People often talk about the nutrition of children and young people, but one topic is somehow still a stepchild: drinking. Hardly any thought is given to this. But it is at least as important as nutrition, if not more so. The fact is, too little is drunk! You have to know that when you are thirsty, the deficit is already there. So thirst is a real alarm signal of the body. Theoretically, you could live a month without food, but no more than 5 days without fluids! Teach your child this early on. Drinking plenty of fluids is simply essential for good health and absolute well-being.
Here you can see how much fluid is needed per day and age group, data in ml:
- 7 – 10 year olds: approx. 970 ml
- 10 – 13 year olds: approx. 1,170 ml
- 13 – 15 year olds: approx. 1,330 ml
- 15 – 19 year olds: approx. 1,530 ml
It is clear that part of the liquid requirement is already covered by food. Nevertheless, it is advisable to additionally adhere to the above-mentioned table. If too much water is missing, health and especially concentration are in danger. Why is this so? Water is the main component of blood. If too little fluid is available, it simply does not flow properly and so the entire body is less well supplied. Brain performance and the ability to concentrate therefore decline.
Recently, it was found that the brain really shrinks when there is a lack of fluid. Frightening! So if then much is drunk, it sucks itself again fully like a sponge. You don’t have to let it get that far. So make sure that both you and, of course, your children drink enough. Once again: set an example!
It is quite easy to achieve the drinking quota:
- Have a drink with every meal
- Give enough to drink to school
- Please also pay attention to how much and WHAT your child drinks.
We certainly don’t need to explain that Cola and Co. are not exactly sensible drinks. Fruit spritzers, mineral water, all that is perfect to let a child drink properly. Virtually all popular juices can also be mixed into spritzers, and mineral water is more popular with younger ones if you get them the soft or even the still water. This is also not a question of money. There are all kinds also from the cheaper suppliers. Teas are also ideal, of course. There are so many good varieties, there is sure to be something for your kids. Just go shopping with your child and look through the many varieties together. That way, he or she will be happy to drink something different from time to time. Children like to have a choice, so be sure to give it to them. If you, as parents, teach your child healthy drinking habits in good time, he or she will later make sure to drink enough on his or her own.
And if your children drink only healthy things right from the start, the desire for cola and the like will not awaken so easily. You can then hardly get the sweet bubbly stuff down. As I said, always set an example. Drink enough. Drink something healthy! Always remember our parenting guide, your child learns from you and practically forever.