X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

Is my child drinking enough water?

3 min read
Is my child drinking enough water?

A reader asks about the recommended water intake in children and how to ensure they are consuming enough at childcare. Dr Nancy Tan from SBCC shares some insights.

Hydration is an important part of childhood nutrition – particularly in a country like Singapore with a very warm climate. If your toddler is very active it’s very important that he is getting enough water to avoid dehydration.

How much water should your child be drinking?

The general rule of thumb is that children aged between one and three years should be drinking 1-1.5 litres of fluid per day. Toddlers can become dehydrated easily so it’s important to include water as part of their every day diet.

How would you know if your child is getting enough water?

It can be difficult to ensure your toddler is getting enough water when you’re not around – particularly at childcare – so one of the best ways to tell is to look at the colour of his urine. If his urine is light coloured or colourless, this usually means he is getting enough water.

How to ensure your child gets enough water

Sometimes toddlers and young children can get distracted and forget to drink, and by the time they realize they are thirsty; they may already be mildly dehydrated. With that in mind, it’s important to ensure water is accessible and part of day-to-day life. Each time you get yourself a drink of water, offer one to your child. Give him his own special water bottle so he can drink whenever he feels like – some children particularly like water bottles with a sipper on top and this may provide an added incentive to drink more.

Why is water important?

Children also absorb water from food and other drinks during the day such as infant formula, vegetables, fruit, juice, soup, yoghurt etc. However, it is important that he is drinking enough plain water also.

For children who do not like drinking water, some parents may dilute fruit juice or soft drinks. However both of these are very high in sugar and can be low in nutritional value. Ideally, you should be encouraging your child to drink plain, unflavoured water as a refreshing and healthy drink.

Remember that it is also possible to drink too much water. This process is called water intoxication, hyper-hydration or water poisoning, and occurs when the balance of electrolytes in the brain is altered because of too much water in the body. Water intoxication is not common (usually it occurs as a result of water drinking contests or after long periods of intensive exercise after which electrolytes are not properly replenished before high-levels of water are consumed), however it can be fatal so don’t ever force your child to drink large quantities of water.

Answered by: Dr Nancy Tan, SBCC Baby and Child Clinic

About Dr Nancy Tan:

Dr Nancy Tan is a Consultant Paediatrician with more than 16 years of experience in the care of children, especially with chronic liver and gut diseases. Trained in the Paediatric Liver Centre, King’s College London, Dr Tan currently works at SBCC Baby & Child Clinic at Gleneagles Medical Centre, and is also a visiting consultant to the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital

Partner Stories
4 Good Toilet Hygiene Habits for Kids to Have Early in Life
4 Good Toilet Hygiene Habits for Kids to Have Early in Life
Flu in Singapore: Is Your Family Protected?
Flu in Singapore: Is Your Family Protected?
6 Top Ways to Prevent Diaper Rash
6 Top Ways to Prevent Diaper Rash
Experiencing Mood Swings, Irregular Periods and Weight Gain Among Other Things? Here’s What You Need to Know About Hormonal Imbalance
Experiencing Mood Swings, Irregular Periods and Weight Gain Among Other Things? Here’s What You Need to Know About Hormonal Imbalance

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

Brenda Loo

  • Home
  • /
  • Health
  • /
  • Is my child drinking enough water?
Share:
  • Calculating BMI in Children

    Calculating BMI in Children

  • Here's How Much Water You Should Be Drinking During Pregnancy

    Here's How Much Water You Should Be Drinking During Pregnancy

  • Wife Forgives Husband Who Had Two Affairs And Got A Woman Pregnant

    Wife Forgives Husband Who Had Two Affairs And Got A Woman Pregnant

  • 'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

    'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

  • Calculating BMI in Children

    Calculating BMI in Children

  • Here's How Much Water You Should Be Drinking During Pregnancy

    Here's How Much Water You Should Be Drinking During Pregnancy

  • Wife Forgives Husband Who Had Two Affairs And Got A Woman Pregnant

    Wife Forgives Husband Who Had Two Affairs And Got A Woman Pregnant

  • 'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

    'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and updates on baby care and health.