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SHOULD MY TODDLER DRINK MORE WATER DURING THE SUMMER?

With the summer in full swing, it is imperative to make sure young children stay hydrated and get enough fluids during the day. Many young children love to drink juice and milk, which is great, but water is the best way to stay hydrated. Water is very important for our bodies because it is vital for bodily functions – it carries waste away in urine and allows sweating to cool the body temperature down. Because toddlers are so small and don’t sweat yet, they need a lot of water to replenish the water they lose especially in warm and humid weather like we have here in Canada. Water is the best source to stay hydrated since it has no empty calories.

How can you tell if your little one is getting enough water? The easiest way you can tell is by the color of their urine. If it is dark yellow that means they are not getting enough water. Ideally their urine should be a very light yellow or colorless and odourless. Usually when they say they are thirsty they are already a little partially dehydrated. Young children, however cannot always tell they are thirsty. The early signs that your child is dehydrated include sleepiness and lack of energy, irritability, crying, dry lips or tongue, constipation, sunken eyes or a sunken fontanel – the soft spot on top of the head of newborns. If you are concerned that your young child is dehydrated and are not interested in drinking anything, contact your doctor or paediatrician.

Some other great sources of water include fruits and vegetables such as cantaloupe and apples - which are 85% water; lettuce – which is 95% water and spinach – which is 90% water. Drinking milk is a good source of water since it contains 88% water. For those toddlers who don’t like drinking straight water, mixing water in with their juice is always a good choice. 50-50 or 75% water and 25% juice is always a good idea. Another great idea is serving them frozen juice popsicles. Always have a sippy cup of water on hand for your toddler and enjoy this beautiful summer weather!