Increase your child's water consumption

Dawn Earnesty<wilcoxd4@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension - September 02, 2016

Personalized water bottles can work wonders to keep your kids hydrated.

For kids and adults alike, water is key for helping our bodies function properly. Water helps to keep your body temperature stable, carries nutrients and oxygen to cells, cushions our joints, protects our organs and tissues and removes wastes from our bodies. We lose water every day no matter what through sweat, breathing and waste products, so we need to rehydrate even if we aren’t very active. When we do not drink enough water, dehydration occurs. Dehydration can cause headaches, fatigue, crankiness and poor concentration. If you are especially active or out in the heat for an extended period of time, make sure to drink more water than usual to prevent dehydration.

The

Recommended Intake for Water

Gender

Age Group

Amount of Fluid/ Day in Cups and (# ounces)

Boys and Girls

1 to 3 years

5.5 (44 oz)

Boys and Girls

4 to 8 years

7.2 (58 oz)

Boys

9 to 13 years

10.1 (81 oz)

Girls

9 to 13 years

8.9 (71 oz)

Boys

14 to 18 years

13.9 (111 oz)

Girls

14 to 18 years

9.7 (78 oz)

Make hydration fun! Plain and simple. Personalized water bottles are my answer for increasing fluid intake. By having your child assist in making their own water bottle, it will get them excited to use it, which will increase their fluid intake. So, sit your kids down and have them decorate their own water bottle.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).