Drinking? Where to start in being hydrated in the summer months

Charmaine Champ Author

This blog shares where to start in staying hydrated with your neurodivergent child.

Thirst is a bodily sensation that many neurodivergent children struggle to recognise due to sensory processing differences – an issue especially in the warm summer months. Children who have sensory differences, may experience difficulties with one of the senses, the interoceptive sense, and may feel internal discomfort but struggle to recognise that it’s due to thirst or dehydration.

Drinking helps the body to function properly, reduce thirst and promote hydration. Drinking and hydration, is responsible for:

• Carrying nutrients and oxygen to the cells in the body
• Flushing bacteria from the bladder
• Aiding digestion
• Preventing constipation
• Normalising blood pressure
• Cushioning joints
• Protecting organs and tissues
• Regulating body temperature
• Maintaining electrolyte (sodium) balance

Drinking has many different important roles to play within the body. 

Where do we start in helping neurodivergent children in staying hydrated in the summer months, when they may experience difficulties in recognising when their body needs a drink?

You can help your child stay hydrated and healthy in the summer (and year-round) by introducing and following:

• A Hydration Routine

Develop a fluid-intake routine. A routine of drinking can enable your child to better tune in to their sense of thirst and need to drink.

With a hydration routine, we are aiming for your child to drink a minimum of six to eight cups of fluids — even better if it’s mostly water — spaced out every few hours throughout the day (e.g., after waking up, mid-morning, before lunch, mid-afternoon, and before dinner). Your child may need more fluids depending on activity level and the weather. Fluids can be paired with snacks and meals.

We understand that for many children six to eight drinks, may not be the starting point. We would therefore recommend starting with a routine of drinking with one meal i.e. breakfast each day, regardless of the day of the week. Then, gradually increase the routine to drinking with two meal times and so on.

Monitor your child’s fluid intake — including time, amount, and types of fluids (water, juice, milk, etc.) they drink. Maintaining a log can help ensure that the routine is consistent, it can also help you spot any unhealthy drinking patterns, like not drinking enough in one sitting, going for long hours without fluid intake, or hydrating too close to bedtime, which can disrupt sleep. Be sure to ask teachers, babysitters, and other caregivers to record your child’s fluid intake, too.

If your child struggles to tell when they’re thirsty, chances are that they also struggle to tell when they’re hungry and/or need to use the bathroom. A benefit of a hydration routine is that it can regulate all these bodily processes. Download my free chart here to track your child’s eating, drinking, and bathroom habits.

How can Clear Steps Consultancy help you further, with being hydrated and drinking? 

Charmaine, at Clear Steps Consultancy supports neurodiverse and neurotypical children, their families, schools, organisations, charities and professionals internationally.

Charmaine is very excited to share the: Drinking Encouragement Pack, developed to help children within the family home, school and when out and about. The Drinking Encouragement Pack shares the tools and advice, to help and encourage children to drink throughout the day, because Charmaine understands that it is not easy to encourage drinking!

What`s included within the Drinking encouragement pack? The pack includes:

• Video support. Charmaine shares creative tips for encouraging drinking at home and school, confirming which drinks to encourage and which to avoid
• Booklet support. Charmaine shares further top tips for drinking, visually
• Buddy Cartoon Character Water Bottle. Your child has there very own water bottle to use at home, school and when out and about this summer.

The Drinking Encouragement Packs are available within the Clear Steps Consultancy Shop. Click here to view the Drinking Encouragement Pack within the: Clear Steps Shop  purchase your pack to progress even further with drinking 

Help and support is available! At every stage of the Drinking Journey!

Looking forward to sharing more soon! 

Start helping your child, with their drinking today to keep them hydrated! 

Categories: : ADHD, Autism, bedwetting, children, drinking, drinking and toileting connection, emotional regulation, health, hydration, Neurodivergent, night time wetting, Poo, Pooing in a Nappy, potty, progress, Sensory needs and toileting, starting, Toileting, toileting connections, wee