Having enough to drink is important for young children as they are more likely to get dehydrated, especially when they are being active and when it’s hot.
Water and milk are the best drinks for young children. From 12 months of age, full fat cows milk can be introduced as the main milk drink and continued until at least two years old. Children older than 2 can have semi-skimmed milk as long as they are eating a well-balanced diet. Encourage your child to drink plain tap water if they are thirsty, and make sure that fresh drinking water is available at all times. Water quenches thirst, does not spoil the appetite, and does not damage teeth.
Soft drinks such as squash, cordial or fizzy drinks are high in sugar, and often acidic. These drinks can damage teeth, provide empty calories and are not necessary in a child’s diet.
As a rough guide, children aged 1-5 years need around 7-8 cups (100-150mls each) of fluid daily. Offer your child a drink with every main meal and at snack times, and encourage them to drink water regularly during the day.
Young children are particularly vulnerable to tooth decay so it is important to give them tooth friendly drinks.
Some sugar-free drinks can be acidic and would still damage children’s teeth. Water and milk are the best drinks for young children.
Children should not be given tea, coffee, cola or other drinks that contain caffeine as this will disrupt their sleep.
Tea is not suitable for children under the age of 5 as it contains tannin which interferes with the absorption of iron.
Health professionals agree that cups without a lid are best to help children to learn to drink and are better for their teeth. Aim to help your child progress from a bottle or cup with a lid to a ‘free flowing’ or ‘lidless cup’ by around one year of age.