Enough to drink?

[dreamygirl]

I'm worried that DD2 (4) isn't having enough to drink. She always used to be fine and often had a sippy cup of milk or water sitting by her while she played because she liked to drink throughout the day, but lately she's tailed off and I'm especially bothered now the weather's got hotter . She'll have a mug of milk (150ml or so) at breakfast and then some milk or smoothie at nursery mid-morning but she tells me she doesn't always finish the little (quarter pint?) bottle of milk. From then on she has to be coerced into drinking anything at all and would happily go the whole afternoon I think without anything (although I know she has drinks of water at night or early morning as we keep a sports bottle type cup by her bed). In the day she tells me she doesn't feel thirsty and sometimes cries and gets upset when I try to make her drink something (however she's a bit tired at the moment, doesn't fall asleep as early now it's light at night but that's a whole other story!)
What I really want to know is tips for encouraging her to have more drinks like she used to because really. But also, I've seen lists of symptoms for children who aren't drinking enough and she hasn't got them, I mean she isn't ever constipated, wees regularly, doesn't wet the bed, etc. So I'm not sure how much more I need to make her have!

If she really doesn't fancy a drink, then wet food might help - things like fruit are full of liquid, and ice lollies in the hot weather.

Fluid requirements are based on weight in a hospital type environment but often a useful guideline anyway-children need approx 100mls/kg for the first 10kg-ie a 9kg child needs 900mls then 50mls/kg for the next 10kg then 25mls/kg thereafter-so a 17kg child wd need 100mls/kg for first 10 kg-ie 1000mls then 50mls/kg for the next 7-ie a further 350mls=1,350mls in total.
In hot weather or if they have a temp more is obviously ideal.
How ever some children just dont seem to drink that much but show no signs of even mild dehydration-the only thing I wd say is that they may be a bit more lethargic...try novelty strawsa or as muminscotland says ice lollies are great way of getting 200-300mls of fluid into them!!
HTH

People tend to self-regulate with drinking... we're equipped with a pretty good thirst reflex. Small children don't need as much as big adults so she may well be getting enough fluids via food and drinks. I wouldn't try to make her drink if she doesn't want to - especially if she seems to be in good health - because you could set up an aversion to drinks. Fruit, veg, soup and other moisture-rich foods are a good idea. Otherwise, I would leave her be.

Thanks to all three of you for that advice, some good points and good ideas to follow. Will try to offer fruit/veg/lollies and back off a little about the drinking so I don't set up worse problems in later life.

Thank you