Dehydrated child?

[SleepingStandingUp]

So DS has just toilet trained. Largely. 2-3 accidents every 2-4 days I'd say but that's with is sending him lots.

I think partly change of routine with schooling etc, lack of feeling thirst generally and the toiletting, he's cut down how much he actually drinks

If I prompt him to drink he'll just say he's not thirsty or have the tiniest sip and that seems enough but I'm worried about him being dehydrated

How can I tell and how do I get more fluid on him, ideally without him reverting back to nappies

How old is he?

(Some) Fruit, Jelly and flavoured drinks all count for hydration

Watermelon and 'watery' fruits and Cucumber

Crap I knew not over explaining would come back and haunt.

Sorry I really didn't mean to drop feed

We have issues with food. He drinks water. Eats dry foods. Fruit is apples. Veg is peas, baked beans and sweetcorn. No jelly, , melon etc.

Sorry

I suppose I meant more how do I tell of he's dehydrated? He goes often but they're fairly small wees I think

I did think about putting something in the loo to measure the wee?

The colour and smell of the wee is a good indication - the darker (and smellier) the wee the more dehydrated he is.

I've measured DDs output overnight once, out of curiosity, I wasn't worried and it's not that useful I think because I've no idea what it should be.

Colour of his wee would be your best bet I think but that's lot in the toilet with kids small wees so a potty?

How old is he? If he's having an accidents days, I wouldn't say he's toilet trained.

Colour is a good indicator. Do you ever give him diluting juice? That always helps with kids that won't drink much water.

He won't drink anything but water imina and on so he's not totally they're yet but surely it takes a bit of time, he's been out of nappies since new year's eve

older I really really don't want to regress him to a potty, it's taken such a lot of effort to get this far. Potty innard inside loo yes but I couldn't ask him to wee on one.

Yes of course smell and colour, I should know that, sorry. I was wondering what I should be looking for in him, it was easier when they had soft spots

You keep avoiding saying his age??

My daughter is 2 and has been using potties and toilets for over a year, one is not less good than the other particularly except one we all use and one she uses at night and can use independently. She does prefer the toilet but sometimes wants the potty. We got out the travel potty when she was constipated one time because it gave her a better position, just a tool to solve a problem 🤷‍♀️ I'd have her use a potty if I needed to collect a urine or stool sample

If he is dehydrated he might be tired or dizzy and have dry lips or his eye might be dry.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/dehydration/

How old is he? Does he drink milk?

If he’s thirsty he’s dehydrated the key is to regularly intake to avoid thirst completely - try him with one of the water bottles with hourly markers on and monitor it , once he forms the habit it’ll stick

He won't drink voluntarily unless he's thirsty, o constantly tell him to drink, he has a tiny sip. He doesn't drink milk, he only drinks water.

He's 5 1/2 so he is too big for a potty really and having finally got to him to go on command on the loo, there's no way he'd use a potty. There are reasons beyond shit parenting that it's taken this long

@mrsbyers

If he’s thirsty he’s dehydrated the key is to regularly intake to avoid thirst completely - try him with one of the water bottles with hourly markers on and monitor it , once he forms the habit it’ll stick

I'll try the hourly markers, thanks. Cuddle reckons 40z of water so 4oz an hour. Crap, were no where near that

He does have 20oz at night and 11oz milk in the day but that's not orally so maybe if we went for 3oz an hour

My youngest doesn't drink much and he never stops moving. My eldest was always a really thirsty child. The youngest doesn't seem any worse off than the eldest in terms of hydration.
Does he get constipated? If not I wouldn't worry too much.
I would stop telling him to have a drink, maybe just sit a cup down infront of him, or hand him one absent mindedly while he's doing something else, see if he automatically takes a drink.

I did a quick Google and it said on average a 5byear old should drink around 40oz of liquid a day. So if he's getting 20 at night and 11 in the morning, that's pretty good going. It shouldn't matter that it's not orally, it's still going into his system.

OP, I would try to relax about it and not mention it to him. It is rare that a child won’t drink to thirst and as long as water and other drinks are available then he should just take what his body needs. If he is picking up it is an issue for you, he might avoid driving for attention etc.

Drinking hopefully not driving at 5.5!!!

What do you give him fluid in OP a cup? Maybe if you buy some type of bottle he will drink more? I still give DS a bottle (not a baby bottle) to drink out of and you can monitor how many mls he is drinking.

If he has a peg can you put a small amount of water once in the day through there if he is dehydrated? If his wee is smelly and dark that would be a sign.

Has he always not drank a lot of water, or maybe he is worried about accidents?

@Chel098

What do you give him fluid in OP a cup? Maybe if you buy some type of bottle he will drink more? I still give DS a bottle (not a baby bottle) to drink out of and you can monitor how many mls he is drinking.

Sports bottle or straw cup. He rarely has an open cup altho he did at school and of he does he asks for a straw most times.

@ChasingRainbows19

If he has a peg can you put a small amount of water once in the day through there if he is dehydrated? If his wee is smelly and dark that would be a sign.

Has he always not drank a lot of water, or maybe he is worried about accidents?

Both I think is my worry.

He didn't drink orally until late and then he's never been a great drinker. Wee doesn't seem overly smelly or dark when he has an accident and he doesn't like is in the loo with him but I feel like he's drinking less.

@SandysMam

OP, I would try to relax about it and not mention it to him. It is rare that a child won’t drink to thirst and as long as water and other drinks are available then he should just take what his body needs. If he is picking up it is an issue for you, he might avoid driving for attention etc.

This! The human race has survived thus far. I would stop scrutinizing the colour of his wee etc.. As long as he has access to water, he won't get dehydrated, he'll drink when he's thirsty.. that is what has worked for the human race to date. True dehydration doesn't happen in a fit and well toddler who has access to fluid. Thirst is a normal indicator of the body that it needs fluid, it's nonsense that " you are already dehydrated by the time you are thirsty" You don't get a derangement in your electrolytes, become floppy, tired or go into system failure just because you are thirsty, if you are well and have access to fluid. Dehydration causes this, thirst doesn't. In the absence of disease, illness, sunburn or neglect, let his body regulate his fluid input.