70% of parents feel ‘guilty’ over kids not drinking enough water, survey reveals

Seven in 10 parents admit they feel guilty that their child isn’t drinking enough water.

That’s according to a survey of 2,000 parents of kids ages five to 12, split evenly by the U.S. regions. Results revealed that more than one-third (36%) of parents find it difficult to keep their children hydrated during the summer months specifically. However, given that the number of hot days has increased beyond the traditional summer months, this has implications beyond the summer season.

Another 43% even find themselves stressing over how to ensure their child is staying hydrated.

Though the official summer season is winding down, that does not mean that the number of hot days disappears. With the heat and humidity raging on in many parts of our country, parents are attempting to provide their child with water whenever possible (56%); some like to drink water with them (53%) and lead by setting an example of good, regular drinking habits (43%).

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Others are getting creative and adding water enhancers or flavors (39%) or even use goals and prizes to encourage drinking water (9%).

Still, results found that even parents aren’t drinking as much as they should as 42% struggle to keep up with their water intake during the summer.

In fact, 24% of parents surveyed admit to “never” having a reusable water bottle around with them when they were a child.

With summer coming to an end and school gearing up, the survey commissioned by True Citrus and conducted by Talker Research found that today, times are changing. Almost two in five parents (38%) “always” bring a reusable water bottle and only 4% cling to the ways of their childhood.

Close to three-quarters of parents also say that their child encourages them to drink more water, both by example (23%) and with their words (51%).

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This may, in part, be because 37% of kids “always” have their reusable water bottles in tow, another 37% do so “often”, with only 2% of parents admitting their kids never have one with them.

Almost half of parents (49%) also say that social media trends surrounding water consumption have had an impact on their water drinking habits.

“It’s encouraging to see not only that social media trends are encouraging adults to drink more water, but that parents are passing these habits along to their children,” said Heidi Carney, Executive Vice President, Marketing at True Citrus. “Whether parents are struggling with keeping their kids or themselves hydrated during the hottest months of the year, there are ways to encourage good water-drinking habits and enjoy staying hydrated.”

Results also revealed that 70% of parents polled believe that their child is more physically active during the summer than the rest of the year.

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The most popular activities include playing on the playground (68%), swimming and water games (66%), bike riding (54%) and running games such as tag or red light, green light (54%).

But despite increased play and temperatures, results found that some children drink less water during the summer than they do during other months.

Throughout the rest of the year, kids average about five glasses of water per day, but during the summer, that number drops to 4.6.

Kids in the Northeast are in the most hydrated region, with the average child drinking 4.8 glasses of water, compared to 4.4 in the Southeast which is the least hydrated. Parents in the Northeast are also the least stressed about hydration levels (38%).

Comparatively, in the Midwest, children average 4.8 glasses of water each day from September to May, yet only have 4.6 glasses during the summer.

Interestingly, only 39% of parents in the Southeast are stressed about their kids’ hydration, compared to 48% in the West, 47% in the Midwest and 39% in the Southwest.

“Based on these results, the United States summer hydration report card can use some work. While the official summer season is coming to an end, there will be no shortage of hot days to come in the next few weeks and months,” said Meghan Flynn, MS, RDN. “During hotter, longer days, it’s imperative to avoid getting dehydrated. The CDC recommends when working or exercising in the heat, to drink one cup of water every 15 – 20 minutes. Adding a flavored water enhancer helps them stay hydrated while enjoying every sip.”

Survey methodology:

This random double-opt-in survey of 2,000 parents of kids ages 5-12, evenly split by the 5 U.S. regions (Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, Midwest and West) was commissioned by True Lemon Kids between June 14 and June 25, 2024. It was conducted by market research company Talker Research , whose team members are members of the Market Research Society ( MRS ) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research ( ESOMAR ).

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