Introduction
As water makes up over 50 percent of the body, maintaining a regular fluid intake is essential for maintaining health. This is especially important for children and teenagers who are growing up and participating in frequent physical exercise. Proper hydration boosts energy levels, maintains physiological processes, and promotes general well-being.
What Is Staying Hydrated Important for Kids?
Water makes up most of a child's body, so they must maintain proper hydration. Water helps them do daily tasks, maintain appropriate body temperature, and produce essential biological fluids. If they do not consume enough water, they may have headaches, fatigue, or irritability. Inadequate water consumption might also result in serious health issues.
Adequate hydration is essential for optimal bodily functions. Dehydration is a common problem in children, particularly during summer and sports. Sometimes, it may take them until it is too late to know they are thirsty. That is why, even in the cold, parents and other adult caregivers should ensure their children drink enough water throughout the day.
How Can Parents Ensure a Child’s Hydration During Physical Activities?
Every family member should maintain an active lifestyle, but a child may require extra water during sports or other physical activity to avoid dehydration. For instance, parents should ensure their child consumes water before, during, and following practices or games while participating in sports.
Children aged nine to 12 typically drink three to eight ounces of water every 20 minutes to stay hydrated during severe exercise or sweating. Teens should consume 34 to 50 ounces each hour. It is beneficial for them to remain well hydrated in the days and hours before the start of the exercise. Even though playing in the park might not be as intense, parents should ensure their child gets enough fluid replacements if they are sweating. Electrolyte-supplemented beverages may be required if a child is sweating excessively or intense exercise lasts longer than one hour daily.
What Are the Recommended Daily Water Intake Guidelines for Kids?
The ideal beverage for children is water. Fruit juices, carbonated drinks, sports drinks, and flavored mineral waters should all be avoided as they contain sugar and acid, which can damage teeth.
This is the recommended daily intake of water for children:
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About five cups for children aged four to eight.
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About five to six cups for children aged nine to 13.
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Approximately six to eight cups for individuals aged 14 to 18.
Kids need additional water when it is hot outside or participating in sports. They must stay hydrated, even throughout the winter months. Even if the kid is not thirsty, encourage them to drink water before, during, and after strenuous exercise. This will avoid dehydration.
How Can Parents Make Drinking Water More Enjoyable and Appealing?
Appealing to the children to drink water is easy. Set a positive example for others to follow and encourage them to stay hydrated by drinking more water. Here are a few creative ways to add excitement to water:
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Infuse water with fruit infusions, such as lemons, berries, cucumbers, or mint. This is an easy method for keeping everyone interested and coming back for more.
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Keep fruits and vegetables, such as celery, cucumbers, watermelon, and strawberries, high in water nearby. They are not only wholesome snacks, but they also aid in hydration.
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Freeze fruit chunks to create ice cubes. Kids may help fill the ice trays, giving drinks a nice appearance.
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Give them unique water bottles or mugs as a surprise. Drinking water can be more enjoyable with custom sports bottles or amusing cups featuring creative graphics.
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For a cool treat, make homemade popsicles with mixed fruit. Find molds for popsicles in interesting forms and colors, or use small cups for homemade molds that kids may decorate before freezing.
How Can Parents Ensure Their Children Stay Hydrated Throughout the Day?
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Provide a water bottle for them at all times.
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Encourage them to sip during breaks and remind them to hydrate before matches.
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Ensure they get a large drink afterward to compensate for lost sweat.
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Store a pitcher of cold tap water in the refrigerator on warm days and keep it close by.
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Every day, send a transparent water container with a label to school.
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When visiting the store or the park, bring a water bottle; however, choose water over juice or other sugary drinks.
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Adults should set a good example and consume lots of water.
What Drinks Should Parents Avoid Giving to Their Children to Promote Better Health?
For children, the most suitable beverages are milk and water. Kid-targeted beverages frequently include excessive sugar, which might harm children. Here are some things to avoid:
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Sugary Drinks: Make it a rule that children under two are not allowed to have sugary drinks. Additionally, try to keep them to older children. Sports drinks, juice cocktails, sodas, lemonade, and water with added sugar fall under this category. They can supplement children's diets with more "empty calories" and discourage them from drinking plain water. A sugar overload can cause diabetes, dental cavities, weight gain, and other health problems.
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Juice: It is best to limit even 100 percent juice. It lacks the beneficial fiber in whole fruit and is heavy in calories and sugar. Juice should not be given to children younger than one year old. Children ages one to three should consume at most four ounces daily. Juice should only be provided to older children if whole fruits are inaccessible. Children ages four to six should not consume more than four to six ounces daily, and children ages seven to 18 should not consume more than eight ounces daily.
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Flavored Milk: Although flavored milk contains minerals and calcium, it also contains additional sugar. It is important to avoid flavored milk to prevent kids from continuously seeking sweet flavors.
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Drinks Sweetened With Stevia or Artificial Sweeteners: It is best to keep kids away from these beverages. The health concerns associated with artificial sweeteners and stevia need to be better understood. Stick to water to keep youngsters hydrated and healthy.
What Are the Signs of Dehydration Parents Should Look for in Infants, Children, and Teens?
Even with the best of intentions and routines, problems can still occur. Parents should be aware of the symptoms of dehydration so they can act promptly. Only breast milk or formula should be given to infants ages zero to six months. At this age, it is not advised to drink more water. Complementary foods and modest amounts of water can be introduced after six months. Parents should contact their pediatrician immediately if they have concerns that their child is not drinking enough water. At this age, the most obvious signs of dehydration are:
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The lower number of wet diapers (usually between six and eight).
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Sunken soft spot (fontanelle) on the baby's head.
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Excessive drowsiness.
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Lack of tears when the baby cries.
Children are more capable of communicating their emotions to their parents as they age. Even so, parents must continue to watch over them because kids find it difficult to quit playing. In older kids, symptoms can include:
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Sticky or dry mouth.
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Less frequent urination or dark urine; urine should be nearly clear and very light yellow.
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Tired and irritated.
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Flushed skin.
Teens who participate in intense team practices or high-intensity activities run a significant risk of dehydration. For this age group, the most typical indications are:
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Dry mouth or lips.
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Dizziness.
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Cramps.
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Hungry.
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Dark or less urine.
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Headache.
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Rapid pulse.
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Flushed skin.
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Experiencing extreme heat or cold.
What Fluids Should Parents Give a Dehydrated Child?
The greatest thing a parent can do to treat a dehydrated child is to give them additional fluids, such as water or packaged oral rehydration solutions. Drinks high in sugar, like sports drinks or lemonade, should not be provided by parents as they aggravate dehydration. Young children and babies are more prone to become severely dehydrated. If a parent breastfeeds, they ought to feed their child more frequently than normal. For the first twelve hours, parents of a child older than six months old who drinks formula should switch to oral rehydration solution or water; after that, they should gradually resume giving their child formula in smaller, more frequent doses.
Conclusion
Kids must develop good drinking habits for their general health. Important measures include urging kids to drink water, refraining from sugar-filled drinks routinely, and being aware of the symptoms of dehydration. Parents may help guarantee that their children stay hydrated and healthy for years to come by encouraging these behaviors in them from an early age.
