My 14 month old isn't much of a water drinker, never has been. When I give it to him, he'll drink it until he realizes what it is, then he'll toss his cup. Lol. I've always diluted his juice with water and still do. For ex, if I give him 2 oz of juice, I'll add 4 oz of water. I figure this a way to get him to drink water and reduce the sugar intake from the juice. Sometimes you have to use reverse psychology. Lol. My question is, when and if I should stop diluting his juice with water? Thanks in advance.
NEVER STOP if you can keep it going keep it going! There is NO reason for a child to drink non diluted juice.
Oh and my son WANTS water now ... I stopped giving him anything to drink but water for a week ... He got Milk in the am, and the rest of the day nothing but water by Friday he was asking for water (he was 3 when we did this) now (4.5) he prefers water over it all.
Never...I still dilute my kids juice and they are 6 and 4...basically it is just sugar. They get one glass a day, usually at dinner.
There's never a reason to stop diluting the juice. Kids NEVER need the amount of sugar/calories that's in fruit juices... nor do they need to get used to the taste of full strength juices... some are sickeningly sweet or strong anyhow. I dilute my own juice.
I think most pediatricians don't recommend giving juice to kids at all, even diluted. At least mine doesn't. He says if my son is thirsty, he'll drink water. I dont' take such a hard line approach. I've always diluted juice for him, much like you said, where it was more like flavoring the water, than diluting the juice, since the water content was actually much higher than juice. I'd say keep diluting. No reason to give kids full strength juice.
My sons 3 and I still do it and as long as I'm the one pouring his drinks he will have diluted juice.
I still dialute my 4 and 2 year olds juice. Like you, my 4 year old does not want to drink water (he is doing better) so I always figured a splash of juice (literally a splash was all it took, just a little flavor) to make him happy would at least get water into him. And I plan to dialute as long as they will let me...though they do get undialuted juice on occassion at other peoples houses or at resturants.
How about going the other way? Stop adding juice to his water instead. I know you say your son doesn't like water... but really... it's usually the parents who don't like water so they assume their kids don't like it too. If your son is used to breastmilk or formula, then water is going to taste different. Of course he'll like juice - it's just sugar, and we're genetically programmed to like sugar even though it's not very good for us.
So I say go the other way. Over the next month or so put less and less juice in the water until he's on plain old good tap water. It will be better for his weight, his blood pressure, and his teeth in the long run.
I did it til gradeschool age, and always limited the juice. My kids are 15 and 11 now and I haven't kept juice in the house in years. If adding a splash of juice to his water keeps him hydrated in the summer, keep doing it. A toddler doesn't need his juice full strength
Juice should just be a flavoring to water! A Naturopath once told me that the nutritional balance in the fruit is in the meat of it. To juice it, simply strips it of most and leaves the sugars.
I don't buy it so it's not in the house to ask for...water or milk have always been options. My girls are old enough to buy it for themselves and sometimes they do as a treat....
M.
my son is 4 and we still dilute juice.
The only juice I don't dilute is what I make myself in a blender (like watermelon) or a juicer since I know for a fact there is no added sugar. Plus I usually try to add a couple of carrots in there. I even dilute my own juice. The plus is that with prices going up, I am saving money by not having to buy more too quickly.
I say never. Juice isn't very nutritious -- even the 100% juice ones have a lot of sugar and are less nutritious than whole fruit. I actually don't give any juice at all, my little one just eats fruit and drinks water (this is a healthy habit for adulthood too, and I want to start early). On the rare occasion that my husband or I drink juice, we dilute it with about 1/2 water as well. There's really just no need for all that sugar, especially if you eat a balanced diet.
Juice is not part of my kids daily diet. Now at 8 and 13 years old they just prefer water. I do give them Gatorade when they are sick however.
I don't think you ever have to stop. I'm 30 and I still dilute fruit juices about 2 parts juice to 1 part water when I drink them. They taste just as good, and it cuts down on the sugar and calories I'm consuming.
I still dilute my 4 year old's juice....lol...for the same reason. I have found Lifewater by SOBE' is excellent in faking her out. She thinks it's juice.
Never.....fresh fruit would be better as soon as he discovers them.
Do not stop diluting it. He doe s not need full strength juice. Watered down
is better.
My daughter gets super diluted juice! She doesn't drink water much either. I fill her cup nearly all the way with water and she just gets a splash of juice. Works great.
Well I gave up on diluting b/c we drink it so rarely that I figured it just doesn't matter, but if your little guy isn't much of a water drinker I would continue until he is willing to drink more water on his own. I would think probably around 2 you'll be able to get more water in him when you can talk to him about it, but keep trying!
I dilute my own juice when I drink it. I continue to dilute my kids juice and they are 5 years old. Why stop?
If he is content to drink the diluted juice then keep doing it. My son is 3 and asks for water to be put in his juice, because that it how we "make juice". In fact, my husband and I dilute the juice we drink as well.
six years later I still dilute!
I dilute my daughters juice. I have been doing it since she started at 16 months. She too wouldn't drink water. She now at 3.8 will drink water sometimes. I started actually doing water with a splash of juice. I sometimes fill her juice cup up a few times a day especially in the summer. So to keep the amount of sugar down I have been doing splash with water.
I still dilute my 2.5yr olds.
My girls are 4.5 and 7.5 and I still water there juice! They do not need juice, it's mostly sugar! I usually give my girls fruit, it's much better for them! Both of my girls are good water drinkers now! (One always was, but the other was not!)
I still dilute my daughter's juice 50/50, and she's 6. I don't plan on ever stopping...she's used to the taste, and it's healthier with the water. :) Plus, bonus, a bottle of juice lasts twice as long! Hard to find things that are healthy habits that ALSO save you money...usually, it's the other way around.
Don't stop diluting his juice. Juice is loaded with sugars and isn't all that healthy as it is. If you just start offering him water only and don't give in to him not wanting to drink it, he eventually will. Children will not starve or deyhrate themselves. If he's thirsty enough, he'll give in.
Not for a loooong time. My son is 3.5. He drinks water no problem, but prefers juice of course. EVERY time he has juice (unless in a juice box- which isn't very often) I put more water than juice. Now, he even tells me, 'put water in'. So, since your son is only 14 months, I would say you have a WHILE before you have to worry about that.
Never? Both my five yr old and I drink diluted juice.
Do not stop diluting the juice. It really has no value in his diet except added sugar.
I still dilute my 3-year-old's juice. She drinks a lot so I don't want her to have too much juice.
Continue to dilute the juice. My kids started out ok with water much younger, especially my 2.5 year old at home until "daddy" started giving full cups of juice. Now he is on a juice frenzy. I dilute it still. Funny, because my son asks for water all the time at the daycare and drinks it constantly. At home, he acts like water is foreign. Yes to diluting!
My youngest is 5 and my oldest is 8 and I still dilute their juice a bit. They are also limited to 1 juice cup a day then it's water and water only...he will get used to it...I agree to dilute in reverse and get him to drinking all water. Try it cold, either in the fridge or with ice too! Good luck!
