Smart beverage choices for your family

What is wrong with juice or other sweetened drinks for hydration? Plenty.

The sugars in juice and other sweetened drinks are considered empty calories. When your child drinks milk, he is getting the calcium, protein, vitamin D, and minerals he needs for good health. When he drinks water, he is getting pure hydration. These are the only beverages children should drink. 

Let’s look at the downside to other drinks.

Fruit juice and smoothies

You may wonder: why isn’t some fruit juice OK? After all, the Healthy Kids newsletters say that 4 to 6 ounces of juice a day is the limit. And many parents dilute juice with water. Does that make it healthier? These strategies limit exposure to sugary drinks but do not stop it. 

• The sugars in juice are still concentrated and not healthy. You would have to mix 1 teaspoon of juice in 8 ounces of water to reduce the calories to 5 or less per serving.
• Even 100 percent fruit juice is water and sugar from the fruit. In juice, you lose the fiber and other nutrition you get when you eat the fruit. For example: you have to squeeze 6 oranges to get a glass of orange juice. No one would eat 6 oranges at once, but we can all drink a glass of orange juice.
• Smoothies pose a similar problem. Blending fruits together just concentrates the sugar and takes away the benefits of the fiber. Eating a piece of fruit is a low-calorie snack that keeps your child feeling full and satisfied. Smoothies are an unhealthy way to get fruit. Eat your fruit, do not drink it.

Sports drinks

Kids do not need sports drinks. They need hydration. Give your child water to drink when he plays. He will get the salts and minerals he needs from eating healthy foods. The added sugars in sports drinks make them a poor choice.

Flavored waters

These very-low-calorie drinks can be a good alternative if your child prefers a flavored drink. Look for a drink with 5 or fewer calories in an 8-ounce serving. Read the label to see the calories per serving. The rule is: Six or more, leave it at the store.

Diet drinks

It is true that these artificially sweetened drinks (for example, Crystal Light) do not have calories. But they do teach your child’s body to crave sweets. All of a sudden, plain water does not taste good because it is not sweet. Even milk might not taste sweet enough for kids used to sweetened drinks. This craving for sweets carries over to food choices. Studies show that people who drink diet drinks consume more calories overall than people who do not have diet drinks.   

No negotiating

What if your child refuses to drink water or milk? Remember, you are in charge. Parents make the rules in the household, and this should be the rule in your home. Every child gets thirsty and he will drink milk or water when he is thirsty enough.

Be a role model

As much as you can, show your child that you drink milk and water too. Avoid drinking soda and other sweetened drinks as much as you can. When you sit down to have a snack with your child, drink what he is drinking.  

Away from home

It can be harder to apply healthy drink rules when your child is away from home. His preschool may serve juice or smoothies may be offered at a birthday party. Well-meaning relatives want to give him a treat. Be firm and explain that you and your child drink only milk and water. You can teach others what you already know: milk and water are the best beverage choices. To see if you and your child are getting enough calcium, use this calcium calculator from the International Osteoporosis Foundation.

Teach your child to be a good friend

Your 6-year-old is busy making friends and forming social connections. This is a good time to talk with her about what it means to be a good friend and how to act in these relationships. Family dinners are a fantastic time to talk about topics you want your child to think about (call it brainwashing over broccoli). Here are some ideas for conversation:

Having more than one friend

Young children often think that they can only have one good friend at a time. For example, your daughter may really like Susie and spend lots of time with her. But if your daughter meets Emma she may reject Susie because she does not understand that it is OK to have many friends at once. Use your friendships as examples: “I’ve known Aisha since high school, but I met Lee when you were still a baby.”

Our connections with people change and develop over time. It is important to let your child know that she needs to nurture and protect her existing friendships as she makes new ones. (Now would be a good time to teach her the song “Make new friends but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold.”)

