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MNHQ

NOW CLOSED: Share your child's favourite drink or tip for keeping thirst at bay for the summer months and you could win a £100 Tesco voucher

199 replies

AnnMumsnet · 03/08/2012 11:35

Britvic are working with Tesco.com to provide 4 downloadable guides that offer Mums top tips for keeping the family active and hydrated during summer.

You can download the guides here.

On this thread they want MNers to share their own top tips for keeping children cool this summer (home or abroad) - and to share your thoughts on keeping children hydrated.

For example:
What drinks do your children like to have? Do they like ice in their juice?
Does your child complain of being thirsty or do you have to remind them to drink?
What kind of drinks do you pack for days out? What would be a treat for your children, drinks-wise?

Add your thoughts and comments to this thread and you'll be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £100 voucher to spend on summer provisions at Tesco.

Some T&Cs: The prize draw is open to GB residents (England, Scotland, Wales and N. Ireland) aged 18+. Normal exclusions apply. One entry per person. Entries can be made at Mumsnet.com. Closing date for all entries is midnight 10th August 2012 .

Thanks,
MNHQ

OP posts:
picc · 03/08/2012 22:31

What drinks do your children like to have?
Water or milk. They have juice very rarely, and never have squash unless we're out somewhere and that's what's offered (I wouldn't be precious and stop them having it.... I just don't like them to have it by choice)

Do they like ice in their juice?
yes they like ice (in water)- but they tend to pick it out and eat it separately.

Does your child complain of being thirsty or do you have to remind them to drink?
both. It's not something I ever worry about, though.

What kind of drinks do you pack for days out? What would be a treat for your children, drinks-wise?
Bottle of water. So I guess a treat would be anything other than water!! Apple juice diluted with (a lot of) fizzy water is something we'll give as a treat at home.

EllenParsons · 03/08/2012 22:55

We don't like tap water straight from the tap in our household, but everyone is happy to drink it once it has been chilled in the fridge so we always have a large jug chilling in there.

We also really like fruit flavoured sparkling waters instead of other more sugary drinks like Fanta - they taste nicer and are healthier.

Smoothies are great treats.

QOD007 · 03/08/2012 23:00

My dd drinks water and only water (her choice!)

She just keeps filling her own glass

Tortington · 03/08/2012 23:01

ds1 = gin

dd1= lager, shots, lets just say alcohol

ds1 = i think he's adopted he doesn't like alcohol energy drinks

ScorpionQueen · 03/08/2012 23:07

And the prize for the most honest answer goes to...

Custardo! :)

stealthsquiggle · 03/08/2012 23:13

Blastoff - I used to find my 'only drinks water' child embarrassing precisely because I thought other mothers would think I was being precious.

stealthsquiggle · 03/08/2012 23:16

Posted too soon - point being, I would have been more than happy for him to drink squash at parties and the like but he refused point blank. Unfortunately the gap is a bit too big for me to produce squash-guzzling DC2 as evidence.

Hopezibah · 03/08/2012 23:51

I take bottles of water out with us everywhere (I re-use drinks bottles like fruit shoot bottles or mineral water bottles rather than struggle to find beakers that don't leak).

Occassional packed lunch treat would be squash or juice carton but mainly still water in packed lunches too.

Very occassional treat for my 6 year old is 'fizzies' i.e. a teeny sip of cola or lemonade. Thankfully my other son doesn't even like fizzy drinks.

The kids don't mind either way about ice. But sometimes as a fun thing we make different shaped ice cubes (i have silicone ice cube trays for jigsaw and star shapes). i have also heard of putting edible flowers (you'd need to look up which ones are definitely edible) in ice cubes and that sounds like a lovely idea to try.

Straws also make drinking lots fun - colorful straws or curly straws.

My kids love to make their own 'cocktails' too (mixing different fruit juices - colourful and fun - add slices of apple / orange etc and add ice and those paper umbrellas).

Oh so much fun to look forward to - i've just reminded myself about some ideas that we've been meaning to try! x

picc · 03/08/2012 23:53

Blastoff- I posted at same time as you, so I know your comments were just aimed in general.... but...
Both my DCs are still under 4, so water/milk only thing may change.
But we only have water or milk in the house (as well as tea/coffee/alcohol....). So that's what they drink.
I drank a lot of juice (albeit very diluted) when I was young and I have terrible teeth. My DH only drank water/ milk. He's never had a filling.
As long as I am able to control it, I'll keep DCs drinking water/ milk as much as possible.
Outside of the home, though, am happy to let them drink whatever is offered (although I might quietly dilute it sometimes....), and wouldn't make a point about it. So maybe you wouldn't know my kids were 'only drink water' children?...

caci · 03/08/2012 23:54

My 3 yr old DS:
Banana-milk in the morning (if at home)
one innocent smoothy a day sometimes 2 if daddy didn't know it's the second one :)
If eating out either orange juice or water
when running about or in the car -water
Some nights milk
He usually says he's thirsty, he gets a drink of some sort with every meal or snack.

