13 Month Old Only Drinks Water

If he is drinking water, he will not get dehydrated. Actually, you are very lucky that all he wants is water because drinking too much juice is not good, and neither is drinking too much milk. As long as he is eating normally, don't worry about it too much.

M. *~

hi A., not worry my grand girl drink only water since 1 yr old she is 8 year old now and still drink water lots she wont take soda or others but some timeas not much drink apple jucies but she is doing fine and she ate fruit and veggies fruit and veggies are very good health not worry smiling iam happy that my grand girl only drink water than soda ha

I have a son that is 15 months old and he is the same way--nothing but water!! I talked to the ped. because I was worried that he wasn't getting enough calcium since he won't take any milk and she said that it is nothing to worry about--give him broccoli for calcium!! Water is the best thing for them anyway.

Try to remember how much water fruit and veggies have in them.

This is a weird example, but when our dog got sick, and we moved him to just rice and boiled chicken, he drank almost NO water. When we talked to the vet about our concern, she said that what we are giving him has so much water in it, that his thirst decreases.

Hope that helps,
B.

He doesnt need other things- water is the best thing he can drink. Just encourage it. The older he gets the less water he will drink so keep it going as long as possible....
You could try soy or rice milk... Stay away from juices- too much sugar.

Hi!
If he would be thirsty he would drink. kids don't dehydrate themselves. As long as he pees every six hour it is ok.
Our pediatrician always talks about the importance of drinking milk so that the kids get the D-vitamin. So if your son refuses to drink milk maybe you should talk to the doctor about that.
Another option is to only offer milk to drink, if he is thirsty he will drink it. And of course, don't offer any sodas or lemonades etc. Just milk and water! Hang in there!

I'm not sure why you're concerned... water is the healthiest thing for us to drink. If he's eating fine, you have no need to worry about it. Juice should be watered down if it's given at all. You're lucky he likes water, for most kids it's a fight to get them to drink water! Good luck. C.

Don't stress kids don't need juice or milk. Juice contains very few nutrients (it's basically sugar water) and milk while a good source of calcium certainly isn't the only one. As long as he drinks when he's thirsty he won't dehydrate, our bodies are really good about that. I know there was that magazine article a few years ago that said that most people are chronically dehydrated but as it turns out that artical was very wrong and has been refuted in several medical journals at this point (it didn't account for dietary sources of water like all those great fruits and veggies your son is getting.)

It sounds like your son is doing great and will be a healthy eater on into adulthood, good job mom.

Take Care,

Alli

Hi A.. My son and my friends son both went through a period of time where they wouldn't drink anything but water as well. They were about the same age when that happened and I think right around the same age as your son. Now both of them are fine and drink everything. I think it's just a stage. What we did to try to get them to drink milk was at every meal just have milk available. If they asked for water and refused to drink the milk than we gave in but keep trying it's just a phase most likely. Good luck.

Hi A.,

My two kids were and still are big water drinkers. Water is the best thing to keep a child hydrated. I removed most dairy from my kids diet at a young age and my kids have been incredibly healthy. My daughter who is now 13 has not been to a doctor except for well visits in 6 years. My son who is almsot 6 has been once in the past couple years besides his well visits. Our bodies need water. One way you can get calcium is through eating green leafy veggies. My kids have been taking juice Plus+ for almost 5 years now and will take it forever. It is whole food nutrition. 17 different fruits and veggies. When my son was too small to chew the gummies I took my capsules and sprinkled them on his food. You can check out the published peer reviewed studies on it at www.StudiesOnJuicePlus.com
Good luck!
L.

Personally, since our bodies are made of mostly water, I wouldn't worry. Baths can help with hydration (soaking up the water). Just make it a fun game, "How fast can you finish the water?" kind of game...I would worry if he did not want water, but only wanted juice....water is better! Fruits like watermelon and orange also have lots of "juice" and water, try some of those. if he loves fruits that should not be a problem...

Hi A.,
I can understand your concern, however if you were thirsty it's natural for you to drink to satisfy that need. If your son likes fruits and vegtables and gets plenty of foods with fluids in them I would think he would be OK. You know what the signs of dehydration, right?

