This is article is a sponsored post for Nestlé Pure Life.
Little ones need to stay hydrated. And it’s up to parents to encourage good choices – especially when it comes to drinking enough water.
Thirsty School Mornings
Did you know that a recent clinical study on the hydration status of children in the U.S. from the Oakland Research Institute showed that 64 percent of school-aged children were dehydrated before they left for school?* That’s more than half!
Kids need to drink water, like Nestlé Pure Life, to maintain proper hydration. Just think of how much running around they do every day, from recess, after-school activities and just plain old playing outside.
Stay Hydrated, Stay Alert
We all know how hard it can be to focus when you’re thirsty. Children might not have office jobs, but they sure don’t need to be distracted during the long school day just the same.
Drinking water is a simple way to stay well hydrated and help maintain concentration and alertness, according to an article called “The Importance of Good Hydration for Day-to-Day Health” published in Nutrition Reviews.
So give your little one a head start on learning by making sure they drink water every morning!
Create Healthy Routines
Whether or not your child is a picky eater, it can be hard to get kids into the habit of drinking water throughout the day, especially with all the tempting sugar-filled beverages marketed at kids.
Work on establishing healthy hydration routines by slipping a bottle of crisp-tasting water into lunch boxes or book bags every day so kids have easy access to a healthy, sugar-free beverage even when they aren’t at home. It tastes great and it’s perfect for little bodies on the go… before long, staying hydrated will become a habit!
Kids and Sports
What about sports drinks? Well, while sports drinks can be helpful for elite or professional athletes who engage in long, exhausting practices and vigorous physical activities, they are unnecessary for children’s sports or on the recess playground, according to a recent report from American Academy of Pediatrics.
For most kids who take part in regular physical activity, water is recommended for re-hydration. Sports drinks have extra calories that children don’t need, and that could contribute to obesity. Good old fashioned H2O will help your child stay hydrated without calories.
Join the Hydration Movement!
To help encourage families everywhere to make positive lifestyle choices, Nestlé Pure Life has issued a challenge – join the Hydration Movement and take the pledge to replace one sugared beverage a day with water for a year! It’s a small change that can make a big difference.
Don’t delay! Visit the Nestlé Pure Life Facebook page and take the pledge today! You’ll join more than 99,000 families who have already made the commitment to live better.
Once you’ve signed up, you’ll be able share your own stories with the rest of the Hydration Movement community. Here’s what some people who’ve already taken the pledge said:
“I pledge to make sure my daughter drinks more water than juices… that way she stays hydrated and healthy.” – Chris
“I am joining the movement to improve my childrens’ diet habits. I’ve replaced all soda and juice with bottles of Nestle Pure Life water bottles. My teenagers take one to school every single day and when they head outside to play, they always grab a bottle. Now, they prefer water over anything else. That makes a mother proud!” – Melissa
*Study of 337 kids in Los Angeles and 208 kids in New York City
