

After the six-month mark, you can start to give your baby 2-3 ounces of water at a time, in addition to breastmilk or formula. When can a baby drink water?īabies should drink only breast milk or formula until they reach six months. For example, if your child weighs 125 lbs., they should be drinking close to eight 8-ounce glasses a day, for a total of 64 ounces of water. When it comes to weight, it is a general rule that you should try to drink close to half an ounce of water for each pound you weigh. While we recommend using age as the primary criteria for toddlers and younger children, weight can be a helpful metric when determining water intake for older children and teenagers. These amounts do not include other beverages they may consume in a day such as milk and juice. It is important to note that children should drink the number of 8-ounce cups of water equal to their age, with a minimum of 64 ounces of water for children over the age of 8.

If dehydrated, their bodies can’t sweat enough to stay cool.Īt CHOC, we recommend that kids drink the amounts of water below according to their age. When children don’t drink enough water, The body cools itself by the evaporation of sweat from the skin. When our bodies heat up-because of a hot day or because of physical activity, for instance-the brain alerts the sweat glands to produce sweat.

Water also allows us to regulate our body temperature. It is essential in keeping bowel movements regular and helping to prevent conditions such as urinary tract infections and kidney stones. Water is one of the most important parts of any child’s diet. To help you get started, we’ve created a guide to help you learn why water is so important, and how much of it your child needs to drink every day. As a parent, it can be hard to gauge how much water your child needs to stay properly hydrated. Just like adults, kids need plenty of water to carry out daily functions.
