stick to water or just let them have diluted juice?

[*Becky*]

we have always been pretty strict about juice. M does not have any apart from the odd smoothie and H is allowed 2 small cups in the am to have with his meds. Thing is neither of them are drinking enough, M is a bit constipated too atm and I am sure it is partly due to her lack of liquids. What do you think? I don't want to start letting them just have juice but I do want them to take in more liquids...

[Shiv52]

Personally I'd persevere with water. Mine really only ever have water or milk. DH had bought juice a while back and I got so fed up of Being asked for it that I said it was only allowed with dinner.   R will say not about water helping the poos come and when she's a bit constipated she knows to drink more water. Would M get that?

[We Three]

Millie didn't have any juice until she was 4 (preschool gave it to her), so like you I had been trying to avoid it. But if I felt she wasn't drinking enough, I wouldn't have had a problem with adding a splash of juice to some water.  If you think it will make them drink more, then it might be worth it.  Jmo.     I always felt like once she had juice, she would stop drinking water, but she has juice a couple of times a week, and it has never made her refuse water, or stop asking for it.   

[Shiv52]

It does depend like A says whether they would then refuse anything else as I know loads of kids who do. Mine still often choose water over juice at dinner. But I know if I allowed it through the day R would NEVER touch water again as she has such a sweet tooth.

[barbaraz78]

DS has juice sometimes, he has it at every party at preschool and at birthday, and we offer him a juice as snack when we are out and about, sometimes. We introduced juice last year, really, before it was only water, and now if he is thirsty he asks for water. He never stopped drinking water for juice. So, if you think they are not getting enough liquid and that a bit of juice could help this, I would not say no, maybe I would limit it on a special time of the day (like with dinner or with morning/afternoon snack). Could you also offer homemade orange juice?

[Papaya]

R will say not about water helping the poos come and when she's a bit constipated she knows to drink more water.

I tell F this too, so if she's had trouble on the loo she will generally agree to have a big drink of water afterwards.

F never had juice before 2, and now it's a very occasional thing - not so much as a treat, just a sometimes drink, eg if we have guests for dinner and the adults are having wine (which we rarely have otherwise), F might have some diluted grape juice. I was really worried about her not drinking enough a month or so ago, but things have improved a lot so maybe it's just a phase. I have tried to mix up how I offer her drinks throughout the day -  in different cups, sometimes with a straw, sometimes with ice - and I think that helps her to drink more. Also, she enjoys weak herbal teas (peppermint, chamomile or rooibos) - would M go for that? We have tea parties together in the afternoon using my Vietnamese tea set and tiny tea cups and she'll down several cups.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

But if I felt she wasn't drinking enough, I wouldn't have had a problem with adding a splash of juice to some water.

This is exactly what I do (well for Spencer, Masyn is old enough to get that she can have a bit of juice "straight up" and then its only water).  Spencer will drink loads more than she would otherwise with just an ounce or so of juice added to about 7-8 oz of water!  (and by juice I mean 100% apple generally as orange juice gives her the runs)

[*Becky*]

thanks. she ended up getting constipated and I kept telling her she needed to drink so her poos were not sore and that really helped and we have been ok the last few days....

[Fiver]

DD will drink water as long as it's the only thing on offer or in one of DS's cups   Other than that I'm ok with her having majorly diluted fruit juice.  I'm not even sure how much flavour it gives it, but we talking something like 150-200ml of water to 10ml of juice at the very most.

[Shdef]

Scotty always liked water, milk and diluted juice, but we never offered diluting juice, but the real stuff, apple or pear juice, one third juice, two thirds water. There was a time when he preferred the juice to the water, so we simply limited it to certain times, that made it clear and at other times it just wasn't available or visible to him.

[barbaraz78]

I am starting to make homemade juice, and I am fine if he drinks it. However ds is mad of water that he can take directly from the tab and drink himself, so this is a way to having him drinking a lot.