For Healthy, Happy Kids: Water!

A study in France proved that children between the ages of 9 and 11 define water as being an essential life source and a precious resource that is not to be wasted

Children know that water is good for their health, and that they lose some water every day. Which is why they need to drink it on a regular basis. They are also aware that dehydration can be dangerous and that water helps eliminate waste from the body.
But let’s be realistic, water might seem “boring to drink” for children. They usually only drink water when they are thirsty or when they are asked to. Children enjoy having a visual and flavorful experience.

However, there is also another important factor to consider: education. It is important to teach your children by example, showing them that drinking water can be fun and enjoyable. Children are innately drawn to water, that is why babies instinctively want to drink milk or water.

Here are some useful tips:

• Make sure that there is always water in the house and that it is visible: in the kitchen, on the table, in the fridge. That way, your kids will get used to having it around and making it part of their daily routine from a very young age.
• Associate good times with water: your kids come back from sports practice and they are thirsty – offer them a glass of fresh water and some fruit. After playing games together, you are tired and thirsty – drink water together and share the good feeling.
• Always put water on the table at meals. A bottle or jug should be as much a part of setting the table as placing the napkins and silverware.
• Slip a water bottle into their school bag. Children don’t drink enough water at school and often come home thirsty and dehydrated at the end of the day
• Don’t force them to give up on other beverages, instead, teach them how to limit their consumption

In fact, water is the first choice to make when it comes to hydration. It’s all about finding a way to make drinking water enjoyable: that refreshing feeling on a hot day, doing something good for your health, enjoying a little sparkling water with a meal, getting to know all the subtleties of the different tastes