Maybe you’re lucky and have a child that loves to drink water.  But if you are a parent who finds it difficult to get your child to drink water, then you are not alone.  The plain taste of water can be a hard sell, especially when other sugary drinks like juice and soda are an option.  So what do you do if your child won’t drink water?  One of the best things you can do to help your family drink more water is to be a role model. The more water you drink, the more likely your child will also develop the same healthy habit. Pay attention to how you’re feeling throughout the day and every time you feel thirsty, tired or a little spaced out, try drinking some water.  Each time you drink water, offer water to you child so you can both be happily hydrated together!

This may sounds obvious, but it’s worth remembering.  The more you have water available at all times for kids to choose to drink, the more likely they will.  Filling your home with filtered, great tasting water makes it easier and healthier to hydrate.  You can get clean, refreshing water from every tap in your home with a salt-free whole house water system.  This not only makes it easier to fill up a glass of water from any sink in your home, it also eliminates your need for bottled water and ensures your family always has access to high quality water.  When you’re out and about, rather than bring multiple juice boxes or soda, give your child a refillable water bottle so they always have water available to them.

If your child loves drinking juice, try diluting it with water.  Even all natural juices still contain a lot of fruit sugar.  Increasing the ratio of water to juice concentrate lowers the amount sugar your child consumes.  You can gradually add more and more water over time to slowly get a child used to drinking more water. 

Silly straws, fun shaped ice cubes and giving your child their own special water bottle are some ways to make drinking water a little more fun.  Depending on your child’s age, maybe pick out a fun refillable water bottle - with their favorites cartoon characters or animals.  They will want to bring their water bottle around with them and will naturally be more inclined to drink more water!

Incorporate hydration into your reward systems!  Making your own popsicles are a great way to give your child a yummy and hydrating treat.  Homemade popsicles using fruit, sugar-free juice and filtered water, gives your child a treat.  And you can feel good knowing there are no added chemicals, food dyes or refined sugars.