Best Ways to Keep Your Kids Hydrated

Dehydration in kids means that their body lack enough fluids. They are much more likely to become dehydrated than adults because they lose more fluid quickly. It’s normal that kids are active all the time, so what we can do to help replace their loss of fluids from sweat is to keep them hydrated. Proper hydration is important, as kids don’t always recognize the early stages of thirst, which can make them particularly vulnerable to becoming dehydrated.

But if you notice that they are already irritable, tired, experiencing headaches and having dry skin then they are already dehydrated. Don’t wait for these symptoms to happen before we start giving them fluids. It’s better to prevent dehydration than curing it.

But sometimes, it’s really quite difficult to slow the kids down from their activities just to keep them drinking their fluids. We have to find some fun and cool ideas to keep them hydrated and healthy especially now in this summer season.

Here are some best ways to keep your kids hydrated.

Go Natural

Water – This is the best and most natural way to keep them hydrated. Replace lost fluids with cool and refreshing water. Make sure that you always have water at hand whenever you’re out and about with the kids. Put it in their favorite sippy cup or bottle and bring colorful straws so that they will enjoy drinking it.

Fruits – Offer sliced fruit to our active kids during their playtime. Arrange them into colorful things or faces to make them more attractive for them to eat.

Fruits with high water content.

Watermelon and Strawberries – 92%

Grapefruit – 91%

Cantaloupe – 90%

Peaches – 88%

Pineapple, Cranberries, Orange and Raspberries – 87%

Blueberries and Plums – 85%

Apples and Pears – 84%

Cherries and Grapes – 81%

Banana – 74%

Vegetables – We want our kids to eat healthily and keep them hydrated and one sure way to make this happen is to introduce in their meal vegetables. Try to include vegetable into their meals, find recipes that will incorporate veggies into them but still keeping the kids taste buds satisfied.

Vegetables with high water content.

Cucumber and Lettuce – 96%

Zucchini, Radish and Celery – 95%

Cauliflower, Eggplant, Red Cabbage, Peppers and Spinach – 92%

Broccoli – 91%

Carrots – 87%

Green Peas and White Potatoes – 79%

Frozen Treats

Offer them frozen treats like fruit made popsicles. Better to make your own popsicles, as you know which fruits you can use and you will avoid too much of their sugar intake. Surely, they will enjoy slurping these treats and can slow them down with their activities.

Light Flavored Water

If your kids have had much of drinking plain water and wanted something with flavor then choose those lightly flavored water instead. These will be more appealing to them instead of just water but please try to avoid those heavily sugared ones.

Ice Them Up

Offer them plain ice with their drink or if you can make your own fruit ice cubes. Make your own natural fruit juice and freeze them into ice trays to make it more attractive for the kids to enjoy their drinks.

Remind Them

If the kids will be away from you for an activity, remind them of always having a sip or a drink of water. Invest in some travel bottles that they can bring whenever they will be out and about without you. Fill them up and keep them in the fridge so that you can easily pack them and put them in their bags.

Remember that not all beverages can help hydrate your kids. Fruit juices that are store bought contain considerable amounts of sugar that is unhealthy. Other drinks with caffeine such as sodas contribute to the dehydration process thus not suitable to give to the kids.

Make it a routine for them to always keep themselves hydrated, whether they are indoors and much more if they are outdoors. With this summer heat, even if they are just sitting playing board games, the hot air hovering makes them sweat thus slowly losing fluids in their body. If they are used to drinking even just small amounts of water then this will help to keep them hydrated.

Resources:

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/list-fruits-vegetable-high-water-content-8958.html

http://www.naturalhydrationcouncil.org.uk/hydration-facts/hydration-and-water-facts-for-kids-2/

https://parentinghealthybabies.com/keep-your-child-hydrated-in-summer/

https://www.emedicinehealth.com/dehydration_in_children/article_em.htm

https://www.todaysparent.com/kids/kids-health/how-to-keep-kid-hydrated-summer/

https://www.parents.com/kids/safety/outdoor/keeping-kids-hydrated/