Rituals in everyday life remind children to drink

Rituals remind children and parents to drink

10/17/2011

Regular drinking is important for your health to provide the body with enough fluids. Unlike adults, children have a much higher need for water. This is often misjudged by the parents out of ignorance. Daily repetitive rituals can help parents and children not neglect continuous hydration.

Solid rituals promote hydration
Not only adults find it hard to drink enough. Many children too rarely resort to drinks glass. „Solid rituals that are installed in everyday life can help that neither child nor parents forget to drink“ says the graduate social pedagogue Gritli Bertram. Because children have a not to be underestimated high need for fluid. The younger a person is, the higher the water content of the body. Drinking rituals should help provide adequate and healthy care for the children, the foundation said. A trick is always to drink a glass of water after getting up. At each meal, parents should put a drink glass over their child. „In the past, parents had not given their children a drink during their meals, so that the feeling of satiation would not set in early.“ Today, such methods are long outdated and should be avoided as much as possible, the social worker warns. „If children are thirsty then they should drink too“. During the course of the day, there should always be a glass of Schorle at the same place. „In my experience, most children like to drink apple juice“. Parents should make sure that the glass is always accessible by the children, even if mother and father are not staying nearby.

According to the Foundation for Child Health, children between the ages of four and seven drink about six to seven large glasses a 150 ml a day. If the children are younger, five glasses are enough. Do the little ones in addition to sports or have raged a lot in the fresh nature, of course, they need more. To cover the daily fluid requirements, water is the best drink. If children's taste is too bland, a slice of lemon or orange will help. For a change, fruit juice spritzers can also be served. Sweet sodas though „Bio“ On the other hand, there is no everyday drink and should be served if at all except in exceptional cases. (Sb)

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Picture: Rudolf Ortner