How much water do you give your 1 year old?

[MNmomtobe]

I just bought the Toddler 411 book so I could stop asking these questions but I have managed to come up with more.
The book says that 1 yr olds need 16 oz of whole milk per day- okay, check. Then it says that they need 4 cups of water per day- huh?
I am lucky if DD takes in 8 oz (1 cup) a day in addition to her milk.

I really don't want to give her juice. I would rather she eat her fruits instead of drinking them.

How much water does your 1 yr old or young toddler drink?

[kusumat]

My ped told me that I could give my DD all milk and no water. She is on the lean side(15% on her weight and 100% on her height). So, I didn't give her any water but I clean her teeth after every m

[SnuggleBuggles]

I used to just fill a couple of sippy cups with fresh water every morning and made them accessible to ds throughout the day to just drink when he wanted/ need to.

"How much water should my toddler drink every day?

According to the Institute of Medicine, a child between the ages of one and three needs about 1.3 liters of water a day. Keep in mind that total water intake reflects the sum of plain drinking water and the water content of all foods and beverages consumed during the day. That means your toddler may meet much of his water need from the milk, juice, fruits, soups, yogurt, etc. that he is eating. In order for your child to fulfill his fluid needs without an obligatory intake of unnecessary calories, be sure to offer plain water during meal and snack time, and between times in response to thirst. Many factors will affect your child's unique need for water including the climate you live in... a hot, dry climate will increase a child's need for fluid, activtiy level... active kids will need more water than sedentary ones, and fever or other physiological conditions may increase a child's need for water. Normal hydration can be maintained over a wide range of water intakes. The body has many mechanisms for achieving water balance. If not enough water is drunk, the kidneys will conserve water, and when fluid intake is high, urine output will increase. One way to make sure your child is drinking enough water is to pay attention to his urine output. If he is urinating frequently and the urine is pale yellow and with little smell, he's getting enough, but if his urine is bright yellow and acrid smelling, it's a good indication he's not getting enough fluid and his urine is very concentrated. Offer him plenty of plain, refreshing water to get back into balance. It's rare to get too much water and you needn't worry about that with a toddler who is allowed to drink in response to needs. "
http://www.earthsbest.com/toddler_nu...faqs/other.php

Beth

[nfowife]

Starting at 1, I would give DD milk with her meals and water with snacks and when we are out (so if we are out for lunch, then she gets water with that meal, because I don't like dealing with worrying about warm icky milk or trying to keep it cold or whatever). If we are at someone's house for lunch (like for playgroups), then I just bring an empty cup and use some of their milk. I also give DD free access to water all day long so she can drink it as she wants to when she is thirsty.
I find that if I don't offer her water that she can get constipated by drinking too much milk when she is thirsty, because is also loves cheese!

[MNmomtobe]

Thanks all for your responses!
DD gets her 16 oz of whole milk in four 4 oz bottles. Then I also offer her a sippy with water at each meal and snacktime. DD is not doing well with the sippy and in the meantime, she is getting constipated from lack of fluids. So I started putting her water in a bottle and offering that along with her milk. Still, she only gets about 6 oz of water throughout the day! I do still try to practice with the sippy so we don't go backwards in that way.


My DD loves her cheese as well. I just got some packages of cheese crumbles in a mixture of cheddar and colby. They are the perfect size right out of the package to give her. :) I was stunned when she pushed aside her cheerios yesterday to get to the cheese crumbles, since she loves the cheerios so much!

[nfowife]

Have you tried a straw cup? I found my DD much prefers to use a straw cup to a sippy.

[NeyhaR]

Mine too. I got a Nuby straw cup that doesn't leak, which DS uses. But, I think he doesn't like having to work too hard to get the water out (he doesn't like valves that help prevent leaking, but also make him have to suck harder to get anything). So, we just got those cheapo Take and Toss cups with lids and straws that really get him to drink. Some spilling, but it's just water, and he really drinks a lot more water that way.

[Lilysmom06]

DD is 13 months, and drinks water throughout the day from her sippy cup. I would guess she drinks between 10-15 oz. of water a day (at least). I give her water with meals, and if we are going out we bring water (not milk). She gets 3-4 sippies of milk per day, each 5-6 oz. Usually one when she wakes up, 1-2 before naps (although naps are such a struggle lately!) and one before bedtime. She also *loves* cheese, would eat a pound a day if I let her! She probably eats almost a whole Yobaby yogurt most days as well.

I would just keep offering her the water. Some days DD drinks more, some days less - just like we do! Oh, we haven't done juice yet either.

Kathy

[elephantmeg]

4 cups!?! Um, not so much. If it's really hot and he's been out a bunch he'll drink maybe 2 (6-8 oz) cups of water and 2 cups of milk. Maybe. But that's it! He pees and poops good, so good enough for me!

[MNmomtobe]

Yes, my daughter does great with the straw cups. I especially love the insulated Playtex ones with the flippy thing that covers the straw. However, they only use sippies at daycare so am trying to get DD used to them.