We all know the challenge of drinking the right amount of water every day . Remembering to drink and maintaining frequency is already a difficulty for us adults, who know the importance of water in our bodies . Imagine for children! In such cases, it is very common for the little ones to see water intake as an obligation, making the acquisition of the habit heavy and difficult. But know that it doesn’t have to be this way!
The secret to encouraging children to drink water is in a series of tips that can be very useful in everyday life. Facing the challenge from another perspective makes all the difference! It is important to remember that the child does not have an understanding of how important this habit is, nor that it should be constant. Thus, it is up to adults to facilitate this process through facilitating strategies and methods. With that in mind, we have prepared a list of 4 ideas for you to get inspired and encourage your child to stay hydrated. Check out!
1) Use creative cups
The best known tip involves using creative cups. If the child is still very small, the idea can be substituted by the attractive bottles. But the truth is that children tend to be enchanted by colors, shapes, characters, textures, etc., and this can (and should!) Be an ally in this challenge. Use and abuse straws, for example! Enjoy your child’s favorite character and provide themed glass. No rules in this topic: the more creative, the better!
2) Set goals and challenges
This tip is, in a way, recommended even for adults, but for children it gets another outfit. It is a fact that the little ones are driven by challenges; and the good news is that you can take advantage of this feature in order to improve your drinking habits. We explain: based on the amount of water recommended by the pediatrician, create goals and challenges for your child to drink everything by the end of the day. You can set up a glass in the morning and one in the afternoon to win a prize at the end of the week, for example. Another interesting tip is to use this prize to buy new and different glasses, encouraging you to collect them!
3) Be the example
A truth that few realize is that children observe adults as much as possible and thus reproduce what they see. This goes for everything: practices, speeches and (why not?) Habits. So, it is useless to charge your child for the habit of drinking water if he hardly sees you doing the same. What should be done, then, is to show that you are also in the game! You can enjoy hydrating together or drinking water whenever you notice that he is watching you.
4) Always make water available
Another fact is that children will not acquire an apparently dull habit (such as drinking water) if it is not facilitated. This does not mean that you should force water, but rather make it available to the little one. How to do this? Always try to prevent the child’s glass from being empty; also try to leave it in her field of view, avoiding that she needs to stop what she is doing and go out in search of water whenever she feels thirsty. When leaving the house, always have a bottle available and communicate that, at any time, the little one can request water if he wants.
