How do I get my DD to drink more?

[BlueCornflower]

My DD is just 4 and still wears pull-ups at night. Although this doesn't really worry me, I read something the other day on MN about children who don't drink much only have small bladders and so are more liable to wet at night. My DD drinks very little. Any suggestions for how to get her to drink more? (She only likes milk and water.)

No advice I'm afraid but my dd 2.6 yrs is the same. Several days this week she hasn't drunk anything until late afternoon. She will drink milk from a bottle like there's no tomorrow but we don't let her do this until bed time. Will be keeping an eye on this hoping someone has some ideas.

DD is 4.5 and exactly the same. Her water bottle from school comes home as full as it goes, and even though I give her drinks in the day she never drinks very much. The only time she'll drink a lot is with her evening meal.

It's encouraging to know there are others the same though.

Glad I'm not alone! GillL - my dd would probably drink lots of milk if I let her but I've always felt that if she drank lots of milk, she won't be hungry. Perhaps she has outgrown this a bit now and I should offer her more milk. Do you think it is 'harmful' if a child drinks nothing but milk. Surely you need water too?

My DD is much younger then your children but I was worried that she wouldn't take water, spat it out everytime it was offered and the HV said not to worry as they get 90% of liquid from their food. As an adult I have never drunk much and I have turned out ok, I guess some people drink like fishes, others don't, providing they suffer headaches which could be caused by lack of fluid then I wouldn't worry too much, I am sure are taking what they need.

I found that by letting DD 3.10 chose a new water bottle or cup every so often, and buy loads of straws that she drinks more..

That's exactly the problem that we have BlueCornflower. Dd hardly eats as well because she fills up on milk at bed time and often in the middle of the night too. We're getting rid of the bottles in a couple of weeks when she starts pre-school ("you're a big girl now and don't need bottles"). We're hoping that means she will start to drink and eat more.

Good idea re. straws.

My dd has always loved milk, GillL. She was BF, then I probably took her off bottles at night around the age yours is and we went onto a cup for bedtime. I have only just managed to wean her off milk at bedtime - as she wanted to go without a nappy and I said she would have to stop having milk at bedtime first - just a ploy to cut out the milk really.

Maybe I should just let her drink more milk during the day...

Could you try those fun-straws e.g Nesquik magic straws, or the fun glasses that have moving images within them, or just Barbie/such brand pictures that the child likes. Or a star-chart. But in the end, I guess it is ok if she does not drink much, mine brings back the entire water-bottle home but seems fine

My daughter's the same...does worry me as her urine is sometimes scarily dark and smells too much for a 2.9yo...she will drink a pint of milk at bedtime, but v little in the day...I just think it must be terrible for her kidneys.

Milk contains water doesn't it?