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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask what squash/juice you give your children to drink?

250 replies

Littleonesgettingbigger · 20/02/2015 16:01

My two daughters aged one and five, drink about 1 litre of diluted squash a day (they do not drink milk or water it anything else). I am happy with them drinking squash as at least they are drinking (which is very important due to constipation problems with youngest). I used to give them watered down fresh apple juice but the dentist mentioned this was too acidic for their teeth to have throughout the day. So I changed to apple high juice (not sugar free), the dentist at this times checkup said this was basically like giving them sugar water to drink and is bad for their teeth and advised me to change to sugar free squash. I am reluctant to do this due to asparatem? What do you all give your children to drink (those of you that use squash/juice)? Thank you in advance

OP posts:

Original poster

Littleonesgettingbigger · 20/02/2015 16:22

Please can only people who give their children juice respond please, it is wonderful that some of you have children who drink water and I wish mine did! But due to health reasons dd needs to drink enough fluid or she will end up in hospital. So the replies about me being misguided or how water should be the only option are not very helpful unfortunately.

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SunnyBaudelaire · 20/02/2015 16:22

at that age mine had nothing but water or milk.

Sophieelmer · 20/02/2015 16:22

Would she drink water if it is iced, maybe with a slice of lemon? Squash is an awful habit to get into at such a young age. I can understand your need to keep her hydrated but it is no good for her long term health to be full of sugar or artificial sweetener

BertieBotts · 20/02/2015 16:22

Drinks are not so much a problem for teeth anyway as long as they aren't carrying around bottles. It's when the teeth are constantly bathed in sugary substances that it's a problem. Personally I hate the taste of sweeteners, so we drink water, milk or drinks with sugar and then I make sure teeth are brushed. It's not that big a deal IMO.

SunnyBaudelaire · 20/02/2015 16:23

or sometimes a watered down juice if we were out, sorry littleone but if they are thirsty then they will drink water or milk.

BertieBotts · 20/02/2015 16:24

And squash is great, TBH - you don't realise how good it is until you move to a country which doesn't have it! Don't make it over strong, because it tastes awful, but keeping hydrated is more important than worrying about a small amount of sugar content. Juice is really sugary - 10g per 100ml on average, exactly the same as coke.

claudine46 · 20/02/2015 16:25

I've seen some squashes sweetened with stevia which is supposed to be natural

quirkychick · 20/02/2015 16:26

Littleonesgettingbigger I know where you're coming from as my youngest has chronic constipation and her consultant recommended diluted juice. My dentist said orange juice was too acidic but said that apple juice was ok. She only has water at night and drinks it very dilute, probably 1/10 to 1/20 through a straw.

I never thought I would give my daughter juice, as my eldest only ever had a little at breakfast. However, as my dentist said, her health and the consultant's recommendation comes first, but her teeth are fine and regularly checked. Chronic constipation is very serious and diluted juice and high fruit diet are often recommended. Is she on movicol? Because it works by holding extra fluid in the gut it is vital that they drink enough.

melonribena · 20/02/2015 16:27

My Ds has issues with not drinking anything all day. If I just offered water he literally would drink nothing. He had a milk allergy so although he will drink milk, I limit it for reaction reasons.

He drinks sainsburys sugar free squash, just a dash, or robinsons sugar free.

It's great that some children only drink water, but mine is not one of them. I'd rather give him a small amount of squash in his water than have him drink nothing.

Everyone I know gives their children squash

BertieBotts · 20/02/2015 16:27

I totally disagree, Sunny. I don't drink milk (too filling) or water (just bleh) even if I am thirsty, I have had kidney problems, I have to drink juice or squash because I just don't drink otherwise. Yeah, it's stupid but it's not entirely conscious, and I'm an adult, not a stubborn child.

Being thirsty is actually a sign you are dehydrated. You should drink more than thirst dictates. Children won't do this if they don't like the taste of water, IME.

Original poster

Littleonesgettingbigger · 20/02/2015 16:28

sunnybaudelaire try telling an 18 month old who has not pood by herself for 6 months that they will drink water if they were thirsty! Would you rather your child be admitted to hospital with blockages and on different medications in the attempt to force them to drink water????

OP posts:

SunnyBaudelaire · 20/02/2015 16:29

er no I would give them some squash!

Original poster

Littleonesgettingbigger · 20/02/2015 16:30

quirkychick yes she is on movicol so needs the fluid to make it work, glad someone understands :)

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Royalsighness · 20/02/2015 16:30

Only water and milk here, for a treat I get a tablespoon of Ella's kitchen strawberry purée and stir it into a tippy of water and give it a good shake to flavour the water but my son is happy with water and loves milk (he's 18 mos)

Original poster

Littleonesgettingbigger · 20/02/2015 16:32

I will look up the sainsbury sugar free squash thank you for the recommendation

OP posts:

DamnBamboo · 20/02/2015 16:32

They don't drink anything else because presumably you always give them squash! If you didn't have it they would drink other things.

Mine drink only water and sometimes regular/chocoalte milk.

A treat which fills them with glee is 1 part juice (OJ, AJ) to 9 parts fizzy water.

Pop as they call it.

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 20/02/2015 16:33

I don't have any suggestions on brands etc, however what I would suggest is that you try and get them drinking any sugary drinks through straws, as it by-passes their teeth to a much greater extent that way.

NeedsAsockamnesty · 20/02/2015 16:33

or sometimes a watered down juice if we were out, sorry littleone but if they are thirsty then they will drink water or milk

Bollocks. Many children especially ones with health issues will make themselves seriously ill by not drinking

Royalsighness · 20/02/2015 16:34

Some people might flame me for this but have you tried redbush or chilled herbal teas? Like caffine free iced teas? I can completely understand the not drinking water thing as my best friend wouldn't and had to be sent to our house with fizzy as she wouldn't drink anything else (it was the 90s) sometimes it's better to give your children something rather than nothing when you are at the end of your tether and desperate, I'm sure you are doing a great job.

Hadook · 20/02/2015 16:34

4 yo DTs only have water. If poo is a problem get some pure prune juice and put it in a calpol syringe, that will soon get things moving.

Original poster

Littleonesgettingbigger · 20/02/2015 16:34

danbboo no from weaning youngest dd never drank anything and as her food intake increased she started to suffer from chronic constipation. She was only offered juice after she started a medication called movicol where you need to drink enough to make it work.

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Hadook · 20/02/2015 16:36

You can get redbush with vanilla in tescos. Let it cool and give that. No caffiene, sugar or tanin in that.

Original poster

Littleonesgettingbigger · 20/02/2015 16:38

hadook unfortunately dd can eat 10 prunes a day and still not poo :( we have been through the whole diet thing with professionals and unfortunately she can only poo with movicol which requires an increased fluid intake to work

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DamnBamboo · 20/02/2015 16:38

Bollocks. Many children especially ones with health issues will make themselves seriously ill by not drinking

Please elaborate on this?
I am intrigued.
Your basic biological needs to drink would take over and you would drink water.

Littleones have you tried doing the really diluted version of it? If you do so, I really dont' think it's a big problem. Get some decent juice (which is mostly juice) and mix it with fizzy water! I get that this isn't great either, but then you can start to reduce the fizzy water and increase the still... And so on until you have a little bit of juice and lots of water. This is fine and doesn't contain a lot of sugar at all.

Also chilled herbal teas are good too.

Original poster

Littleonesgettingbigger · 20/02/2015 16:39

whoknowswherethetime good idea I will get some straws!

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