juice or water

[julie w]

I have a policy that I only give milk or water to pre school children. Once the children start school I ask parents to fill a permission slip for them to have squash..or not. I have been on various healthy eating courses and passed because I said I do not give squash (and other things) and it has not been a problem. I have a 3 year old that will only drink squash. I explained to parents my policy and they said they agree, water or milk is better.However Mindee comes with a beaker full of strong ribena every day. If I tip it away she will not drink a thing all day. When mum comes she starts crying that she needs juice. Mum has started coming with a bottle of pop/juice for her at hometime and says to her 'I know you want juice, but Julie says no, so Ive brought you some'. The children have their own drinks bottles which I ensure always have fresh water in all day, but I dont feel its fair that I should give one juice/sqush and the others water. It is against my policy, but its obviously not good for her to go without a drink all day. What would you suggest? Thank you.

[loocyloo]

Can you take the juice mum sends and slowly slowly slowly dilute it until child is drinking water?

I too only offer milk or water b... But for all mindees. I don't have squash in the house, and rarely juice.

[Koala]

I'd suggest mum stops giving juice, your on to a loosing battle otherwise. DO NOT give in and give the lo juice. I have had lots of children that parents say will only have juice - and I say they will have what you give them, give them juice they will have juice, give them water they will have water.
However, they will hold out for juice if mum is going to undermine you and give in, just cos mum can't show good practice doesn't mean to say you should follow suite, keep offering milk and water - my tap has council pop NOT water! I would not give lo juice provided by mum on a morning - tell her not to bring it or just tip it away, make sure you tell mum as well.

This would drive me nuts. It is really disrespectful of mum to continue like this, but don't take it personally, just carry on as you are but try and get mum on board with not giving juice. GOOD LUCK

[JCrakers]

Its really hard to 'wean' children off squash when they have had it. I have two siblings who will not drink water, (1 only comes in school holidays and is 7yrs) his sister is 4yrs. I have managed to come to a deal that they can have 1 small drink of juice diluted with water at lunchtime but water throughout the day.

All the other 13 children I have will drink water. I only offer water and milk and don't give juice or squash to anyone else. If I didn't offer juice to the two children they would have nothing all day which I worry about.

[appleblossom]

I give very very weak juice to a 3yo mindee in my care. I have tried water and he won't have it. If I don't give him the weak squash he drinks nothing all day. He will only drink milk if it's a milk shake.
He was at a private day nursery from 8am to 6pm yesterday (I don't work Mondays and his Mum has gone full time).

His Mum thinks he must have drunk nothing all day at the nursery as he drank about a pint of weak squash when he got home last night.

[AliceK]

I was pulled up by my Ofsted inspector for giving the children weak squash (with their parents consent) and advised that I should only be giving them water. So now I only give water. I've not had any problems from mindees with this so I guess it will do them good when they eventually start school as they will be used to only being allowed water. My DD (aged 6) will not drink water. She has to have water in her bottle for school but she will come home with the bottle still full at the end of the day. She is allowed fruit juice in her lunch box so that is all she drinks all day even in the height of summer. It does worry me.

xxxx

[charlottenash]

For your own school aged children if it's an issue flavour the water, pop a slice of lemon in or use the flavoured still water if your concerned they aren't drinking enough. It concerns me that our school don't ask for them to bring a bottle in at all!

Mindees is water only here, the odd occasion I have put a spoonful of orange/apple fresh juice after consulting parents that they have not drank all morning. Very rare and I've never shown the children what I'm doing so they don't catch on.

[playdayz]

One of the children I mind does not like water so I make homemade flavoured water with fresh fruit tastes like juice he loves it x

[playdayz]

http://itsjello.com/55-homemade-flavored-water-recipes/ try some of these

[watford wizz]

I find it helps to have regular water stops through out the day where every one has a small drink and the children seeing me drink water.

[Mouse]

My mindees are all pre-schoolers. They have water freely available all day. At morning snack they have milk, at lunch they have water or diluted squash or juice and at afternoon snack they have water. Of the 8 mindees I have over the week, 5 are happy with water at lunchtime, but the other 3 prefer squash.

Personally, i don't see the need to ban squash or juice completely. Most of them drink it at home, so one weak squash a day for the 2 or 3 days a week they are with me isn't going to do them any harm.

