Help me get my 2 year old to drink water!

[MrsRudyRudpoo]

I've never posted on here before but would really appreciate some advice. My DD is 2.2 and will only drink juice (apple and blackcurrent no added sugar cordial). Even as a baby she has never drank water, and despite me trying new cups, drinking out of mummies glass, seeing other children drink it at play group she won't entertain it and just spits it out!
I'm getting really concerned as i know it can't be good for her, but don't want to stop with the juice as I'm concerned that she will dehydrate, especially in this warm weather we're having.
Any suggestions would be really welcome as I can't think what else I can do! Thanks

I assume you dilute the juice? Have you tried watered down real fruit juice? Maybe start with blackcurrant if that's the flavour she's used to. Then it's one of her 5 a day too.

For what it's worth, I've always hated the taste of water, and only ever drink it if it's the only liquid available. And I'm pretty healthy!!

Can I just advise you to look carefully at the ingredients on the No added sugar drink. There are usually some real badies in there - aspartame for instance which is much worse than sugar.

Could you gradually (over a few weeks) dilute the juice/squash right down till it's just water? I would also try limiting juice to mealtimes only as I think it's the constant sugar near teeth thing that's the only real problem with juice. In between meals you can offer water.

Agree re the no added sugar stuff- might be worth switching to pure juice if it's affordable. Another thing that might help prevent tooth rot is for her to drink it through a straw, which she might like.

How about offering water with crushed ice in? My dc's do like to drink water but they also love ice and it might make it more appealing

Please be aware that people have different taste buds, or taste perceptions. For example, my mum can't understand why I don't like water as 'it doesn't taste of anything'. Well I can taste it, and it tastes horrible, all bitter and metally.

Even a small amount of juice in water will make it palatable though.

Lidl and Aldi usually have a good selection of affordable juices. Juice makes good lollies too, if you buy some moulds.

now this is something DS (3) is guilty of - he will NOT drink water either. Nice to meet someone else with the same dilemma (IYKWIM!!)

I spoke to our dentist recently and said he drinks a 50:50 ratio of fruit juice and water and should I be stopping this. She said it's not a great idea for him to be drinking this regularly so I got advice from her about what other alternatives we can try:

Milky tea (he now likes this since we tried last week)
Milk (which he will drink but v reluctant)

She said if she was in my situation that she'd keep watering down the fruit juice but DS notices this (he's not daft!) and he just won't drink it if it's not of a set strength.

I'm not keen on him drinking the 'no added sugar' squash although he does get this at GPs house when visiting.

I have also tried just giving him water in his beaker and leaving it the whole day to which he will not drink - been there done that etc. It doesn't work for every child IMO.

agree about the no added sugar juices having truly foul stuff in them.

my DD has a similar distaste for water and i either dilute pure juice or give her very watery cordial. as someone else said, straws prevent decay and obviously regular tooth brushing.

don't get too worked up about it.

why not replacing the juice by fruit "tea", still have some taste can be drank cold, iced or warm, no sugar.
avoid anything with real tea in it, but the rest should be OK.

Thnks so much for the replies everyone. Will certainly be trying some of the suggestions. Hadn't really thought about all the additives etc, scary stuff now i think about it! I will give the straw a try this afternoon, crossing my fingers that the novelty factor might work!

what is wrong with real tea??? surely as long as there's loads of milk in it and isn't given all day every day most children can drink it.

think I may try DS with some of the fruit teas aswell as normal tea then.

fromage frais are apparently crammed full of sugar (seems everything they eat or drink has something wrong with it!) but DS gets those from time to time. You can't win

good luck with this one.

I tried not giving anything but water..........I gave up because he wasn't drinking anything - for several days!

Now at 9 he will occasionally have a glass of water, but not often

Real tea decreases iron absoption as somebody mentionned. And has caffein in it too, not so good for small children, we are talking about a toddler here. They can have lime, camomille, fennel teas but they can find the taste a bit challenging, fruit tea are usually fine for them. the fruit of the forest kind taste like a juice

I think they'd have to be drinking a hell of a lot of real tea for it to have detrimental effects on a toddler...much like sugary drinks. If they are drinking these regularly then ofcourse it will be detrimental to their health...but now and again??