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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Gatorade for Toddlers??
Unregistered 09:45 AM 11-09-2015
I have a 1 year old DCB that is given gatorade every single day! Am I wrong or is gatorade made to keep an active, exercising adult hydrated?? Obviously it's too much sugar and empty calories but it's also loaded with sodium isn't it?? This can't be good for a toddler!?!?!

This child shows up every morning with a sippy cup of gatorade. I immediately take the cup from him (he's one of those kids that walks around hugging a sippy cup all day which I do not allow here) and wash it out. His dad keeps a bottle of gatorade in the car and he refills the cup for the ride home. I have tried refilling the cup with water hoping he would just stick with that but dad just dumps it out in driveway and fills with gatorade.

Mom has, on many occasions, told me he will drink 3-5 cups of gatorade or milk between pick up and bedtime (less than 3 hour period of time)!! It seems like she is implying I am not providing him with enough to drink and therefore he has to drink so much when they get him home. Ugh!!

By the way, no surprise, but this child is huge!! Over 30 pounds at 15 months. Hmmm...wonder why. Should I mind my own business here or is gatorade actually bad for him and I should say something?
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NillaWafers 10:19 AM 11-09-2015
Gatorade is bad for him. I have a no juice policy here (only water or milk). I think the most you can do is send an article home about how bad it is for them. Maybe they can start diluting it? I highly doubt the pediatrician is on board with that.

Also having like 3 cups a milk (plus what you probably give at lunch) is a LOT. I can't understand people who just give sugar constantly and completely. There is a lot of information out about this! The only time I give gatorade is when my kids are sick and they need to be hydrated. Even then I dilute.
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Play Care 10:46 AM 11-09-2015
The only thing I would address is what happens at my program.

"DCM, from now on, no sippies from home. I will supply the cups and drinks. My food program rep was here and said I can only give the kids water or milk - no soft drinks or sports drinks. Thanks"

If she balks just say "I have rules to follow at my job just like you do at yours. I. sure you can understand that" with a big understanding smile.

No it's not good to serve those things to kids and honestly unless you're an ultra marathon runner, water is better than Gatorade. They either don't know and don't care or know and don't care. Either way so long as it stays at home - not my circus, not my monkeys.
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Thriftylady 11:37 AM 11-09-2015
I had a parent who thought her one year old wasn't getting enough to drink here, because she "couldn't get enough to drink at home". Turns out she was giving her koolaid at home, and wanted me to do that here so she would get enough to drink. She was not happy when I said no. My big concern about kids drinking so much juice (I am lumping all the sugary, colored drinks here because most juice is as loaded with them as kool aid), is that they are mostly just dye and sugar. And studies have proven those are not good for us. I have also found that kids are happy to drink water here for me once they figure out that is what they are getting.
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Baby Beluga 12:51 PM 11-09-2015
Aside from all of the concerns pp' have already mentioned, the poor child's teeth are going to rot out.

I would do as a pp said and make a no drink from home policy. Keep a sip cup at your house and only serve water and milk. If DCB arrives with a cup, hand it back to mom/dad.
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mommiebookworm 01:59 PM 11-09-2015
I have a two year old dcg who is the same way. Her poops are beyond disgusting. It's freakish how the color of poop is sometimes blue or neon green. She is also overweight.
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Thriftylady 06:05 PM 11-09-2015
So I have my grandson tonight. He is two. He had his cup of milk earlier, then I gave him a cup of juice but watered it down. He brought it to me for more and when I gave him water, promptly threw a fit. This was after I picked him up this morning and he was parked in front of cartoons with his blanket and cup of milk because he was tired and needed a nap. Seems even when we try to educate it does no good.
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Tags:gatorade, toddlers
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