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31 Days Challenge- Day 11: Examine Your Kid's "Drinking" Habits

11 January 2012 Today's Challenge: Take a good look at what your kids are drinking-

This was a hard one for me to write- I've erased and rewritten a bunch of times. I don't want to come off as preachy. Therefore, I'm not going to tell you what your child should or should not be drinking. Instead, I ask you to look at what they're drinking and decide, for yourself, what is and what is not acceptable.

Take a look at what your children drank today:

Are your kids drinking their calories?
Do your kids eat less when they drink juice, "juice" drinks, or chocolate milk with a meal?
Are your kids acquiring a taste and craving for, sugary treats and snacks by drinking sugary drinks?
Do you notice a change in behavior after your children consume sugary drinks?
Do their drinks have added sugar or natural sugar?
If your kids are drinking 100% juice,  how much are they drinking?
Do your kids drink water?
Is drinking milk so important that it is worth the added sugar to give them chocolate milk on a daily basis?
What is your stance on artificial sweeteners?
Do your kids crave sugar more after they've had a "sweet" drink, even if it was sweetened artificially?
What do you drink on a regular basis? Are you setting the example that you want to be setting for your kids?

If you decide that you want to make a change in what your kids are drinking, here are some suggestions:

If your kids are not drinking water regularly, you may find that by buying a cool water bottle or or special water cup, they will be more encouraged. You may also want to find a way that your kids can serve themselves water. They will enjoy the independence and this will encourage them to drink it more.

If your kids are hooked on sugary drinks, even if it is 100% juice, I recommend running out. My kids requested juice all the time. What I've noticed is that if I have juice in the house and say, "no," I am met with resistance. If however, they ask for juice and I don't have any, they will accept what I do have (which is typically water).

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 Hi, I'm Julie!