NoComet · 04/08/2012 00:08

CokeBlush

Sorry you did ask and that would be DD2 (11) honest answer.

NoComet · 04/08/2012 00:11

Although for a great many years she would have said breast milk.

DD1 (14) likes tea, milk, cold water and most types of squash, juice, and the odd small glass of most types of boozeBlush

CointreauVersial · 04/08/2012 00:17

Mine are all happy to drink water, although they like juice too and would drink Coke by the pint if I allowed it in the house

The best thing was getting one of those fridges that dispenses ice and water; they really enjoy pouring themselves a huge glass of water and crushed ice.

I always keep a bottle of mineral water in the car in case we get caught out.

twingirlsmama · 04/08/2012 01:08

I give my girls filtered water and thirst is always quenched! Its so much better than tap water and you realy can taste the difference, its also better for your little cherubs as it filters out most of the toxins and fluoride that tap water contains. Including lead which has numerous effects on small children, and it doesnt have to cost the earth as you can pick up a water filter jug from almost any supermarket on or offline for under a tenner!

wheremommagone · 04/08/2012 05:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

OhYoshimi · 04/08/2012 06:53

My son doesn't like squash, which is good until you're in a situation where there's nothing else, but that's rare at the moment. He has orange or apple juice most of the time and for him it's a treat to have a small carton with a straw. I put these in the freezer for days out. For school, he takes a bottle of water which I fill with ice cubes and freeze for an hour (never remember the night before). He loves strawberry milk. He still has a cup of warm milk at bedtime and first thing in the morning - he's 5.
He has never been the type of child that guzzles drinks, I have to remind him to drink, except at mealtimes.

popsypie · 04/08/2012 07:43

Thy drink water, cold milk (required it warm for years but will now drink cold) and diluted juice. They need to be reminded to drink at meal times especially.
To keep their fluid intake up, especially in summer I give them watery fruits and veg as a snack e.g. Melon and cucumber. Also ice lollies too. They Tend to get very tired if they don't drink enough and confuse it with hunger so I try and keep them topped up.

BigBadBear · 04/08/2012 07:51

My two DDs (5 and 2) drink water during the day, with the odd juice and smoothie thrown in as treats. Fizzy water is also seems as a treat and they like my homemade squash. Ice is popular but I try to avoid it as they make a mess with it. Straws are seen as fun, as are special bottles for water (normally I use plastic water bottles with sports caps then refill them). I freeze smoothies and fruit juice as lollies that double as ice packs in lunch boxes or picnics.

BigBadBear · 04/08/2012 07:51

Forgot to say that milk isn't very popular but they will have a glass either at breakfast or in the evening with dinner.

fanoftheinvisibleman · 04/08/2012 08:31

I've never had a problem getting ds to drink. It was more the opposite, potty training was hideous and he has a tendency to fill up on drinks at meal times if you don't watch him.

He drinks sugar free squash at home and water when out and about. I use cartons of juice for picnics. His holy grail of drinks is lemonade which is an occasional treat, usually when eating out.

fanoftheinvisibleman · 04/08/2012 08:31

I've never had a problem getting ds to drink. It was more the opposite, potty training was hideous and he has a tendency to fill up on drinks at meal times if you don't watch him.

He drinks sugar free squash at home and water when out and about. I use cartons of juice for picnics. His holy grail of drinks is lemonade which is an occasional treat, usually when eating out.

Sams9Goldmedals · 04/08/2012 10:37

Me too in the water camp.

Not only is it refreshing, rehydrating and cooling, almost the best thing about it is it's free and you can get it everywhere.

If I'm feeling generous we get some apple juice and water it down for my three x

TheCunningStunt · 04/08/2012 10:44

Milk with breakfast, watered down pure fruit juice with lunch and water through the day. We take water bottles everywhere we go.

Snusmumriken · 04/08/2012 11:16

Breast milk without ice!

hk78 · 04/08/2012 11:22

I try to get them to drink mainly water, for obvious reasons.

I have also started buying cheapo bottles and - this is the crucial bit - keeping it in the car boot so that when we are out and about, it doesn't cost a fortune to get a drink (from garage etc) and also it means that I don't have to remember to pack the drinks before setting off as I'm usually frazzled before we even go out Grin

Also, to meet demands for expensive sugary slush, I have been making my own using a plastic cup in freezer containing the concentrated fruit juice from tinned fruit, we all love that.