Do you let your toddler have squash?

[Snowgirl1]

I drink sugar free squash as I'm not all that keen on plain water. DD is 18 months old and sees me drinking this and wants to try it. So far DD has only had water and milk (although doesn't seem to bothered about milk these days). Do you let your toddlers drink fruit juice and squash?

Yep, always have done, always will do. It's squash, not cocaine.

Yeah, I know - I drink it, but I haven't seen a single toddler around here with squash. Just wondered if it was a no-no.

At hat age it was water or milk only. Now they do have squash (the one with sugar) and juice but will often ask for milk or water.

Mine see me drinking but I've not let them have a glass of that yet

I didn't have squash in the house until they were 3 and 5, because I don't drink it and they got water, milk, or pure fruit juices. Occasional cartons of squash when out though. I know lots of children who 'won't drink/don't like' water, and IME they have all been used to squash from a young age.

They don't need squash IMHO. So I put it off for as long as it seemed reasonable. They still drink plain water too.

I.dont give 18mo DD squash. It isnt the sugar that bothers me particularly (thoigh when she does start drinking it I will get sugar free), it is more that every child I.know who drinks squash refuses to drink water on its own.

At the moment she is perfectly happy drinking plain water, and I am scared that once she gets a taste for squash, she will refuse plain water.

Can I just ask, why is squash an issue?

What are the reasons for avoiding it?

When living in a hot country where hydration was paramount I had a complete and utter lambasting from a Doctor following my daughters admission for dehydration - mainly caused by the local (brit-run) pre school not allowing anything but water.

The Pre-School also had a lambasting, and promptly changed its rules to include diluted squash and pure juice.

The local Cypriot run pre-school/nursery just specified "non-carbonated fluids" and as far as I know none of the kids suffered from being allowed to drink what they wanted.

What exactly is the problem?

I do, although I get a lot of "oh we just have water" or "just fruit juice here" - eh, squash is nice, I drink it (high juice, full sugar), it means DS drinks plenty and it's cheap and usually available. He still drinks water too, and milk, and all sorts.

Not got an issue with it, just preferred mine to have water and milk at that age. At that age mine were bf and in a cooler climate so dehydration was unlikely to be am issue anyway

Fruit juice in moderation is good for you (bad for teeth), water is good for you (good for teeth or at least not harmful).

Squash is mainly water, but contains sugars or sweeteners (Sugar or acid bad for the teeth) without any additional benefit. So bad for your teeth but without any nutritional benefit. And fills them up when they could be eating/drinking something useful instead. That's why I avoid it.

Although I thoroughly enjoy a very occasional ice cold carton of strawberry Ribena once in a blue moon. Terrible for teeth, chock full of sugar. But it tastes bloody lovely.

Squash is evil poison. No-one in their right mind would give a child squash...

...on MN Unless it's a party and then if you don't serve it you might as well move to a remote island and cut off all contact because the other parents will judge your ass off, and you and your family will be labelled as water drinking freaks.

In RL it's just another type of drink.

My DD (22 months) has squash very occasionally. She doesn't like fruit juice for some reason so I dont give her that. She just drinks water and sometimes milk.

I don't want her to have squash incase she starts rejecting water all the time. I don't understand it when people say their DC won't drink water. If they've never had squash, then what would they do if they were thirsty? You can't miss what you've never had.

Yes, I have an older DC so the toddler has squash too.

The older one quite often asks for plain water still though.

I buy ribena for me and hide it at work. The DC get tesco squash

Not with every meal and not every day either. Milk and water gets offered the most. OJ with breakfast. They will drink what's on offer usually. 3 year old tries her luck but I won't always give her what she wants.

I kept DD1 on just milk and water for years. Now DD2 sees everything and I just can't be arsed policing food so much. They are healthy and eat well so everything in moderation.

Yes my 2yo has squash & has done since about 1yr

Yes but generally DD will have water or milk. She's just turned 4.

My Sister bought her a Fruit-Shoot so she now sees those as a treat (but as is already warned in RL and on MN - making something a treat makes them want it more...) as I don't buy them.

More often than not, if I do her a cup of sugar-free blackcurrant, it's left there even when she's asked for it. Yet she'll drink a (small) bottle of water during the night with no problem at all!!

At pre-school they only provide milk or water (although you can send a flask of juice if they won't drink that).

Her drink of choice after school though is very weak Strawberry Milkshake. No fizzy drinks in the house at all as we don't drink them. Actually, that's a fib, we have loads in our basement, next to all the alcohol (beer, wine, spirits, alcopops) that have been there, untouched, since Xmas .

I know lots of children who 'won't drink/don't like' water, and IME they have all been used to squash from a young age.

DS refused all water from birth pretty much (obviously not birth but when I started trying to introduce it alongside weaning), starting refusing milk around 18 months. I guess I could have let him dehydrate but decided that diluted juice/fruit juice was probably a more sensible option!

He is 3.5 now and has just in the last few weeks started asking for water and wanting to drink it so that is gradually becoming the first choice drink.

I don't think its as simple as not liking it simply because they are used to squash. Certainly wasn't for DS.

DD is only 9 months but, yes, she will be allowed to drink squash. Not sugar free though - I would much rather she had sugar than chemicals.

Yes I gave mine squash, just the smallest dash. They still drink it very very weak now at age 9 and 6.

To me getting the fluids in them outweighed the 'issue' over having a sugary drink and they drink it so weak what does it matter.

Monsters:

If they've never had squash, then what would they do if they were thirsty? You can't miss what you've never had

See my post above - they get admitted to hospital for dehydration and spend 3 days on a drip .

All because the Pre-School said they wouldn't take her unless she drank water... she didn't drink anything for 3 days in 40 degree heat (Before I get another kicking, she was being sent to Pre-school with 2 x 500ml bottles of weak squash that were coming back to us empty. We didn't know they were taking them off her and pouring them away)

Hmmm, I think I'm going to try to resist giving her a sippy cup full of squash for a while but will probably continue letting her have the odd glug of my squash when she sees me with it.

No I didn't give them squash, only a small cup of grit in the morning - they'd have it at play groups though and they love the taste but in general they have learned to like water.

a small cup of grit

I think it is a myth that if you only give them milk or water then that is what they will drink. I totally bought into that but ds just didn't drink much water or milk and was always constipated. So I gave him squash. Now they are older they drink mostly water or milk as I don't buy squash very often.

When I do buy squash it is full sugar though - much better than sweeteners.

No I wouldn't. I'd just stick to water

I should say that it is a myth for some children - obviously it works for others

My DD is 22 months and I have just bought the first bottle of squash for the family since she was born (didn't want her seeing it and wanting it). I have only given her diluted fresh grape juice or plain water until now and only plan on letting her have squash when she sees me drinking it and wants some. But she tends to prefer plain water when she is really thirsty anyway.

Now she is near enough to 24 months I don't mind her having some weak squash, but half and half fresh grape juice and water has been a great drink for her as the taste didn't weaken when diluted. I didn't allow her to have squash before simply because of the sugar content but I think she is old enough now.

I also think normal sugary squash is a better option than sugar free as the sugar free options may contain a lot of sweeteners and additives.

Personally I think too much restriction leads to children wanting something more than if they had had moderate access to it to begin with, so I introduce things to my DD gradually myself. So if I drink squash, my DD now gets a little bit too.