Why It’s important To Keep Your Children Hydrated In The Summer

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By James Helliwell

waterIf you’re a parent, chances are you’ll let your kids play outside in the warm weather this coming summer. Paddling pools, swimming pools and ice lollies will be a common theme I imagine, but there’s one aspect of summer that’s a common theme that parents certainly don’t won’t; and that’s children becoming dehydrated. It can often happen because young children aren’t as aware of staying hydrated as adults are and this can lead to unwanted symptoms because of their lack of water intake? So why is it important to stay hydrated and how can we encourage our children to drink more water, especially when it’s scorching weather outside?

Why do we need to keep our children hydrated?

First of all, water makes up around 75% of our body make up and found in the inside of cells inside us. Therefore it’s essential that children take on plenty of water because its plays a vital part in keeping together cell structure and has a massive influence on waste removal from their body. Another useful feature of water in the body is that helps to distribute nutrients all throughout and also helps to keep body temperature at the optimum level. Both of these are so important for young children so encouraging them to drink little and often is probably the best way of doing it.

How can we encourage our children to drink more?

There’s a few good ways of encouraging children to drink more and to be honest, none of them are that scientific! Always keep a water bottle close by so they can take regular sips if they’re feeling slightly parched. Ice lollies are a good way of giving them some extra fluids as well but be careful not to overdo it as they can often contain sugary flavors and additives that might make them a bit more hyperactive then usual! Another good way is to get a bottled water cooler or a smaller alternative installed in your house so they can go and get fresh ice cold drinking water when they want to. Maybe even add a touch of orange squash to the water to give it a touch more flavour! Again, as with the ice lollies, don’t add too much squash to the mixture as it often contains additives that you probably wouldn’t want to give to your children on an hourly basis.