Most American children and teenagers aren’t drinking enough fluids, and that’s leaving them mildly dehydrated, according to a new study. In fact, one-quarter of a broad cross-section of children ages 6 to 19 apparently don’t drink any water as part of their fluid intake.
Source: Got Water? Most Kids, Teens Don’t Drink Enough : Shots – Health News : NPR
I’m going to indulge in just a smidge of smug parent pride here. All three of our kids who are old enough to drink unassisted have their own water bottles, and they ask us for refills throughout the day. They don’t even think to ask for juice or soda; if they are thirsty, they drink some water. They know they’ll get juice if we eat out, and soda on Pizza Night (Saturday).
Apart from obnoxious parental pride, I’m also saying this as encouragement: it is, in fact, possible to raise kids to crave water.
We’re working on this with our girls. They don’t ask for drinks other then water, but we still have to remind them to drink from their water bottles to make sure they are getting enough.