Baby doesnt drink water at all.. :(

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Updated on Feb 15, 2013
Hi Parents!! Hope someone can help me out... My daughter is 1yr 3 months old and doesnt drink water at all... I have tried sippers, milk bottles, steel glasses but all in vain.. I even tried sweetning the water by adding suger/glucose etc and also giving her cocunut water etc but it did not help.. Please help!!

| Feb 15, 2013
Hi Smita. Does your daughter drink some water after her meals? Since she more than a year old, you could introduce her to glasses with straws. They come in attractive patterns. I remember getting a Hello Kitty plastic cup with a twisted straw for my daughter and she loved it. To encourage her to drink more water, you could take a glass of water and sip on it, all the while telling her how yummy it is. This way she may take a few sips, if not empty the entire glass. It is very important to keep children hydrated, so please keep trying. She will eventually come around to like water. Does she like drinking milk? Also, please try and refrain from giving her packaged juices or colas as a substitute for water as it is not a healthy alternative and she may just develop a taste for those. Good luck :)

| Feb 15, 2013
Hey Smita, in addition to what Anurima has suggested, you could try adding a few drops of fresh orange juice, grape juice or any other fruit to the water - no extra effort needed, simply squeeze a piece of fruit into the water. Even an apple - simply crush a slice on a plate and the juice will flow out. You could also try fennel (saunf) flavored water. Although its best that the child cultivates a taste for plain water, flavoring it may solve the problem at hand. Another thing my experience has taught me is that quantity is important. Sometimes we serve too much and expect the children to finish up and get all anxious when they cant. So as Anurima also said, begin small - quarter of a glass and build up.. tc !

| Feb 18, 2013
Smita, my daughter also hardly drinks water. My experience says, nothing helps, no colourful glasses, straws, Ive tried it all. The only thing you can do is keep pushing her to drink. Even a few sips at a time would do. Children need to drink water, it is essential. So, frustrating as it might be, just keep reminding her, or keep giving her the water asking her to drink up.