How much is enough water for your child?

We all know not drinking enough water can make you both tired, grumpy and headache-prone.

But much as we try to remember to drink enough ourselves, while also making sure the kiddies' water glasses are topped up at home, it can be hard to keep track of what they are up to in school and creche, and how much water they are actually drinking when out of your sight. According to research from BRITA in the UK , nearly three-quarters of parents don't know how much water their children are drinking during the school day and 66 percent aren't sure of the recommended daily intake of fluid. The recent study surveyed 2,000 parents of primary school children and found 92 per cent believe hydration to be important as it helps boost concentration levels during lessons. But despite this, many parents admitted recognising symptoms of dehydration in their children after a long day at school; with over half saying they are irritable and 59 per cent noticing they are tired. This is what London-based dietician and nutritionist, Jo Travers, had to say to the Express newspaper about it: "Children are less likely to recognise the early stages of thirst, which adults are more aware of, meaning they can forget that drinking water regularly is important. When children return to school, after being under their parent’s guidance during the holidays, they can quickly get out of the habit of drinking water regularly if they aren’t being reminded." It is also important to remember that children require higher quantities of water in relation to their body weight than adults.

"When hydrated, children have greater cognitive function, better visual attention, improved accuracy in motor skills such as handwriting, and more concentration which helps them to perform better", explains Travers.

In response to the survey, BRITA has launched the Back to School Hydration Initiative in the UK to encourage children to drink water and to help parents monitor their intake. They have done this by creating stickers for their Fill&Go bottle, providing a measurement level for break time, lunchtime and home time so that children know how much to drink and when, encouraging healthy habits and helping them stay alert and hydrated all day.

Here are five easy ways to encourage your children to drink more water:1.

1. Make it fun

Put water in an attractive cup (children love having cups with brightly coloured animal pictures or favourite TV characters on), add a novelty straw, use amusingly-shaped ice cubes, or add pretty pieces of fruit like strawberries.

2. Make it available The best thing you to can do to encourage your children to drink water is to make it accessible. If they're playing outside, give them bottles; at dinnertime put a big jug on the table. If everyone in the family is drinking water constantly, they’ll get used to topping their water levels up. 3. Keep it positive Resist the temptation to nag, or to focus on the fact that you want the kids to have water instead of sugary drinks. Encourage them to think about the health benefits, and treat drinking water as a normal part of the day, rather than as a chore that has to be got through. 4. Explain the benefits Preaching the virtues of water might sound like a sure way to put your children off it forever, but kids are often genuinely interested in the human body. Take them to the library and get some books on how the body works and nutrition. 5 Create a chart Use a fun chart on your fridge where your kids can put on a sticker on their column every time they take a drink of water or finish a cup. Use your imagination, children are very visual creatures, so to be able to see and keep track of how much water they are drinking, will make it all the more appealing. Tell us, do YOU have any great tips on making sure your little ones stay hydrated? Please send me an e-mail at Trine.Jensen@Herfamily.ie