How Much Should My Child Drink in a Day?

By: Christine Cox, The Choosy Mommy

Capri has always been my drink chugger. As soon as you hand her a drink, she drinks all of it. Then she usually asks for more, in which I oblige. It is rare that she leaves a cup with any kind of liquid in it. This goes for all drinks: water, milk, juice, smoothies, etc. I used to worry that she was drinking too much, especially when we were potty training. We were in the bathroom every 10 minutes! And then I would wonder if she was getting enough to drink since she was always chugging her drinks. My mind was going in so many directions. So I talked to our pediatrician.

There are many factors that come into play when discussing how much a child should drink in a day. Age, weight and even gender are considerations for determining the proper amount of liquid that a child needs. The weather, the child’s activity level, and the overall health of the child are also reasons for drinking more or less.

According to Reliant Medical Group, toddlers who weigh the following should drink, on average, this amount of water and milk in a day to stay properly hydrated:

• Children age 1, weighing 30 pounds or less need to drink 32 to 40 ounces
• Children 31 to 41 pounds need to drink 40 to 48 ounces 
• Children 42 to 63 pounds need to drink 48 to 56 ounces 

Remember that our bodies are made up of nearly 60% water. Children (age 1 and up) need to drink plain, unflavored water daily to keep their organs functioning properly. Newborns and infants obtain their daily fluid intake from breastmilk or formula and do not require additional water. Please discuss this further with your pediatrician if you have any concerns with your child who is under 1 as drinking water can be very dangerous for newborns and infants.

Pediatricians also advise parents to serve only 100% fruit juice because of the sugar and extra calories in sweetened juices or juice cocktails. To ensure your children aren't drinking too much juice, follow these guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics:

• Birth to 6 months: No fruit juice, unless it's used to relieve constipation.
• 6 to 12 months: Limit juice intake to 4 to 6 ounces and serve it in a cup (not a bottle) to avoid tooth decay. (According to AAP.org, babies should drink breastmilk or formula for the first year of life. Try to avoid introducing juice until child is a toddler. If juice is introduced, wait until 6-9 months and limit consumption to 4-6 ounces a day).
• 1 to 6 years: Up to 6 ounces per day, again in a cup, not a bottle.
• 7 years and older: Up to 12 ounces a day.

While the total amount of water that children should be drinking in a day seems high, we need to remember that fruit and vegetables contain water too. Think of what your children eat in a day to help determine the correct amount they need to drink. And if they are highly active one day compared other days, they may need more to drink than usual.

If you are concerned your child is drinking too much, or too little, try to chart the amount your child eats and drinks in a week and discuss the topic with your pediatrician.

When it came to my daughter, I chalked her drinking habits up to being highly active. Her urine output and color were always normal for her and her skin was not dry at all; three highly noticeable sign of dehydration. Anytime she asks for a drink, I provide her with one, no matter if it is morning, noon or night. I know a lot of parents try to stop offering fluids at a certain time when nighttime potty training. Please take into consideration how active your child was all day before declining your child a drink at night.

If you need to help your children get excited about drinking, check out our song from the My Wiggle Makes Me Giggle CD, My Choosy Cup.

Do you provide easy access to water all day? Do your children drink a lot of water? How much, on average, would you say they drink in a day?

About the Author: Christine Cox is the blog master for Choosy Kids and owner of The Choosy Mommy. She has always had a passion for writing and is honored to contribute her work to this blog. Most of her writing inspiration comes from her daughter, Capri, who is fun-loving and full of energy, and son Cam, who is learning new things everyday. Click here to learn more about Christine.

Navigating the Grocery Store

By: Jennifer Ripepi, MD

Navigating the grocery store can be a real chore, especially with children in tow. As a parent who has been in your shoes, I’d like to share some tips that may help you get through the shopping process with more healthful foods and less junk in your cart.

First and foremost, I found that preparation is key to a successful venture. Review the store ads either in print or on-line. If you do your shopping the first 2 or 3 days of when the weekly specials are advertised, you are more likely to find the items that are on sale. Different stores have different days of when prices are in effect so double check what your favorite store offers. This step helps you to work within a budget and you can even begin to plan meals for the week. Cutting coupons and comparing those to the store ads may also help you to save money on the items you need. You can also check out some money saving apps for your phone. A couple that are popular are Ibotta, Checkout 51 and Saving Star.

Make a list! How many times do we finish shopping and forget some important item? Keeping a running list in your kitchen may help. As you empty one of your stock items, then you can add it to the list. Too many times, our list at home (ominously referred to as "The List") begins as soon as I get back from the store. Just another part of being in a family!

Do not go to the store while you are hungry! You WILL buy items that you don’t need just because you are eating with your eyes. Take a bottle of water with you during your shopping trip and sip that as you stroll the aisles.

Understand your store's layout. Most large grocery stores have produce first and around the outside walls are the bakery, deli, meats and seafood, dairy and perhaps the frozen foods. This is where we should spend most of our time. Selecting healthy produce with attention to season, color and freshness will help us to prepare beautiful and vitamin and mineral packed meals. Lean proteins give us the building blocks for growth and repair. Dairy and dairy-equivalents like soy products give us calcium, protein and some Vitamin D for strong bones and muscles (among other things). Frozen foods may be a reasonable alternative if fresh produce is out of season or longer storage is needed. Sometimes these foods are convenient as well, but be aware that the more processed they are, the less control you have over what you are serving to your family. Try to stick to single ingredient foods without added flavorings.

The inside of the store has some aisles a health-conscious family should avoid. Snack foods like chips, pretzels, crackers, candy and cookies and the soft drink sections are huge parts of many stores. These foods rob our health and we really do not need those in our pantries. Feel like you "have to have it"? Get the smallest size available. Or better yet, do without and look at your total at the end of your trip.

The shelves are set up for eye level shopping. Your child sitting buckled into the seat of the cart will see sweetened cereals and the items at the checkout that are there for impulse buying. Plan for letting them know that Choosy would pick something else. Perhaps even talk about being Choosy at the store beforehand. It may save you some tantrums later.

What are your grocery shopping tips? Do you engage your children in the experience and let them help out when picking out produce? Do you discuss what the foods are that they are seeing?


About the Author: I have been a pediatrician for over 25 years. My husband and I have been privileged to raise 4 bright and healthy children. I have tried to gather wisdom from the families I have been blessed to meet during my journey. I believe in practical and flexible parenting to help raise healthy adults. I love to garden, hike, travel and cook and I am looking forward to hearing from Choosy followers.