How I got my kids to drink more water

As the weather gets warmer and my kids are playing outside more it's important to keep them hydrated. 

My kids don't sit still for a minute! 

But I will admit I haven't always been the best at getting my boys to drink water. I would put it in a sip cup, he would take one sip and ask for something else. 

But we turned a corner and my kids began asking for water! Here are a few things we tried that worked. 

1. I started drinking more myself. 

Monkey see, monkey do when it comes to small children. I filled a big clear glass with water and began drinking it through a straw. My kids would see my water and want to drink from Mama's cup. So I shared freely. 

(Obviously don't do this if you're sick. Duh.) 

2. I kept cold water at the ready.

I purchased a large container with a spigot from Target for $3. I filled it with water and put it in the fridge. That way I was able to keep my cup and sippy cups full of water at a moments notice. 

When the boys were thirsty cold water was there. 

I also made sure to carry sippy cups full of water with us where ever we went. 

3. I told him superheroes drink water. 

When Ryals was really little knowledge of superheroes was limited. He had seen Larry Boy and Super Why and that's pretty much it. But he still knew who they are when he sees them. (Total boy!)

So I found an old cape in a bin of hand-me-downs and told him that if he wanted his cape he needed to drink his water because that's what super heroes do. (This works with a lot of thing, cleaning up toys, going to the potty etc.)

If your child isn't into superheroes you could try something else like dinosaurs, princesses, pirates, fairies etc. 

The point is to make it something exciting that will eventually become routine. 

In keeping with the superhero idea I found a simple skirt bottle from the Dollar Tree with The Avengers on the front of it.

 4. I offered water only. 

Except for the times during the day when Ryals would ordinarily drink milk (like breakfast) I only offered him water. He would refuse but I just kept offering. 

Eventually he caught on. 

Just keep being persistent. As with any healthy behavior change it will take a little time. 

What about you? What tips do you have for getting kids to drink more water?