Water Consumption - Muscatine,IA

Will she drink it if you keep a jug in the fridge so it is cold and not coming out of the tap? I think I would have problems drinking water from somewhere there is brown water coming out at times... it would be like drinking from dirty pipes to a 3 year old. Other then that put just a tspoon or so of koolaid in the water, just enough to give it a color and a little taste. Then as she drinks it for a bit you can skip the koolaid and use a drop of red food coloring in it.

give her half juice half water she should be drinking at least a cup and 1/2 a day of water. remember she also gets water from certain foods (fresh fruits and veggies) I have the opposite problem with my 15mnth old he always wants water and fills up so he doesnt want to eat!

My guess is that she doesn't trust the tap water anymore. She's seen your reaction to the brown water. She's probably overheard comments that enforce her perception that the water isn't good. It's sometimes difficult to logic-away even adults emotional reactions, especially ones that have been reinforced. Don't turn it into any more of a power struggle than it's already inadvertinently become. Make a big deal about buying her "special" water because you've notice that she doesn't seem to enjoy your tap water. Buy one or two gallon jugs of your favorite brand of bottled water and put her name on the outside with magic marker. "Kristen's special Water". Make sure she sees that the water came from the store instead of the tap. Hold the water up to the light and comment on how wonderfully clean and clear and tasty it looks.

When you give her water, make a big deal about pouring it from her special bottle. Don't let the bottle get empty, but don't let her see you filling it from the tap, either.

You may also consider making sure her children's multivitamin includes zinc. For whatever reason, if you aren't getting enough zinc from your diet water has an off taste. A support group member gave me that advice and it worked for me!

I despise water. Have since I was young. It tastes disgusting. Many kids have highly developed sense of taste that wears off over time, and some of us are "super tasters". City water, even filtered, tastes different each and every single day. Eeeew. Yuck. Gross. (Grape juice covers the flavor better than apple, btw.) Every single kind of bottled water tastes different. There are only a couple brands I can drink without feeling nauseus from the taste.

I've never had a problem with being / staying hydrated. I drink other things. Milk, juice, soda, tea. I'm fine.

she should drink when shes thirsty.

look for other signs before worrying about her consuption. is she dehydrated? (dry skin, bad color in her skin, constipation, etc). is she energetic as normal? is she tired? physical signs of dehydration are more important than the actual amount of water she drinks. offer water between meals, at night, or even WITH meals if you so desire. juice is non-important; it just gives her water with calories. not as good as it could be. so water is always a good choice. juicy fruit will give her a TON of awesomely great water. :)
good luck

First of all good job in incorporating water into your daily lifestyle!! I hated water as a kid! Don't force her though to finish the water. Does she like milk? Of course in the morning start with the water. Keep offering it if she is thirsty. Kids don't need to have the 6-8 glasses or more that we need. Can you put a drop of juice in it so it changes the taste slightly? To make sure our kids are not getting to much sugar...we end up doing three quaters water mixed with juice etc...Now our kids have grown accustomed to the watered down juices....

My granddaughter loves her water when I put a little lemonade in it...just enough to give it a hint of lemon flavor. I commend you for being concerned about her drinking enough water. Adults and little ones can get dehydrated which can lead to a lot of other problems. For adults, they should drink in ounces half their body weight. So for a 150 pound adult, they should drink 75 ounces of water. I do not know what is recommended for a 3 year old. --R. H.

There are many things with water in them that she probably gets during the day: fruits, vegetables, cereal, etc. I think this might have become too much of an issue for her. Why is juice bad? Pop, no, but there is a wide range of liquids to offer that she might enjoy. How about mineral water, weak tea, sugar free flavored water, sugar free powdered drinks for a different flavor, even pedialyte...

You could try a new "special" cup, let her pick it out. Is she using straw cups yet? Ice cubes add a fun interest, they shake and make noise. Also, slices of citrus to add flavor; orange, lemon or lime (or just squeeze the juice). I wouldn't offer anymore juice until she starts drinking water. You can leverage the juice as a treat when she finishes a cup of water; if she drinks her water, she can have a little juice w/ her snack.. Well, those were just some ideas, good luck!