Maybe try slightly flavored waters to help train his palet. Like a little fresh lemon juice in water with honey added. I have never like sodas or other highly sweetened drinks myself so I can understand his likes and dislikes. Do you have a blender? Make some juices out of vegies and apples or watermellon.

Just some thoughts. You know he is still pretty young, kids learn to like all kinds of things good and bad as they grow up. It's best to keep things healthy and simple.

P.

My child does not drink milk and prefers water to any type of drink. For calcuim we give him 1 tums tablet with his vitamins in the morning. He has a very balanced diet and gets his daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Our bodies are made mostly of water-The best thing your child could drink is water-I think as long as he his eating his full servings of all food groups he should be fine. I would focus more energy and making sure you are not feeding him processed foods which does not relensish your body. Read each label of all foods you feed your child-If you do not know what the ingredient is look it up-If you still don't know what it is Do NOT feed it to your child. Don't have him bake in the sun which is dehydrating. I would not worry if this is the biggest problem you have... I wouldn't doubt if it was a control issue as well-Do his friends come over and drink juice? You may want to have an older kid come around and he may want what they have...Think of all the people who can't get their kids of the bottle-Control issue...Good Luck!

Hi A.!

First, a big YAY to your son!! Water is the very best thing to be drining! We should all be drinking way more water per day than we do!! An adult serving size of juice is 8oz. per day and a child's is only 4oz per day. Juice is a filler and kids who drink juice all day long usually aren't very good eaters and usually ned up with tons of cavities. Stick to fresh fruits and veggies to eat and water to drink. As for the milk, as long as he's getting other sources of calcium, yogurt, cheese etc. then it's fine if he doesn't drink milk. He's not doing calcium depleting activities such as drinking coffee and soda (like most adults do). You can also do an online search to find other non-dairy sources of calcium. If you're still concerned you can go to any heath food store and buy a liquid cal/mag supplement. My daughter takes 1 tsp per day as she has an allergy to dairy. Yay to your son and yay to water!!

Mine is the same age and only drinks watered down juice. No milk, no plain water, no soy- I have tried everything because I want him to get calcium, but instead of stressing out, I have simply resorted to letting him drink what makes him hydrated and giving him calcium rich food like yogurt and kraft singles. I think it will work out in the end, and he will eventually expand his beverage palette. I say, if your son regularly has wet diapers and his lips are not dry and puckery, he is fine as far as dehydration. Especially if he eats high water-content foods like fruit and vegetables. Give it a few months and try again to give him something else. Maybe he will change!

What does your pediatrician say? I would think that as long as he likes cheese, yogurt, etc, you can get the calcium & fat into him that way. Fruit instead of fruit juice isn't a bad trade. I wouldn't stress too much, and just try again in a month or so. As long as your little boy is growing and eating well! But again - I think you should definitely seek the advice of your pediatrician. At least he likes water! Constipation & dehydration would be bigger worries if he wouldn't drink at all. :) Good luck.

What's wrong with water? You're lucky - he's natually healthy and only wants what's best.

what's wrong with water? Its the most hydrating thing you can drink! My daughter loves water and is now finally showing interest in a little milk, but its not a regular thing. There is no reason why the baby had to be drinking juice or milk. They can get what they need from fruit and cheese and yogurt.

Be glad your son drinks water! So many children are drinking a tremendous amount of juice these days-and while some have more of the "real" thing than others, they are full of sweeteners! He will get a taste for them soon enough. I thanked the lord when my daughter at 18 finally decided water was great! And, don't worry about dehydration-if he is drinking water, he won't be...

I agree, drinking water is totally fine. But if he's not eating much fruit & other nutritious food, then I would start making him smoothies. When my son was going through a long bout of illness & his eating habits drastically changed, I would make him a smoothie every morning with frozen berries, bananas, other fresh fruit, etc. & milk or soy milk. He would either drink it then & there or if he still didn't want anything, then I would freeze the smoothies in little cups & later he would eat them like a frozen treat. Worked wonders. I stopped worrying about both his fluid intake almost immediately. He still enjoys smoothies even when he's feeling fine but at least I know I have a good resource the next time he's sick. They take a little more work, but if you make enough then you can freeze some & thaw it for later.

As for dehydration, if you can visibly see signs of dehydration, then definitely take him in to the dr. But if your ped checks him out & he's fine, then that's how much fluid his body is OK with. Even now, my 20-mth old doesn't drink the "recommended" daily amount of fluid - water, milk, anything. And avoid juice if possible - give them all kinds of problems if they get hooked on that stuff.