Bullying

Although bullying is not usually an issue at this age, the stage is being set for it to rear its ugly head soon. Talk about how she should react if she sees another child being treated poorly. Bullying usually involves three roles: the bully, the person being bullied, and the bystander. 

You should discuss each of these roles with your child. Teaching her to stand up for others is crucial to helping her become a good friend and person. Let your child know that:

• You expect her to not join in teasing or saying mean things.
• Words hurt as much as actions.
• She should talk with a grown-up if she feels another child is being hurt or if she feels hurt by what someone said or did.

Appreciating differences

Talk about the differences in people around you. People have different shapes, sizes, ethnicities, cultures, and abilities. Point out how the world is a better place because of this diversity. It would be boring if we were all the same. Let her know that it is not OK to tease another child because he is different.

Welcoming her friends

You should take time to foster your child’s friendships. Set up play dates and encourage her to have people she likes over to your house. When a child arrives at your house:

• Make the friend comfortable: greet him by name, and tell him you are glad to see him.
• Keep an eye out on how the play date is going. You can suggest activities if they are needed and offer them snacks.
• When you deliver the friend to his parent, take time to praise his behavior. This makes both the child and the parent feel good and strengthens the budding friendship.
• Make friends with the parents of your child’s friends.

Robert Louis Stevenson said: "No man is useless while he has a friend." He was right; friendship is crucial to our success in life. Help your child find success by teaching her how to be a good friend.

You might want to read The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander: From Preschool to High School - How Parents and Teachers Can Help Break the Cycle by Barbara Coloroso

Resources to help family routines

Routines can help organize your family and keep life from getting too chaotic. But, it can be hard to settle into comfortable and effective routines. Get tips on creating effective routines for morning, after school, evening, and bedtime.

Family mealtimes

Meals together with your family can be magical. They can be full of conversation and fun. They are important times to reconnect with each other after a day apart. However, this kind of mealtime can feel very hard to achieve. Too often, worries about what the kids are eating make the parents nag. Everyone may be tired and cranky, leading to bickering rather than sharing. Let’s see if we can help your meals become the valuable experience they should be.

Dial back worrying about what your child eats. As a parent your job is to offer healthy food choices. His job is to chose which foods and how much to eat. Think of your child’s nutrition averaged over a month; if the choices are healthy then eventually his diet will be well rounded. It may also help you relax to give him a children's multivitamin each day.

If you’re worried about his weight, ask your doctor if there is reason to worry. If the doctor feels that your child’s weight is healthy, you may be able to let go of your dinner-time concern. And remember, kids who regularly eat together with their families are less likely to become overweight.

Schedule activities around dinner when possible. Busy family schedules can get in the way of eating together as a family, but try to make this togetherness a priority. Or, consider eating at creative times: early before soccer practice or late afterwards (with a bigger afternoon snack). 

Tell your child your stories, talk about your life. Answer his questions. Problem solve together. All of this works best if you are animated, interested, and excited to be talking together.

Teach your children that dinners are meant for sharing the day’s experiences. Start by turning off the TV. Ask about your child’s day and encourage him to ask about yours. If it’s hard to get the conversation going, try the Two True, One False game:

• One person at the table tells, in detail, 2 true experiences from his day and 1 false. Everyone else gets to guess which one is false. Keep taking turns. Without even noticing, everyone will have told you lots about his day.

Play other games to encourage conversation and have fun:

• Would You Rather This or That? This is a game of choices. For example, ask if your child would rather be rich but lonely, or poor and surrounded by love? You will learn who your child is becoming and sneak in a discussion about values and morals.
• Goober Goat. One person says the name of anything found on a farm. The next person says the first word that comes to mind (maybe you start with pig and the next person says ham). You cannot criticize his choice, but you can ask him to explain the connection. These connections and explanations give you quite a fun view of your child’s mind and personality.

The stories, games, and values that you share at dinner will last throughout your child’s life and give your whole family a lifetime of warm memories. Bon appétit!