Water is one of the most essential elements needed for survival on the earth. Not just that, it plays a key role in keeping our bodily systems functioning properly.
In fact, an average adult body is about 60% water. However, the percentage of water content is much higher in infants and young children, which is around 78%. This brings attention to the significance of drinking water amongst growing children.
While water is an indispensable necessity, not all sources will provide you with fresh, clean and pure water. Besides providing essential minerals and vitamins that are crucial for basic function of the human body, water also carries harmful germs and contaminants that can cause some life-threatening diseases including cholera, diarrhoea, jaundice and typhoid.
Having said that, drinking pure and clean water is as imperative for your growing child as drinking water in the first place. Let’s take a detailed insight into why drinking pure water is necessary for every growing child.
Helps ward off dehydration
Young children and infants have a higher proportion of body water than adults, but they are also less tolerant to heat. With their constant involvement in vigorous physical activity throughout the day, they are more likely to get dehydrated, especially in a hot climate.
Insufficient water intake can affect physiological functions and decrease body’s physical strength and performance. So, it is advised to encourage your child to drink water frequently throughout the day and stay hydrated.
Boosts immunity
Growing babies and young children are more vulnerable to flu, colds and viral fever than adults. It is important to strengthen your child’s immunity to keep them from catching a viral infection, which can hamper their physical as well as mental performance.
Water is a natural immunity booster. It helps circulate oxygen to the body cells, allowing varied bodily systems to work efficiently. Drinking plenty of water also flushes toxins out of your body, which can otherwise build up in your body and affect the function of immune system.
Besides drinking, taking a shower with cold water helps your child improve their disease-resistance ability while easing low mood and stress.
Aids in recovery
In addition to water’s disease-fighting properties, it can help in healing fast from injuries or health ailments. Simply increasing your child’s water intake following an injury or an illness like headache, fever, indigestion, cold or infection, can be helpful in reducing pain while allowing for a faster and smoother recovery process.
Moreover, drinking more water allows body cells to maintain their fluid and electrolyte balance while energising muscles which, in turn, keeps your child more active and alert and perform at their peak level.
Swapping unhealthy beverages for water
Considering the fact that children are tempted to drink sugar-sweetened beverages such as fruit juice and soda, it can be difficult for parents to get their children to intake more water instead of such high-calorie unhealthy beverages.
Here are a few tips to add some taste and interest to plain water for your child to take more of it:
- Try infusing water with flavoured fruits or herbs such as lemon, berries, mint, cucumber, basil, apples, orange etc.
- Use agave nectar in home-made drinks like lemonade or flavoured water rather than refined sugar.
- Add fruit-flavoured ice cubes to your child’s plain water to make it taste better.
- Have your child pick a stylish, attractive water bottle or mug to drink water from.
Some additional steps you can take to ensure that your child drinks enough water include:
- Have your child drink a glass of water after every meal and have plenty of it before and during playtime.
- Team up with your child’s school and teachers to ensure there are water coolers around to provide them with constant supply of pure cold water.
- For children having difficulty consuming enough water, add more fruits and vegetables that have high water content, to their diet. Examples include watermelon, grapefruit, apple, strawberries etc.
How much water should your child drink?
Experts typically recommend 8-10 glasses of water a day. However, depending on your child’s age, weight, activity level and weather, their thirst drive and water intake needs may vary.
Keep a track of your child’s daily water intake to ensure they are well-hydrated and perform at their optimum efficiency.
So, what did you learn?
- Drinking pure water aids in maintaining proper body fluid content for your child’s bodily systems to function appropriately.
- Adequate water intake contributes to improved production of saliva, transportation of oxygen and nutrients, smooth digestion and maintenance of body temperature.
- Drinking more water helps to get rid of toxins in the body, allowing the kidneys to work properly.
- Adequate water levels in the body will improve bowel function, keeping constipation at bay.
- You can add fruit and vegetables with high water content to your child’s diet to make up for their low water intake.
- To make drinking water more of a fun habit, consider offering your child a straw with every glass of water so that they can easily slurp it. Offering water in their favourite bottle or mug is also a good idea to increase their water intake.
- Not to forget, infused water or fruit-flavoured water that your child will love to drink any time.
Keep in mind that not every child may drink the recommended amount of water. As a parent, you are responsible for making sure your child consumes enough clean and pure water for maintaining their body’s fluid levels while stating fit and healthy.