Congratulations. Water is one of the most important things any of us can drink. For good health we all should be drinking 1/2 our body weight in ounces each day.

If he continues on this path he will be hydrated and will not be ingesting lots of sugar. You say he is a good eater so he is probably getting all the nutrients his body needs to grow healthy and strong.

Is he Doctor concerned? Probably not, so relax and be happy he is naturally doing what so many people struggle to do and that is to drink water.

GREAT!!! I'd be happy if I were you. Juice is BAD BAD BAD for kids. Water is what they need to stay hydrated.

Hi A.,

With all the information on childhood diabetes, tooth decay, lactose intolerance and obesity related to drinking juice and milk, I'm not sure what your concerned about. You are blessed to have a child who prefers water! There is no better liquid a child could drink! Our bodies are made primarily of water so it's perfect. If he's eating fruits and veggies then he's getting what he needs. And milk is troublesome for many. It may contain calcium and protein but there's a trade off. The calcium isn't readily assimilated because cow's milk isn't digested well by humans - it's made for baby cows - besides the other environmental pollutants that concentrate in milk. And protein can be found in MANY other sources.
Count your blessings and fill up his cup with more water!
T.

Water is the best hydration. As long as he is drinking that, I wouldn't worry. He can get nutrition from other foods besides milk, and juice is really less nutritious and more sugary that fruit.

A., I have three kids and I wish I never started them on juice. I don't know if I thought that they'd need it for vitamins or what, but I have a good friend who's 20 month old drinks nothing but water. He doesn't care for milk. Water is all kids need as long as they are getting enough fats, B vitamins and calcium in other foods. I am not against milk, but you say he won't drink that either. As far as your fear of him getting dehydrated, do you think that as long as he is eating plenty of fruits and veggies you need to be concerned?

I wish you the best. L.

Keep giving him water, if drinks enough water he should not become dehydrated, especially if he eats a fair amount of fruits and veggies which have high water content. You could try smoothies with juice and fruit and yogurt or fruit juice popcicles.
good luck

Hi,

I would say, from experience, don't worry about it. My oldest son was allergic to milk, and is allergic to apples. (Over 75% of juices have apple juice in them). Pretty much the only thing he could drink was water, or the herbal tea I drank that was designed for nursing. As long as your son drinks water, and especially since you said he eats fruits and vegetables really well, I wouldn't worry about it. Babies and young children will not starve themselves or let themselves get dehydrated (unless they're sick). Really, what do milk and juice have to offer that water doesn't? A little fat, some calcium, maybe a few other vitamins... all of which are available in other foods. We in America are brainwashed that we "need" milk (or a milk substitute) to be healthy. The truth is, as long as he's drinking something, and eating a healthy diet, he'll be fine. As an aside, I also learned recently that water is a by-product of digestion. So in theory, if you ate enough, you would never get dehydrated, even if you never drank anything.

I hope this helps, even if it wasn't what you were looking for.

Hi A.,
I have 3 children ages 11,8, & 5. Personally I believe water is the best any of us can drink. We do not need juice or milk in our diets. As long as he's eating those fruits and veggies I don't think you have anything at all to worry about.

A., As long as the baby is eating well, drinking only water is okay. The key point is nutrition. He'll get the protein and vitamins he needs from his food. If he won't drink anything, that would be a problem; but water throughout the day is just fine. Check with your pediatrician for confirmation.

Let him drink all the water he wants, it's great for him! He won't dehydrate if he's drinking enough water. If you're worried about him getting enough calories/nutrients (since he doesn't like milk), try substituting something else during the day. My 14 month old hates milk, but is crazy for full-fat yogurt...so I give her that often.

Have you tried putting a little chocolate syrup in his milk? If he takes it, slowing wean off the syrup. There is also reduced sugar chocolate syrup... Just a thought!

I'd leave him be. he's better off. What it takes to process today's preservative laden juices and childrens drinks takes even more of the bodys water to process and is taxing on the kidneys and liver, that are still developing.

If he is drinking water, he is keeping himself hydrated, and if it;s tap water is getting a variety of things that help in producing a healthy immune system.

