why wouldn't they drink water? if you give them water as soon as they start solid foods at 6 months, and don't give them juices and sweet drinks then there should be no reason why a child won't drink water?

June if a child is breastfed for up to a year with some solifds introduced (at 6 months or when they are ready for them) then breastmilk or follow-on milk is what they are accustomd to and will refuse water.

Thats hard to believe. My godson was breastfed until a year (and still is) and has no problem taking water.

oh, my PHN said to introduce drinks of water from a cup or sippy cup, along with the solids at 6 months. i'm breastfeeding. i know she wouldn't really need water in terms of hydration, but the PHN said it's good to get them used to it when solids are introduced

Believe it or not it is the case for some babies.

I am sure it is the case for some babies, I am simply saying that from what I have seen it was not the case for her baby.

Cows milk is fine but drinking excessive amounts is the problem.

Fruit juice is full of sugar and empty calories and not recommended at all. It's very bad for childrens teeth and gums.

Not enough adults drink water, so they recommend when introducing other fluids on top of breastmilk of formula, be it water rather than juices.

Fruit contains sugar - fruit sugar, just as fruit does but it is hardly empty in that it contains vitamin C, Fibre, quartzetine (the pectin nutrient found in apples), phytonutrients from grape juice and grapefruit juice, bromidiene in pineapple juice. For young children I would limit its intake and add water to it tho'. That way it very beneficial without negative effects on teeth and gums. I have to say you are right when you say we don't drink enough water and adults are the worst culprits and  our children learn their habits from us.

Fruit in it's natural form is a different story to juice.   Your child does not need to drink any fruit juice, especially if he is getting the Food Guide Pyramid's recommended servings of fruit by eating whole fruit.  So I suppose what I should have said is that  ' they don't need it'.

But I agree if you are going to give it, give a watered down version.

Fruit Juice is simply the fruit - squeezed and pulped. If strained it will not have the same fibre content of course but apart from that, there isn't a great deal of difference and it's a good way of contributing to a child recommended intake of fruit, I have always found.