Help - my 15mth old wont drink hardly anything - what to do???

[indi4]

Hi,

My 15 month old has decided she just does not want to drink anything. She has always liked her water and she always had milk in a cup at dinner time. She was sick early last week and since then she hasn't really started drinking again. I thought it maybe a faze however I think it is going on to long now. I have even tried juice and she was still not interested. Fortunately she eats like a horse so no problems there. Her nappies are not totally dry as she eats loads of watery fruits which I think is the only thing keeping her going.

Has anyone had similar problems or knows something I could try.

You could try Weak squash, Smoothies that are diluted, fruit juice diluted, varying flavours of squash, ice lollys, Home made slush puppies?

Hmmm, why start with sugary stuff? Actually, why give kids any extra sugar, period? They get plenty of it from fruit.
She seems to be getting enough liquids, otherwise she would be very constipated. Leave a cup of water with her while she's playing, works with my boys.
It's a phase, most likely related to her recent illness and this too shall pass....

Thanks Rollmops,

I thought too it might be phase. Much to my surprise she started drinking some water again this morning. I agree with the sugar, I really didn't want to try the well diluted juice I gave her, and I am even more proud that she didn't really even want that (at least that will shut my dad up for a while)!
Constipation is another story with her....she has suffered server constipation in the past and was on medication as a result and had a hairline crack inside her back passage from her stools been so hard. This is why I was getting worried as I didn't want this to happen again. All the medics say, make sure she drinks loads. My response has always being short of opening her mouth and pouring water in what else can I do other than the fruit???
She was starting to get constipated again, however I woke to a huge nappy full of No.2's this morning that was not as hard as a golf ball. Hoorah for the fruit !.....

really wibbly wobby jelly is a good way to get liquids into a child

or make ice cubes in shpaed trays of jelly, diluted juice

or milkshake frozen is like sorbet

Have you tried a different cup? DD2 was very poorly before Christmas (ended up o/n in hospital on a drip poor girl) after a bout of sickness. She was vomitting everything and it seemed worst of all after she'd had a drink from her cup - she was guzzling because so dehydrated and that just made her sicker.

Anyway, she wasn't drinking much at all when we got home and I figured that she was maybe associating her cup with being sick so dug out a different one and she went back to drinking normally.

Worth trying a different cup perhaps?

My boys are generally very 'regular', however, DT1 does get a very rare bout of slight constipation. Sliced up prunes work a treat, he likes them so it's an easy remedy.
Second the new cup idea, give her water from a different cup, the brighter the better, novelty factor might just get her drinking-playing again.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.... I have about 10 cups to choose from as it took that long to find one she liked in the beginning....so I will give it a go.

I am not to phased if she goes off milk altogether as she does have it on her cereal and has yogurt and cheese everyday which helps towards her daily intake of dairy.