Have you ever wondered how much your child should be drinking on a hot day or after strenuous exercise? Proper hydration can keep your child in the game while dehydration can lead to serious issues.
In reading an article on Hometown Health TV ( http://hometownhealthtv.com/main/index.php/may-stories/16-may-09/113-kids-and-sports-drinks) regarding children and sports drinks, I came across some interesting facts and links. The article discusses the book “Home Team Advantage: The Critical Role of Mothers in Youth Sports” The author of this book Brooke de Lench is also Founder and Editor in Chief of www.MomsTeam.com.
Hydration Facts from Home Team Advantage:
- Make sure your child is properly hydrated before and after sports or activities. Two out of three children are dehydrated before practice even starts.
- Children do NOT instinctively drink fluids: it is up to you to make sure they get enough.
- Children can become seriously ill from sharing water bottles. Some examples of this are flu, mononucleosis or hepatitis.
- Drinking from contaminated water from a hose or in some cases a school fountain can expose your child to high levels of lead or ground bacteria.
- The Parent’s Healthy Hydration Guide – http://www.drinkcrayons.com/downloads/CrayonsEBrochure-lores.pdf
Children need to drink 5 to 9 ounces every twenty minutes during exercise depending on their weight. Brooke suggests giving younger children a water bottle with marks on the side showing how much he/she should drink each time. Check with your doctor to find the proper hydration statistics for your child’s age and weight.
For more details on this article plus additional health related information check out www.hometownhealthtv.com
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From Hedge Funds to High Chairs 
Great information and helpful. Frustrating that our daughter says school rules prohibit them from drinking the amount of water their bodies require. Granted, I’m getting an 8-year-old’s side of the story but can’t help wondering if efforts to curb misbehaving might impact the health of our kids. Think we need to do a better job in the classroom of making health and nutrition a priority.
Important to note that kids need to stay just as hydrated during winter months when they’re our playing in the snow, sweating, etc. Many associate hydration only during the warm months. In fact, the water consumption rule is a year-round one!