Summertime is all about having fun in the sun with friends and family. After running around or playing a sport outside, children can work up quite a sweat, which increases their chances of experiencing dehydration if they don’t drink a sufficient amount of water.

Drinking when feeling thirsty is a guideline adults follow; it can’t be expected from the children as they are often too distracted or unsure of what their body wants. Therefore, it is essential to make sure your child understands the importance of staying hydrated. Get your child into the habit of drinking water frequently and provide food with a higher water content to keep them hydrated throughout the day.

How Much Water Should Your Child Drink?

For younger children, it is essential to monitor their water intake to make sure they are getting enough. The rule of thumb is to ensure your child drinks at least six cups of water. Here are the water intake guidelines you can follow:

• One to three years – around four cups
• Four to eight years – about five cups
• Nine to thirteen years – about seven to eight cups
• Fourteen to eighteen years – about eight to 11 cups

Keeping your children hydrated is easier if you follow these recommendations.

Tips to Keep Your Child Hydrated

Here are some helpful tips to keep your child hydrated throughout the day:

• Make sure to take water bottles with you whenever you leave the house with your kids. Offer them a few sips of water throughout the ride.
• If your child doesn’t like drinking water, then add some splashes of fresh fruit juices or squeeze in some drops of grapefruit, orange, lime, or lemon. You can even add in frozen or fresh cucumber slices or berries to make it more exciting.
• Add foods with higher water content to your child’s diet, for instance, berries, watermelon, cucumbers, and even fruit ice pops.
• Ensure that your child’s soda and juices intake is limited, and always dilute them with water to reduce the amount of sugar they contain. Avoid giving them drinks with caffeine in them as it can contribute to dehydration.
• Use fun drinking supplies to make it exciting for the kids to drink water, like a silly straw, cute water bottle, or their very own cup.

Children are at a higher risk of dehydration as compared to adults as their bodies can’t cool down as efficiently. Keeping your kids hydrated, especially during the summers, is integral to avoid dehydration. With the increasing summer heat, the fluids in the body get lost due to sweating, which is why it is essential to ensure your child is getting sufficient water.

Mt. Elizabeth Academy ensures all students drink water regularly, especially during the summers and after having their playtime, to keep them hydrated. Our daycare offers after-school programs, vacation camps, infant care, childcare, pre-K early learning, and other early learning activities for families in Acworth, Marietta, Kennesaw, Brookstone, and other areas.

Get in touch with us today for more information.