Getting children to drink water in this day and age is a nightmare; why should they when there are so many other nice drinks that they would much rather drink? It is important that you explain the importance of drinking water to children in a way that they understand. Children are inquisitive and want to know “why†all the time, so make this one of the fun activities that encourages them to stay healthy.
Our bodies consist of more than 70% water and every cell in our body needs water to grow and work properly. This is even more important for children, who are constantly active and sweat all the time. They need to drink water constantly to replace the body fluids that are lost due to sweat, breathing, coughing, sneezing, urinating and other bodily functions.
The Importance of Drinking Water for Children
Here are some easy ways to answer their questions as to why they need to drink water and why drinking sodas are just not the same. Hopefully when they understand the function that water has in their body they will drink more water more often:
Q. Why must I drink water?
A: More than half of your body is made up of water and you need to keep the same amount of water in your body to help your body to grow big and strong.
Q. Why must I drink so much water?
A: Drinking water is not like filling a glass or a bottle of water that overflows when it is full. The water travels all around your body, to your hands, your feet, your arms, your muscles, your brain, and everywhere else. This water helps our bodies grow and our muscles work.
Q. Does my body use all that water? Is that why I must drink so much water?
A: Your body does use most of the water, but the rest is lost when you sweat, when you pee, and even when you breathe… that “smoke†that you can see when you breathe in the cold is actually fine drops of water-like mist.
Q. Why does my body need all that water?
The body uses all that water to do different things:
- It keeps your blood think enough so that it can carry all the oxygen and food to the different parts of your body so they can work properly and grow
- Drinking water helps your stomach to turn all the food that you eat into fuel that the body turns into energy so that you can play so much
- Drinking water often helps your blood and lymph fluid fight infections so that you do not stay sick when you get the flu
- You have to drink water so that your body can get rid of all the stuff that it doesn’t need; the water takes this to your kidneys which turn it into wee, which is mostly water, and which you then get rid of by peeing. The rest of the stuff that your body does not need goes to your stomach and then to your colon and you get rid of it when you poo. If you do not drink enough water it makes it difficult to poo
- The temperature of our body must be kept at about 37ºC, and drinking water regularly helps to keep it at this temperature
- You have fluids that are all around your joints like your knees and elbows so that they can move easily and not be stiff and creak like an old person’s does. You need to drink water to make sure that there is enough water around your joints so you can run and jump and play
- Drinking water regularly keeps the cells in your muscles growing so that you can become big and strong and tall like your mommy and daddy
Now that you have made your child understand why they need to drink water regularly, make it easy and fun for them to do so by investing in a home water cooler. Children love the fact that it is easy for them to get lovely icy cold water so easily, and they feel like they are using a vending machine when they push a button or a lever to get water; definite bragging rights to friends.
Source:
Women & Children’s Health Network
Water cooler rental wand water cooler purchase from Living-Water.
