Preschoolers love to run around in circles…and rectangles, triangles, and anywhere else. They expend so much energy over the course of a day that they can wear their parents out. All of this energy expenditure needs food as fuel, but preschoolers also need water to function. Water is actually more important to your body than food – the majority of the body is made up of water. If your child is running around a lot, she might not sweat like an adult, but you can bet that she will need water.
Water is needed so that your body can expel waste. It helps you digest your food and absorb the nutrients from your food. Many people are chronically dehydrated, and this can start in childhood. If we never drink enough water, then we never know what good hydration feels like. Drinking enough water also increases your energy levels, so it’s a good idea for adults to drink enough too – after all, you want to be able to keep up with your re-energized preschooler!
How much water does your preschooler need to drink? A 45-pound preschooler needs at least two 8-ounce glasses of water per day. This will increase on a hot day or with higher levels of activity.
How can you get a kid who hates drinking water to oblige?
Add lemon, lime, and other natural flavourings to water. We sometimes use a little bit of herbal tea.
Add a little bit of fizzy water to plain water.
Get your child to drink milk or other milks like rice and almond milk.
Make smoothies and other nutritious drinks.
Choose wet sorts of fruits. Watermelon is a good choice.
Don’t choose caffeinated beverages like Coke. Caffeine might be in wet drinks, but it dehydrates the body.