It’s National Drinking Water Week!
We know that learning to LOVE drinking water from an early age can develop into a life-long habit. Yet many of us struggle to get our kids to drink water. They ask for juice, soda or anything ‘besides boring ‘ole water!’
Here are five tips to get kids to drink more water:
1. Fruited or Flavored Water
Adding a little flavor can take the boring out of water for kids. Citrus is always a winner, but you might try blueberries, watermelon, strawberries or even mint! We found these great bottles that actually house the fresh fruit in the reusable water bottle! There are also a variety of sugar-free flavor additives available at your local grocery store.
2. Crazy Straws & Cups
Fun cups, straws and ice cube shapes can be a good incentive for drinking more water. Let your child pick out their special “themed” cup or introduce them to crazy straws. And some kids will drink more water simply because of the cool shape of the ice cubes in their water.
3. Make Water Easily Accessible
If there is juice or soda in the fridge–that is usually what kids want to drink. But when a big pitcher of ice water is set out after school, kids will devour it! The power of suggestion?! Yes, perhaps. But it is also the power of availability and convenience. Place the ice cold pitcher in your garage refrigerator, which is usually the go-to place for sodas and other sugary drinks. For your younger kids, take a hint from the cereal makers and place the pitcher on a lower shelf of the fridge, right at eye-level.
4. Water to Go
Sending a water bottle in your child’s backpack to school or sports practice makes it really easy to drink more water. If you send it—they will drink it!
5. Lead by Example
If kids see their parents drinking water (instead of soda or coffee), they’ll gravitate towards water. And don’t feel like you’re “cheap” if you don’t order sodas when you go out to eat.
Asking for water is completely acceptable and the best drink for our bodies.
We all know water is essential to stay alive, but it’s also good to keep in mind (and remind the kiddos) that,
- Water regulates our body temperature
- Water is a way that oxygen and nutrients are carried to cells
- Water actually flushes toxins out of our body through urination and sweat
- Water prevents dehydratiion (As a rule of thumb, to get enough water, children and teens should drink at least six to eight cups of water each day).
- And best of all, there are no calories in water!
National Drinking Water Week
Since it’s National Drinking Water Week, if you’re looking for a fun way to teach your kids about the importance of drinking water (and conserving the fresh water on our planet), check out the EPA website for kids!
One last thought, both kids and adults sometimes snub water simply because of the taste and odor. Not all drinking water is created equal. Although the water coming from the faucet may meet regulations and guidelines –and therefore be deemed “clean”– it may have an odor, taste, color, or cloudiness characteristic that you do not care for.
Talk to an authorized WaterTech dealer to get a free water analysis and find out what’s in your water—and ask them about the RO PureMAX II. A reverse osmosis (RO) filtration system can improve the taste and odor of your water by reducing chlorine and filtering out organic and inorganic substances–for just pennies per gallon.
