Does your child hardly drink any water during the day, but when bedtime strikes, they are suddenly parched?

Or maybe they just don’t like plain water, so they aren’t consuming enough liquids throughout the day. It seems like all the want is juice and chocolate milk!!

I know you know this, but just like adults, water is vital to helping your child feel their best.

But what do you do when they just won’t drink it?

Keep reading to learn five simple tricks solutions to keep your kids hydrating throughout the day!

Why It’s Important Your Child Drinks Enough Water

Have you ever noticed that when you haven’t been drinking enough water you tend to feel sluggish? Headaches, fatigue, you get it. Your kid is the same way! If they’re not getting enough water to drink throughout the day, it will most likely show up in their mood. They might become whiny, tired, or moodier in general.

Remember, they are playing and sweating a lot of the time - both leading to a need for more water. Making sure your child is getting enough water will keep them energized and both of you feeling great throughout the day.

How to Get Your MORE LIQUIDS INTO YOUR CHILD

1. Serve Fruits and Veggies that are High in Water Content

Did you know that you can actually eat your water? There is a surplus of fruits and veggies out there that are high in water, and serving these foods to your child will help keep them hydrated. Some of these may even be one of your kid’s favorite snacks!

Watermelon
Cucumber
Bell Pepper
Tomatoes
Pineapple
Oranges
Leafy Greens

2. Frozen fruit ice cubes

This is a fun way to add a refreshing spin to your kid’s water that they could even help with! There are a couple of different ways you could do this.

Cut up a variety of fruit into small bite-size pieces. Place the fruit in ice cube trays and fill it up with water and freeze as normal.

Or, you could freeze the bite-size pieces of fruit by themselves without the water. You could even use a melon baller to create melon ball ice cubes. When they’re frozen and you’re ready to use them, just add them directly to a glass of water. Your kids will love this!

3. Rubberband trick

Place a rubber band around a clear water bottle and make a game out of it. Challenge your child to drink their water to the band. Then move it and start again.

You could also do this by putting five or six rubber bands on your child’s water bottle at once, then when their water reaches a rubber band, they get to take that rubber band off.

4. Let your child pick out a new water bottle

Get your kida EXCITED about drinking water by letting them pick out their very own water bottle. If you need some water bottle recommendations, these are our favorite bottles and a great option for helping to keep your kid’s water cold all day!

Contigo Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Spill-Proof Lid - We have had this one for years. It is dishwasher safe and very sturdy.
CamelBak Water Bottle with Straw - The soft spout always seems to get kids drinking more.
Stainless Steel Vacuum Insulated Water Bottle - If your kids don’t like a straw, this is a great water bottle. It also keeps things warm, so it’s grat for hot coco in the winter!

5. Watered down juice

Next time your kid requests their favorite juice, try filling it mostly up with water and then adding a splash of the juice. They’ll still get the flavor they love, but with less sugar and more hydration. If you are worried that they won’t like this option, go slowly and put less juice in each day.

It’s easy to forget just how important it is to be drinking water throughout the day when we are busy doing other things. School, sports, and play-dates can all be distracting and lead to our water intake taking a back seat.

Try making a habit of having water available to your child. Take a reusable water bottle with you when you’re on the go, and even at home have it nearby when they are eating and playing. The smallest changes can make all the difference.

Looking for more lunchbox and snack accessories? Check out my Amazon shop for all of our favorites.

For more support and tips related to this topic, join The Workspace for Children community on Instagram! Let’s parent together.

SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER

WANT TO SEE MORE BLOGS LIKE THIS ONE? GREAT! CHECK OUT THE POSTS BELOW!

Featured