Win 1 of 10 BRITA Fill&Go bottle & stickers

Competitions

Published on Tuesday, 15 September 2015 11:00

Last Updated on 14 September 2015

Monica Costa

0 Comments

We all understand the importance of keeping our children hydrated. However it can be tricky to track their intake whilst they are at school and recent research by BRITA has revealed that nearly half of parents are unsure how much water their little ones need to drink.

BRITA has launched the Back to School Hydration Initiative and created a fabulous hydration solution for kids – ruler stickers for the stylish BRITA Fill&Go bottle which details how much children need to drink by break time, lunchtime and home time. These stickers are limited edition and we have 10 packs, each including 4 stickers (2 x girl design and 2 x boy design) and a BRITA Fill&Go bottle, to give away so that you can monitor your children’s hydration intake more easily.

 

With the new autumn term well underway, it has been revealed that parents across the UK are struggling to monitor their children’s drinking habits whilst at school. Research from BRITA shows that nearly three quarters (73%) of parents do not know how much water their children drink during the school day and 66% are not sure of the recommended daily intake of fluid.

The research, which surveyed 2,000 parents of primary school children, found that despite not knowing how much water their child should or does drink; 92% believe hydration to be important as it helps boost concentration levels during lessons. Parents do however have greater control over their children’s drinking habits during the weekends and holidays, with 63% always ensuring they provide water to drink whilst they are at home.

Over three quarters (77%) of parents across the nation said the main challenge they face is combating their child’s forgetfulness when it comes drinking the recommended amount of water, making it difficult for parents to ensure they are properly hydrated.

Renowned London dietician and nutritionist, Jo Travers commented; ‘Children are less likely to recognise the early stages of thirst, which adults are more aware of, meaning they can forget that drinking water regularly is important. When children return to school, after being under their parent’s guidance during the holidays, they can quickly get out of the habit of drinking regularly if they aren’t being reminded.”

When they come home from school, parents recognise the symptoms of dehydration in their children; with over half (56%) of respondents saying they are irritable and 59% noticing they are tired.

“Children require higher quantities of water in relation to their body weight than adults,” adds Jo. “When hydrated, children have greater cognitive function, better visual attention, improved accuracy in motor skills such as handwriting, and more concentration which helps them to perform better. Therefore it is important that parents have access to the right information and support to help them keep their children hydrated throughout the school day.”

European Food Standards Agency recommendations: children aged 4 to 8 should consume 1.1-1.3 litres, girls aged 9 to 13 should consume 1.3-1.5 litres and boys aged 9 to 13 should consume 1.5-1.7 litres of fluid per day from drinks.

In response to this, water filtration expert BRITA has launched the Back to School Hydration Initiative to encourage children to drink water and to help parents monitor their intake. BRITA has created limited edition child-friendly stickers for the BRITA Fill&Go bottle. The stickers provide a measurement level for break time, lunchtime and home time so that children know how much to drink and when, encouraging healthy habits and helping them stay alert and hydrated all day.

The BRITA Fill&Go is a 600ml BPA-free bottle, which provides fresh, filtered water whilst on-the-go. It is available in green, pink, blue and grey, RRP £14.99, from www.brita.co.uk 

For your chance to win one of these amazing bottles with the limited edition stickers, write in the competition form below the amount of water children aged 4 to 8 should be drinking daily. Deadline to enter is 12pm on 15th October 2015.