or fruit juice. Our bodies are made up of 70% water. It’s what we need to keep our organs running. Our body uses water to digest food, regulate our body temperature, and even make blood (1).
During the first six months of a baby’s life, they don’t need water. Breast milk or formula milk are all babies need for their healthy growth and development. Giving them water at such a young age could even put them at risk of proper development as drinking water could mean they become full quickly and drink less breast milk or infant formula (2). After six months, however, they can be given water in small amounts. And once they reach 12 months of age, you can slowly introduce water in their sippy cup.
As babies grow into teens and adults, water should be the go-to drink.
We lose water in different ways from our bodies. Kids especially need to constantly re-hydrate themselves as water plays a significant role in regulating body temperature.
Why You Need To Choose Water Over Other Drinks
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Water is the best choice for hydration as it contains no added sugar and zero calories, making it the healthiest choice. Water is also more economical compared to other drinks. There are several drinks in the market today being advertised as something kids need. Such drinks usually contain way more sugar than kids need every day and contribute to poor health (3).
How Much Water Should Kids Drink?
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There is no magic amount of water that kids need to be drinking every day. But since water is crucial for the normal functioning of our bodies, it’s normal to wonder, “are we drinking enough water?”. How much water children should be drinking depends on several factors: temperature, humidity levels, diet, activity level, health, body weight, and age (4).
But as a general rule, kids between the ages of 1 to 4 will need around 4 cups of beverages in a day — in the form of water or milk. As they grow older, this amount increases to 5 cups for kids between the ages of 4 to 8, and 7 to 8 cups for older kids (5).
No More Boring Water!
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If your kid isn’t a fan of water, don’t worry. There are plenty of ways you can help your child to stay hydrated without opting for fruit juices, sodas, or other drinks.
Below we list down a few fun ways to help your child drink more water:
- While some kids love the taste of water, others may find it too bland. One way to get your kids to start drinking is to infuse some flavor into the water by adding cucumber, berries, lemon, or mint.
- There are several fruits and veggies that have high water content and are healthy. Make sure you always have something or the other available on your dining table to help your kids stay hydrated even if they don’t drink as much water. These include celery, tomato, cucumber, zucchini, iceberg lettuce, watermelon, grapefruit, strawberries, blueberries, and cantaloupe.
- Another way to ensure that your kids keep drinking is by investing in some cute and personalized water bottles and cups. You could get a bottle with their favorite superheroes or a fancy cup with a swirly straw or umbrella.
- Make hydration fun for your kids during the hot summer months by making your own popsicles. Pour pureed fruit of your choice into a mold and let it chill. You could make a fun family activity out of it by involving your kids.
Drinks To Limit/Avoid
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Children only need water and milk during their growing years. So, don’t fall for any marketing hypes and limit these drinks (6):
Fruit juices: Homemade juices may seem like a healthy option since they are made of 100% real fruits. While they may be rich in vitamins, such drinks are high in calories and sugar and low in fiber. It may also be hard to get your kids to drink water once they are offered juice.
Below we list down the safe amount for kids when it comes to juice:
- Children below the age of 1 shouldn’t be given any juice.
- Kids between the ages of 1 to 3 years should drink no more than 4 ounces a day.
- For older kids, avoid giving juice if whole fruits are available. For children between the ages of 4-6 years, 4-6 ounces should be the maximum amount in a day, and for kids between 7-18 years, avoid giving more than 8 ounces a day.
Sugary drinks: Sugary drinks may seem harmless, but such drinks discourage kids from drinking plain water and add extra calories to your child’s diet. Kids also tend to feel less hungry after consuming such beverages and may avoid eating healthy food that they really need. Besides adding excess weight, sugar-sweetened drinks can also lead to diabetes and dental cavities. So, make sure you avoid giving them sodas, lemonade, juice cocktails, sweetened water, and sports drinks.
Flavored milk: Flavored milk may have the benefits of milk, such as the calcium and vitamins present, but it also contains added sugars and artificial flavors. Hence, it is always best to offer them regular milk as they may take a liking towards sweet flavors and avoid drinking milk altogether.
Carbonated drinks and artificially sweetened drinks may give your kids that quick energy boost when needed. But it’s best to limit the amount and choose lemonade or tender coconut water instead.
If you’re worried that your child is not drinking enough water, lookout for signs of dehydration. Some common signs include headache, dry lips or mouth, flushed skin, less or dark urine, thirst, and feeling excessively hot or cold. If your child exhibits any symptoms such as rapid pulse, has a high temperature, or becomes unresponsive and lethargic, seek medical help immediately.
