Water with lemon/lime

[Purplepricklesalloverhisback]

I know I should know this.... but i'm useless at food stuff!

I am trying to get a tantruming toddler to drink less squash- If i squeeze some lemon/lime/orange into tap water can I keep it in the fridge a few days rather than having to make it fresh several times a day?

Is this better for teeth/diet than drinking no added sugar squash given that the fruit has sugar in?

If he has a glass with a meal it is fine for teeth (a slice of orange or lemon looks pretty), but if you squeeze it in it will be very acidic and not good for teeth- certainly don’t put it in a bottle for sipping all day.

I'd go for plain water I think. Fancy mug or straw if you want to add interest. Lemon juice is too acidic to be good for their teeth.

We have an infuser bottle and tend to use frozen berries as they are less acidic. Yes there are some natural sugars but it's not artificial sweeteners or large amounts of sugar.

She isn't a fan of water on it's own and would drink juice at every opportunity or dehydrate herself so this is a happy medium for us. I do a ltr bottle a day and leave it in the fridge giving her small glasses throughout the day.

I would love for him to drink plain water- he won't touch it. Weak dilute sugar free squash is all he will drink.

He is also very particular about foods and clothes and so we are considering whether he is being an ordinary 2 year old or whether there are some sensory issues going on.

It might help if you try taking only plain bottled water when you're out somewhere he really enjoys like the adventure playground so he gets used to it. Have some yourself. The bottled water with the spouty tops means he's a big boy now.

@Tavannach tried that. Because they all sell fruit shoot etc type drinks he will just refuse the water and ask to buy a drink. If I refuse sometimes it will be full scale tantrum (i never give in once I've said no), or he will just go without a drink the whole time we are there.

I've tried binning all the squash in the house and telling him it's only water- he would go all day without drinking anything. He can get quite constipated and so I don't really want him reducing his fluid intake.

I've bought new cups/straws etc to try and make it exciting. Unless it's orange squash he won't drink anything.

That's a pity. I think I'd just stick with the sugar free squash as diluted as you can get away with. Drink plain water yourselves in front of him without saying anything. Then try again in a month or so.

Try squeezing some pomegranates on the water with a drop of lemon zest.

there isn't anything wrong with having the water with some dilute in it.honestly the scaremongering that goes with the stuff!
eventually he will start to like more fluids in the style of water but untl then you don't nee to worry about this little dilute.

No no no no no.

Never put an acidic fruit in water regularly for adults let alone children. Your teeth will become very sensitive due to acid erosion of your enamel.

From a dental point of view, sipping anything other than water or milk throughout the day will cause their teeth so much damage. When you eat or drinking anything other than water the PH balance in your mouth is altered to and acidic state which makes your enamel soft, causing bacteria to eat through it causes microscopic holes, after a couple hours your PH returns to normal and your enamel hardens again, I'd you let the animal constantly become soft the bacteria will eat through your enamel causes the holes to become larger, therefore causing decay.

Try and make water fun with pretty re-freezable ice cubes shapes?

Could you buy one of those big drink jars with a tap on that people have for parties? Fill it with water and let him help himself... my toddler cannot get enough of the water machine at work!

Ps as kids we actually had a rented office-style water fountain at home and as a result all we ever drank was water.