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Parenting

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Original poster

My 1 year old won't drink water!!!

29 replies

hydrate3546 · 30/03/2022 10:43

I'm at the end of my tether as my 15MO is outright refusing to drink water and I'm really worried about the repercussions of it.

She has different types of cups to drink from and we are trying all of them but she just pushes them away - so I don't think it's a 'cup' problem as she still drinks her milk fine.

This morning she had a tantrum when we tried to give her some. I'm now down to giving her water lollies in a desperate bid to keep her hydrated but not sure how long this can go on for.

Two nights ago she had blood in her poo after straining all day which was obviously very alarming. We gave her stool softener in her milk. She has a very broad diet so I am confident that it is the lack of water that is causing this.

Any ideas or tricks would be really helpful please!!!

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rubyslippers · 30/03/2022 10:46

Diluted juice
Watery foods such as cucumber, melon
Ice lollies
Try colouring the water with a drop of food colouring - - Make it exciting
Have you spoken to the HV for advice?

Teaforme123 · 30/03/2022 10:49

Try putting frozen fruit pieces in to make it more interesting.

Plzhelpifyoucan · 30/03/2022 10:50

Could you try sugar free squash? (Preferably without aspartame) apple & pear squash was a favourite here at that age.

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MangoReinhardt · 30/03/2022 10:53

I would increase her milk if she’s happy to drink that. I really wouldn’t introduce squash or juice to such a young child if you can avoid it.

RandomQuest · 30/03/2022 10:54

Try diluted apple juice. I gave it to my first because she wouldn’t drink water and gradually just gave it weaker and weaker until it was just plain water. Tbh I’d give her whatever she’ll drink. Even sugar free squash is better than dehydration and constipation.

Lazypuppy · 30/03/2022 10:56

Avoid squash as you'll never get away from it! I would increase milk and increase foods with a lot of water in, its a hard barrier to break getting them to drink water.

What about getting them to fill it up themselves from sink tap or something to make it something for them to do? Or straws?

GeneLovesJezebel · 30/03/2022 10:58

Put a bit of water in her milk and gradually increase the amount.
Very diluted juice. An ice lolly is no different to diluted juice or squash.
Watery foods like cucumber, peppers, melon.

ISpyCobraKai · 30/03/2022 10:59

Give her milk or juice then if she'll drink those.
Juice really won't cause all of her teeth to immediately fall out, lots of kids only drink that, and whilst it may not be ideal it's fine so long as she's getting her teeth brushed

Chimchar · 30/03/2022 11:02

I refused water from a tiny baby. Still can't drink it now. Literally makes me gag. 😳

No advice, but I sympathise with your baby! 😉

ISpyCobraKai · 30/03/2022 11:06

Christ, the poor wee girl is straining all day and yet still everyone is so against some juice.
She needs fluids, in whichever way she'll drink them.
I'm a child of the 80s and squash was a totaly normal drink.

Danikm151 · 30/03/2022 11:14

A dash of sugar free squash, just to change the colour.
Of try a fruit infuser bottle. Put some fruit in it so she’s having strawberry water, orange water etc

Original poster

hydrate3546 · 30/03/2022 11:14

Thanks for all of the tips everyone! I see there is a bit of a divide re. using juice/squash and in all honesty I've been so reluctant to give her it because of any added sugar. I think maybe I might go down the route of infusing her water with frozen fruit and giving her more milk and perhaps speak to the health visitor.

Just can't bear the thought of her being in discomfort.

OP posts:

IncompleteSenten · 30/03/2022 11:15

What about those water bottles that have the thing on them that makes them taste like squash?

IncompleteSenten · 30/03/2022 11:16

Air up.

