6 Ways To Encourage Your Kids To Drink More Water

As a parent, it’s in your nature to care for and protect your children. You want to do everything you can to create positive memories and teach them the right way to navigate the world. One important factor that will always impact your kids’ lives is their eating habits.

It’s important to model and support healthy eating habits at a young age, so your children can stay healthy and happy into adulthood.

A factor that impacts the health of people of all ages is the lack of water consumption. It’s easy to get caught up in drinking sodas and juices and anything incredibly flavorful. At the end of the day, water is the only beverage that will supply your body with the fluids it needs to function properly.

If you’re a parent who is struggling to get your children to drink more water, here are six helpful ways to encourage your kids to drink water and be healthy!

Personal Water Bottle

One of the easiest ways to build excitement around drinking water is to give your children their own water bottles. Reusable water bottles are not only better for the environment, but they’ll become something that your children use every day. They will associate their water bottle with drinking water, so it’s best to make it a fun activity for them!

Maybe the bottle includes a fun straw, the bottle is a funky shape, or the pattern contains their favorite animal or movie character! Allow them to pick it out on their own. Whenever they drink water, you can visibly see their progress, and they can see the progress they’re making, too!

Fruit-Infused Water

Water can be bland at times. That’s why sugary beverages are more desirable when you want to switch things up. If your children don’t enjoy water or you can’t encourage them to drink more, consider making fruit-infused water to add more flavor!

Add fruits such as lemons, oranges, cucumbers, limes, and berries. This adds more nutrients and flavors to the water your kids will love!

Reward System

As you gradually work towards boosting your kids’ drinking water habits, a rewards system is an effective way to encourage good behavior and healthy habits. There are a few different ways you can reward them for good behavior. If one doesn’t work out, simply try another! Kids react differently to alternate forms of positive reinforcement. Over time, one method will stick. Then you’ll notice the difference in your kids’ natural water consumption, so they won’t need the rewards system anymore.

A calendar sheet is the best way to keep track of your children’s water consumption habits throughout the day. Keep a sheet of paper lined with each day of the week of the month. Each time your kids reach their water-drinking goal for the day, they receive a sticker. There are different ways to reward your children for meeting their goals and doing a great job!

At the end of the week, if they have a sticker in place for each day, then they receive a small gift or activity for their good work! In addition, if they complete their goal for every day of the month, reward them with a bigger present or a fun activity for the family.

Discuss the Benefits of Drinking Water

Children are capable of comprehending information in different ways and at varying speeds. But it’s completely possible to teach your kids about the benefits of drinking water. When trying all these various methods to encourage your kids to drink more water, sometimes, the best way is to have discussions about healthy habits.

Consistent Conversations

During any time of the day, as you’re playing games or spending time with your kids, have a conversation with them about the benefits of drinking water. You can use various items to make it an interactive activity and allow them to visualize the words you’re speaking. You can also create a little song that sticks in their minds so they don’t forget why it’s important to always drink water.

Helpful Informational Videos

Another great tool to teach children more about drinking water is using informational videos! Children’s TV shows and online videos are incredible aids in teaching a variety of skills. Their eyes are drawn to the screen, and they’re likely to follow instructions from their favorite characters. Use these supplemental tools to encourage drinking water. When there are moments when your kids want a sugary beverage, bring up their favorite characters or the lyrics of the catchy song they learned to inspire them to drink water instead!

Avoid Keeping Soda and Sugary Drinks in the House

Parents know which drinks are good and bad for their health. Drinking sodas, juices, and other sugary beverages in moderation are perfectly okay! When these drinks are easily accessible to children, however, there’s a high probability they’ll search for those drinks in the fridge instead of filling up a glass with water.

If you have these beverages in the house, keep them out of reach from your children. Doing so will minimize the chances they pick out these drinks on their own. Make it known they should ask for permission to drink something other than water. A sugary beverage can be a treat for children on certain occasions! When you teach them the proper habits from the beginning, they’ll become accustomed to drinking water daily.

Set an Example

Children often model the behavior you exhibit to learn right from wrong, or perhaps they want to be just like you! If they see you drinking things other than water, they’ll want to do the same. Lead by example and demonstrate healthy water-drinking habits. Then, consistently consuming water will be normal and expected in your house. Work alongside your kids so they know they’re not alone in this process.

Drinking sufficient amounts of water is vital for people of all ages. When you see your children working hard towards their water-drinking goals, you should set some goals for yourself as well.

If you’re ever concerned about the quality of your family’s water, filtered water faucets are safe and effective ways to filter any unwanted chemicals and bacteria from your drinking water! Enhance your family’s safety and health with a water filter.