Recuing my son: What to do when your child refuses to drink water

What to do when your child refuses to drink water:
KEEP OFFERING PLAIN WATER, THEY WILL GIVE UP!

A child cannot take control of their food and water intake because they are not mature enough to make decisions over their nutrition. It is my responsibility, as a parent, to promote good eating habits. I try that my boys eat healthy in all possible ways, but I think I failed in one aspect when Tommy was about 18 month. One day, he refused to drink water and I gave if up too soon. The problem started when we began to give him juice and I didn't realize it. We have prolonged the problem by mixing the water with juice. So we have limited the juice intake; just at school, he is allowed to drink water mixed with juice because I don't want his teacher struggling with him not drinking water. But I will talk to his teacher if she can gradually eliminate the juice from his water. He used to enjoy water as his little brother does now. We don't give juice to Francis because I know now if a child regularly eats fruits and drinks milk and water, juice it is not important in a child's diet.

I learned a lesson and we are on time to fix the problem. It has taken a lot of patient and learn to read Tommy's like and dislikes due to his communication barriers. We trick him by giving him snacks will make him thirsty, so when he is all done and he drinks water without saying a word to him. When I think in the past, there were not way to make Tommy to drink plain water. So there is a huge progress.

My mom staid with us for a few months, so she took the lead in making Tommy to like water. She was successful! But she went back home and Tommy began to refused drinking water from the blue water bottle his OT gave him. I know the adjustment process of not having my mom around had to be with it. She can read him very well, so she knows Tommy's likes and dislikes regardless his communication barriers. So I brainstormed about the situation. I realized he was needing something to motivate him. It wasn't the water, it was the cup. He gets bored of certain things if they are done over and over again in the same way. So Paying attention to Tommy's personality is crucial to know his like and dislike. I switched the blue bottler water to a cup Tommy wasn't familiar with, while I let him make a choice to give him more control of the situation. It worked and it is still working!

In my search on how to motivate him to drink water, I found out about the bobble water bottles. They have a fashionable design that comes with a water filter. They are free of BPA, Phthalates and PVC. I am ordering more of these bottles because they are not made to be washed in the dishwasher, but I read it after it was too late. I am also using these bottles to reduce toxins in the water because of Tommy's high levels of toxicity. But the best of old, Tommy is motivated to drink water with these bottles.

Here is Tommy drinking water from his bobble water bottle this morning.

He drank 5 oz of water this morning without struggles.

On Monday, November 19, we were at the playground in the evening and I asked Tommy if he wanted to "swing or water" so it could be his choice –rather than me forcing him— and he answered "A LOT OF WATER." Yes! these words. Just clearly like the water. It took me several minutes to actually believe these words were coming from him because his communication barriers and his dislike for water. I am glad my husband was there to confirm to me what I heard. Tommy drank 8 oz of water between the time we were at the playground and our way home.  This day, my effort to help Tommy to drink plain water was paid off when I heard his voice demanding "A LOT OF WATER."

Currently, Tommy is mostly drinking water by his choice. I ask him sometimes, Do you want a sip of water? while he is eating, so I wait for any kind of response, verbal or gesture.* He still gives trouble to our relative, who helps with baby sitting, when they offer water to him. So I contacted our former developmental therapist if she can help us with this situation because I think it is a behavioral issue, rather than him not liking to drink water when they offer the water to him. I think it is more Tommy taking over of the situation, how it had happened in the past. There are some days better than others, but I feel I am starting to win this battle.

Conclusion
There are 5 steps to make my son or maybe any child to drink plain water:

1. To pay attention to child's personality and non-verbal cues to learn about his or her likes and dislikes
2. To make the process fun by getting funny water bottles
3. To allow the child have control of the situation by giving him or her "choices."
4. To be consistant in offering plain water often.
5. To avoid water substitutes (juice, flavored water, vitamin water, etc). They just make the issue worse and longer.

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* Approximately more than 60% of humans communication is by gestures. So even when our kids with communication barriers struggles verbalizing their wants and needs, they always communicate with their body language. We have to pay attention to it and wait for any kind of response. It works!