I couldn't remember what it was called so I googled

uk.air-up.com/pages/uk-thinknew-drinknew-new-1?gclid=Cj0KCQjw_4-SBhCgARIsAAlegrWYu8_G9vrDdsAc3emym8T-CEO4pnYquI4D3203o5STazPvck_l73oaAhrsEALw_wcB

marinar98 · 30/03/2022 11:20

in my opinion, your LO, is no longer a small baby, whilst still your beloved little angel, she's not tiny. i highly doubt that adding a little squash into her diet and diluting it more with water gradually will upset her stomach or have any health complications. kids grow to want squash from around the ages 4-12, they're most likely going to drink squash, and non diluted beverages at one point, so i wouldn't worry about "not being able to get her off it" after. after all squash is a healthier alternative to juices and if she's getting water at the end of the day, it's more important.

ps. at the end of the day, you know your LO more than anyone, take everyone's opinions and let them sink in but do what feels right by you, only
you know what's best for your child!! children are fussy, they grow habits really fast quickly. despite what others told me, i've been giving my LO water since he was two weeks, and he's great with it, so i wouldn't worry about other opinions as a parent you know what's best

Lazypuppy · 30/03/2022 11:21

For me its not the sugar as such is squash and juice, its teaching them how to drink plain water, it shows as plenty of posters have said they can't drink plain water, and so then the sugar becomes a problem, because they will only want it stronger and stronger as they get older, not let you dilute it more.

girlmom21 · 30/03/2022 11:23

Can you water down her milk and wean her off it that way?

Phormiumjester2 · 30/03/2022 11:25

At this point I'd be less worried about what people think of my parenting and get fluid into her. It's weak cordial not crack cocaine. It doesn't kill you. It's not addictive.
Solve the constipation and then work on a long term solution. Honestly nobody in real life, that matters, is judging you.

Soubriquet · 30/03/2022 11:26

Let her drink diluted squash.

That is all my two would drink as babies. They only drink water now unless we have a take away from somewhere like McDonald’s or they go to a party.

People get too anal about kids only drinking water. Mine wouldn’t until they started school and wasn’t allowed squash there

Missmonkeypenny · 30/03/2022 11:44

Another one saying diluted juice or squash. At this point the fluid is more important, especially if she's becoming constipated. My first drinks water happily but my second wouldn't and would become horribly dehydrated at nursery so he now has a very small amount of squash and drinks it with no issue. He will also drink water now but only if it is very cold!

Get her a special cup, one with an exciting straw if needs be

isittheholidaysyet · 30/03/2022 11:47

Water is disgusting. Give her squash of diluted juice.

My eldest wouldn't drink water, ever. When he was 10 and 11 he was regularly sent home from school with headaches. He was dehydrated, a glass of squash and he was fine.
He's now 17 and has started drinking water

My other kids all drink water happily, the often choose it.

runsmidgeOMG · 30/03/2022 11:54

Missing the point as no help from the constipation aspect but I was still BF my DD at 1yo and she wouldn't take water either. I remember thinking will she eat or drink anything EVER 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️ it will pass OP don't worry

Mummyof287 · 30/03/2022 12:05

Please- just give her some juice or squash! (I'm shocked you haven't done so already if I'm honest :-/)

If she is unwell because she isn't drinking enough then surely it's a no-brainer... dehydration would be alot more dangerous health wise for her than any sort of drink.It annoys me how society's obsession with eating/drinking 'natural' or 'healthy' things makes people think anything else is evil.Same as formula milk.It's no match health wise to breastfeeding, but if baby can't have breastmilk then they need formula milk, as they have to drink!

I was keen for my DD to have water too at first, but in the very hot summer of 2018 (when she was about 14mths) she started refusing to drink much of it, so she had apple juice and weak squash, and still does (we do try to avoid aspartame, and keep the squash weak)
BUT she has water/milk at school and water at bedtime now (aged 4) and drinks these when she has too, although she still has squash and juice aswell some of the time, as she will drink more of those so means she is definitely getting enough fluids (and I can't blame her- I don't like tap water either!)

Original poster

hydrate3546 · 30/03/2022 12:49

For PP who are sitting there appalled at the fact that I haven't given her squash yet... ok I get your point but she has been taking the water lollies and I wanted to ask for advice before giving her squash... that's all!

I'm not going to sit there watching her suffer and say 'oh no I couldn't possibly give her squash!!!!'

Im not completely adverse to the idea of squash - obviously her hydration is paramount - but I'm just trying to explore all avenues beforehand that's all.

OP posts:

Original poster

hydrate3546 · 30/03/2022 12:51

P.s @Mummyof287 my baby was formula fed too. I'm actually quite laid back with making sure she has a broad diet.

OP posts:

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