Clean drinking water is essential for human health. With its lack in the body, various painful conditions can develop, in general, the state of health worsens. Therefore, it is very important to develop in the child the habit of drinking more water every day. But how to do that? How to teach a child to water?
The process of forming a child's habit of drinking more water during the day can be lengthy. Parents need to be prepared for the fact that in a couple of days the situation with regard to water in the child's diet will not change. Moreover, gradually any methods may lose their power, it will be necessary to choose other approaches, especially if the child is very stubborn and inclined to protest. Therefore, it is important to be patient.
Having gradually begun to accustom the child to drinking a sufficient amount of clean water, one cannot swear, punish one's child, put any ultimatums, resort to threats and use other negative influences. On the one hand, sometimes such educational measures can bring the desired result. On the other hand, at the psychological level, the risk of the formation of a negative perception in the child increases. It is possible to achieve that the baby will eventually associate the process of drinking fluids - and already any - with something frightening, unwanted, unpleasant. It is especially dangerous to act in this way if the child is by nature very impressionable, vulnerable, emotional, fearful, prone to fear, with a weak nervous system.
What methods and methods can be used when trying to teach a child to drink more water?
7 Tips on How to Form a Water Drinking Habit in Your Child
- It is important to provide your baby with access to water. For example, it is worth leaving a cup or bottle of clean drinking water in the children's room. She should always be in sight of the child. However, no alternatives should be offered. If there is fruit juice in the room next to the water, then there is a high probability that the child will choose a tasty and sweet drink.
- When going for a walk, you should always take drinking water with you. Even if the child is more inclined to consume compotes, fruit drinks, teas or other drinks. Of course, these drinks can also be good for children's health, but they are not a substitute for clean liquids. Finding himself in a hopeless position on the street, the child will eventually get used to drinking the water he has taken with him outside the house, gradually the habit will spread to home conditions.
- For young children, using colored drinking straws and drinking straws may be relevant. Then the process of drinking ordinary water will become more fun, it will be easier. Instead of tubes, you can also use special children's dishes, together with the child, choosing the mug that will be responsible exclusively for water.
- The temperature of the pure drink must be monitored. Hot water should not be given to children. It is better if it is either room temperature or cold. But you also need to follow the individual reactions of the baby, find out his taste preferences. To cool the water, you can throw a few ice cubes or figured ice into it, into which some kind of berry will be frozen. It can also make drinking water more fun.
- Very young children should be taught to drink water carefully, gradually, slowly. It is worth giving liquid from a spoon every one and a half to two hours.
- If the child prefers to drink only juices or fruit drinks, you can start to dilute them with water little by little. What's more, some sugary concentrated drinks require, in principle, to be diluted rather than consumed neat. Gradually the amount of water should be increased. This approach will allow you to form a habit of drinking more.
- Sugar should not be diluted in drinking water, wanting to add flavor to it and thus attract the child to drink. At first, you can choose children's drinking water with vitamins and flavors. It is important to remember that we are talking about quality drinking.
How to teach a child to drink clean water: psychological methods
Often, it is psychological or playful, ritual approaches that have a greater impact on the child and quickly develop in him the desire to drink water every day in sufficient quantities.
- A special ritual of drinking water can be devised. It should be explained to the baby that a ritual is such a special action that should not be violated. At the same time, it is worth connecting all family members to this ritual. For example, in the morning everyone must drink a certain amount of water together.
- A living example is something that usually works flawlessly. Children are very much like their parents, older sisters and brothers, relatives. If the family is not in the habit of drinking a lot of water, if mom and dad always choose only coffee or tea as drinks, then it will be almost impossible to teach a child to drink water. Here the principle is the same as in the situation when you need to teach the baby to brush his teeth and develop the habit of doing it every day.
- With older children, you can have an appropriate conversation about the benefits of water. You can't just limit yourself to individual phrases. It is necessary to explain in an accessible form why the body needs clean fluid, what can happen if there is not enough water, what leads to dehydration, and so on. It is very important to talk with children, but in a language they understand.
- In some cases, the "token system" can help. This approach forms an external incentive / motivation to perform an action. It is necessary to agree with the child that if he drinks a glass of water every couple of hours, then he gets something in return. However, this approach is very risky, because in the end it can lead to manipulative actions from the child. This psychological method must be applied carefully, thinking everything over well.
- A good way to form the habit of drinking water in a child is to play. You can, for example, arrange a home competition: who will consume more fluids during the day. Or, playing with the baby, arrange a healthy meal with his toys, where water will dominate among the drinks.
- Tales about water is a psychological technique that will help teach young children to drink more pure liquid. You can look for ready-made fairy tales or come up with magical legends on your own, into which it is worth weaving real facts about the health benefits of clean water.
- Another way to get the child to drink water is to agree with him that the baby will be responsible for this liquid in the family. The responsibilities will include monitoring all family members so that everyone drinks water every day. However, at the same time, the child himself must use clean liquid, as if setting an example for the parents.