It sounds like his body is actually subconciously doing waht is good for him. You said he eats well.

sippy cups and bottles will begin to rot his teeth out too.

Let him drink water. little boys are a lot tougher thank you think

A

I'd be doing the happy dance if I could get my kids to drink water more often! As long as he's having plenty of wet diapers, don't worry that he only likes water. It's the best drink there is and it's FREE! Juice is really not that nutritious when you look at the label, and getting him into drinking a lot of milk will probably make him constipated. (It did with my kids!) If he likes yogurt or cheese, he will get plenty of calcium there, and it's great that he loves his fruit and veggies. I think it sounds like you are doing everything right! Don't worry!

My son LOVES water. He takes it with him everywhere. It's like a comfort thing for him.

It's a good habit for kids to drink water and I'm not crazy about giving him juice because he'll easily develop a sweet tooth for it... so your situation is kind of opposite of what I'm doing. :-)

However, if you want him to drink more milk, you might want to warm it up and put it in a bottle (if you don't mind the bottle). But if he still doesn't take to it, you might want to use other sources of calcium like cheeses and yogurt (and broccoli - since he likes veggies).

Sounds like your kid is very healthy and likes the right things. If he's not drinking water, try putting ice cubes in it if you haven't already. If you want him to drink juice, dilute it in water and if he likes ice cubes... it might be more refreshing for him.

Hope that helps.

Water is the only thing he needs to drink. Juice is not a necessity!! You really want your children to get their vitamins and nutrients from fresh fruit and veg's when ever possible. Juice rots their teeth and puts on weight. It would be good to get a child to drink milk, but they can get the protein they need from yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese etc.
C. Brown
Busy Bees Child Care
twenty years experience

Hi,

You've only got a problem if he's not drinking or not drinking enough.

My 2 childen, now ages 9 and 13 only drank water. Quite frankly, I think that's extremely healthy. They are water drinkers now as they get older. How many times have I heard mothers say, "If I could only get my kid to drink more water!"

Be happy! He'll drink something else when he's ready.

I would be happy happy happy if your little one only drinks water. Juice is really bad for kids as it is just sugar water with little nutritional value. The APA says that children should only have maximum of 6 oz of juice per day because of all the sugar. If he is eating fine I would be grateful as a lot of parents have a hard time getting their kids to drink water and water is what our bodies need. If he is getting plenty of fresh fruits and veggies there is liquid in those as well. Just make sure that he is getting plenty of protien too.

Water is about the only thing that truly hydrates. The sugar in juices trick your body into thinking you need water and your cells contract causing your body to squeeze the water out of its cells in effect de-hydrating you. You body recognizes milk as a food and not a liquid as it must digest the milk. So Just offer as much filtered/purified water as your baby will drink and he will be fine. Clorine in tap water also dehydrates as well as killing the healthy intertinal bacteria in babies tummy. Milk also has many health problems associated with it like constipation, diabetes and causing calcium deficiencies. Soy, rice and almond milks are great very healthy alternatives to milk.
Hope this helps,
K.

Hi, other than nursing, at that age my son would only drink water as well. I could not get him to drink juice, soy milk or even cow's milk...until I tried a bit of ovaltine in some warm cow's milk. I know ovaltine has sugar in it but it was the only way to get him to drink anything else! Maybe try warming the milk a bit if you don't want to add chocolate to it. He was also picky about what he drank it out of too. For a while it was only the disposable cups with lids that worked. My son has just turned three and his drink of choice is still water. he will drink apple and orange juice and chocolate and plain milk if it is offered to him. Hope this helps, good luck!
L.

You are so lucky! Don't worry about trying to get him to drink anything else, especially if he is a good eater. Our pediatrician has suggested we steer away from juice anyway, and he will probably take to milk within the next six months. Really, don't worry, we had the same problem and concern with our second son, and he is now happily drinking milk at 17 months. We still have trouble getting our 4 year old to drink water at all, he only wants juice, so you are on a good track!

I think you should be rejoicing!!! Most people have have the opposite problem. Water is all your child needs to drink. Juice causes tooth decay and excessive sugar. I also believe that that the only animal that should be nursing from a cow is a calf. We are the only animal that continues to nurse past infancy and the only animal that nurses from another animal. If your child eats well, I see no problem.