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.

[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

[munch149]

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.

I would do this too but also

Only give the diluted juice with meals. This was the recommendation if you wanted to give juice when I did a healthy eating course. Give her water at other times. At least you know she is getting fluid throughout the day but at the same time your discouraging the juice drinking

[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

[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.

[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.

[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.

[hectors house]

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.

Well said Mouse - I offer the same as you - children have free access to water at all times, at morning snack they have milk, at lunch they have weak squash (if they want another drink at lunch then it's water), rest of day they drink water. I drink very weak squash myself as I don't get much time to make myself a cup of tea (or if I do I forget to drink it). I believe in everything in moderation.

[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.

[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).

[FloraDora]

I understand the reasons behind the water ruling and agree with it in principle but until it becomes 'law' for parents too we will always be in this difficult situation.
If children are only offered water and milk from weaning stage they will naturally drink it. If they are offered from weaning something in their water they will build up a preference for that......then the government are saying it is up to childcare to sort it.

The government cannot insist that children only drink water in our care if they don't back it up with penalties for parents who give their children squash and still allow companies to sell it!

Whilst most children easily move over to the water only some individuals don't and not only for stubbornness, also because they are not used to drinking it. I think if your policy is only water, milk or diluted fruit juice and ofsted can see evidence that you are trying to implement this policy, with possibly an RA in place and a plan to wean a child off squash then I am sure they will be happy- daft that we have to go to this trouble but we have to jump through so many hoops in order to prove our worth unfortunately. I would love to make a stand, but it is not worth jeopardising my business grading for.
A parent of mine is trying to support this by weaning her son off squash with natural elderflower - it says no added ingredients...and herb drinks like fennel, these are very weak, and 'supposedly' slightly better than fruit squash....... At least she is trying.

[Mouse]

We all seem to try very hard, then we go to toddler groups (ours are run by Surestart and the Childrens' Centre) where they give the children juice and biscuits

[dawn100]

I understand the reasons behind the water ruling and agree with it in principle but until it becomes 'law' for parents too we will always be in this difficult situation.
If children are only offered water and milk from weaning stage they will naturally drink it. If they are offered from weaning something in their water they will build up a preference for that......then the government are saying it is up to childcare to sort it.

The government cannot insist that children only drink water in our care if they don't back it up with penalties for parents who give their children squash and still allow companies to sell it!

Whilst most children easily move over to the water only some individuals don't and not only for stubbornness, also because they are not used to drinking it. I think if your policy is only water, milk or diluted fruit juice and ofsted can see evidence that you are trying to implement this policy, with possibly an RA in place and a plan to wean a child off squash then I am sure they will be happy- daft that we have to go to this trouble but we have to jump through so many hoops in order to prove our worth unfortunately. I would love to make a stand, but it is not worth jeopardising my business grading for.
A parent of mine is trying to support this by weaning her son off squash with natural elderflower - it says no added ingredients...and herb drinks like fennel, these are very weak, and 'supposedly' slightly better than fruit squash....... At least she is trying.

I have been resisting replying to this thread as it can make me really irate. My dd when a baby and a toddler suffered from severe constipation and still is prone to it now. It was so bad she had anal tears, had paediatric referral where to cut a long story short the consultant asked about her diet - all very healthy plenty veg and fruit, he then went on to ask about what she drank - I replied only milk and water - consultant then recommended we give her very weak squash or diluated juice as he thought the additional liquid and the drinks themselves would help her as he said although people say if you only give them water they will drink if they are really thirsty which is true but there is a difference between drinking enough to stop you from becoming dehydrated and you being fully hydrated with all your insides working as they should be. My dd was never dehydrated and passed normal amounts of urine just needs plenty of fluid and fruit to pass normal stools.
If a child came to us and was a vegan or vegetarian some doctors recommend avoiding these diets in babies and young children as it can be difficult to get the nutrients needed, we wouldn't be telling parents that they should have a diet including meat (please don't anyone think I'm having a go at people whi feed their children vegetarian food because I'm not) we would be respecting their wishes whether we agreed with it or not! However when it comes to the dreaded squash we no longer respect parents wishes. In my house if parents want their child to have dilute squash or juice they have that at meal times provided by the parents, milk is offered at snack times and then a drinks bottle with water in is available all day.

[FloraDora]

I have been resisting replying to this thread as it can make me really irate. My dd when a baby and a toddler suffered from severe constipation and still is prone to it now. It was so bad she had anal tears, had paediatric referral where to cut a long story short the consultant asked about her diet - all very healthy plenty veg and fruit, he then went on to ask about what she drank - I replied only milk and water - consultant then recommended we give her very weak squash or diluated juice as he thought the additional liquid and the drinks themselves would help her as he said although people say if you only give them water they will drink if they are really thirsty which is true but there is a difference between drinking enough to stop you from becoming dehydrated and you being fully hydrated with all your insides working as they should be. My dd was never dehydrated and passed normal amounts of urine just needs plenty of fluid and fruit to pass normal stools.
If a child came to us and was a vegan or vegetarian some doctors recommend avoiding these diets in babies and young children as it can be difficult to get the nutrients needed, we wouldn't be telling parents that they should have a diet including meat (please don't anyone think I'm having a go at people whi feed their children vegetarian food because I'm not) we would be respecting their wishes whether we agreed with it or not! However when it comes to the dreaded squash we no longer respect parents wishes. In my house if parents want their child to have dilute squash or juice they have that at meal times provided by the parents, milk is offered at snack times and then a drinks bottle with water in is available all day.

Sorry, I didn't mean to cause offence.
Of course there are situations like yours where recommendations come from health professionals and I should have acknowledged this in my reply.

[dawn100]

Sorry, I didn't mean to cause offence.
Of course there are situations like yours where recommendations come from health professionals and I should have acknowledged this in my reply.

You didn't cause offence, sorry wasnt aiming my reply at you.

In response to getting children ready for school at my childrens schools they are allowed juice and squash in their lunch but only water in class. So I do the same here, dilute juice or water at meal times if parents want and they supply, water available at all other times.