A lot of children don't like water. What is so wrong with them having a preference? If a child really disliked a certain food, would we continue to give it to them and offer no alternative at all? I have seen people say "only offer water. If they are really thirsty they will drink it". Well, I can tell you, they won't. Many children would rather go a whole day without a drink than have water. How can that be good for them?

As an adult, how would you feel if you were told that for a whole day you could only drink water? It would suit some adults, just as it suits some children, but I guess the majority would be far from happy.

[CookieCutter]

I look after a lo whose mother was trying to wean her off breast milk. Lo would not drink cows milk and wasn't keen on water, so parents gave her squash to get some liquid inside her. I would never take it upon myself to tell parents what they should or shouldn't be giving to their children, so when she would show up with a cup full of squash or sometimes un diluted fruit juice, I would let her have it, but when that was gone I would give her water. She simply would not drink it.

I would prefer she have diluted juice rather than insist on water and see her go thirsty. Over the time she's been here, I have managed to tweak the mixture so that it's now far more water than juice (I use fruit juice as I don't keep squash here...not a judgement, I just don't like it).

[kellib]

My mindees are all pre-schoolers. They have water freely available all day. At morning snack they have milk, at lunch they have water or diluted squash or juice and at afternoon snack they have water. Of the 8 mindees I have over the week, 5 are happy with water at lunchtime, but the other 3 prefer squash. Personally, i don't see the need to ban squash or juice completely. Most of them drink it at home, so one weak squash a day for the 2 or 3 days a week they are with me isn't going to do them any harm. A lot of children don't like water. What is so wrong with them having a preference? If a child really disliked a certain food, would we continue to give it to them and offer no alternative at all? I have seen people say "only offer water. If they are really thirsty they will drink it". Well, I can tell you, they won't. Many children would rather go a whole day without a drink than have water. How can that be good for them? As an adult, how would you feel if you were told that for a whole day you could only drink water? It would suit some adults, just as it suits some children, but I guess the majority would be far from happy.

I completely agree, it sounds mean to deprive them of a tiny splash of squash if that's what they like.

My own son doesn't like water, he also doesn't like fizzy juice so he drinks plenty of squash (I buy the diluting high juices you can get) & fruit juice.

I wouldn't drink water all day either so I don't expect children to.

[Blueeyedminder]

I personally think it's ridiculous that a child isn't allowed juice, Surely it's up to the parents what their children drink not ****** Ofsted! Glad I live in Wales not England, control freaks!!

[AliceK]

I personally think it's ridiculous that a child isn't allowed juice, Surely it's up to the parents what their children drink not ****** Ofsted! Glad I live in Wales not England, control freaks!!

I agree totally with you.

In Ofsted's eyes it's about children being "school ready" and as schools only allow water I guess they figure pre-schoolers should get used to only drinking water.

xxxxx

[ja-lula-belli]

I do not offer or give squash. They can have water whenever they like and at mel times but snack time they can have milk and another from concentrate fresh fruit juice or smoothies '

Ja-Lula-Bell*****minding

[maisiemog]

I have one mum who used to send her daughter in with squash as she knew ofsted didn't like me giving it and didnt want me criticised. She wouldn't drink water and mum wrote down that she wanted her drinking this or milk.

I don't like water and pretty much live on tea and would have something to say if I was told I could only drink water all day. We are always being told we need to give children more choice yet take it away from them with this!

[tigwig]

I think when I have my next inspection I will be pretending I only offer milk or water! In reality about half my mindees drink water and the other half juice. I totally agree that some children will never drink water as I have 2 of my own that will go all day without a drink if they dont like it. I honestly cannot see the harm in a bit of juice. Surely it is better for children to be hydrated even if they do, heaven forbid, have some sugar during the process. I know as a parent what I prefer. Just tell ofsted what they want to hear lol!

[SYLVIA]

I have 2 mindees here who only ever have juice and mums say they won't drink anything else. Funny that when they are here, they only have water and drink it without a fuss. I have to say it took a while to break the habit and at first they didn't drink much during the day. But I found if I gave juice/squash thy drink it all at once and just kept asking for more, not because they were thirsty but because of the taste. I now find they drink when they are thirsty and also they eat better because their bellies are not constantly full of drink. Stick to your policies, the children will be better for it

[jackie 7]

i only give water and milk at meals. They all drink water even the one who wouldn't.