Even from a young age, the rewards of a water-rich diet can be reaped. This means many parents actively encourage their children to adopt this healthy habit and pave the way for great hydration not just throughout childhood, but also into their adult years.

We know that the 8×8 rule applies to adults when it comes to how much water they should aim to drink daily, but what about children?

In this blog post, we reveal how much water your child should be drinking and what benefits your little one could reap through better daily hydration.

What are the benefits of drinking water in childhood?

Drinking water regularly during childhood doesn’t just set you up for a lifetime of good hydration. Children can enjoy many advantages in their everyday lives thanks to a water-rich diet.

Water is of course essential to survival. Dehydration can also have a major impact on your child’s health and wellbeing.

Even mild dehydration can cause fatigue, increased headaches, and a slower metabolism, the latter of which can make childhood obesity more of a risk.

By encouraging your child to drink more water, you’re giving them all they need to achieve peak performance, which is vital as they play and learn.

Hydration improves short-term memory too, boosting understanding and concentration significantly.

As your child grows and enters their teenage years, drinking water regularly continues to have a positive impact both inside and out.

A water-rich diet for instance will help to detoxify and hydrate the skin leaving it less prone to breakouts. Find out more about how water can boost your dermatological health.

How much water should my child be drinking?

A baby’s body is made up of 75% water, and whilst this level drops to around 60% as the child grows, water still has a major part to play in the maintenance of good health and wellbeing. How much water your child should be drinking however depends on their age and gender.

Younger children – both boys and girls aged 4 to 8 years – should aim for between 1.1 and 1.3 litres per day according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). That’s 5 to 7 small, 200ml glasses.

Children aged between 9 and 13 years need to drink a little more. Girls in this age bracket require between 1.3 and 1.5 litres per day, while boys need 1.5 to 1.7 litres per day.

Is water the only healthy option for hydration?

It’s important to state that water may be the healthiest hydration option, but it isn’t the only option. Here, the British Nutrition Foundation reveals the best drinks for children:

“Water and milk are the best drinks for children as they do not contain free sugars. Free sugars contribute to calorie intakes higher consumption of sugary drinks has been associated with weight gain in children.  Some drinks like milk and fruit juice provide vitamins and minerals. In the case of fruit juice this also contains free sugars and so it shouldn’t be consumed in large amounts.”

Water, milk, sugar-free drinks, fruit juices, and smoothies all count towards that daily hydration goal for both children and adults. There are also many hydrating foods that can boost your child’s water intake every day.

Filtered water is the best, healthiest and tastiest way to stay hydrated all day long. Enjoy filtered water in your own home and ensure all the family stay hydrated by browsing our drinking water filter systems.