The Unseen Connection: How Hydration Supports Wellbeing for Carers and Traumatised Children
Caring for children who’ve experienced trauma or neglect can be deeply rewarding, but it can also be exhausting. The emotional demands, lack of respite, and constant need to stay calm and responsive can take a real toll on foster carers’ wellbeing.
We often focus on emotional support, self-care, and therapeutic parenting, but one of the simplest ways to support both body and mind is often overlooked: hydration.
Staying hydrated might seem basic, but it plays a powerful role in helping you and the child you care for manage stress, regulate emotions, and stay healthy.
Why Hydration Matters for Carers
When we don’t drink enough water, our bodies respond as if we’re under threat. Research shows that dehydration increases levels of cortisol, the hormone responsible for stress. Even mild dehydration can make us feel more tense, anxious, or irritable… and less able to cope with daily challenges.
For foster carers, that can mean:
- Feeling more easily overwhelmed
- Struggling to stay patient or focused
- Experiencing more fatigue or headaches
Drinking enough water isn’t just about physical health — it’s a simple, effective act of self-care that helps you stay grounded and emotionally available to the children in your care.
Keeping a water bottle nearby, sipping regularly, or setting a reminder on your phone are small habits that can make a big difference.
Children and Hydration: A Hidden Need
Children are more vulnerable to dehydration than adults, and for children who’ve lived through neglect or trauma, this can be even more complicated.
In nurturing homes, adults help children learn to listen to their bodies offering food when hungry, comfort when tired, and drinks when thirsty. But for children who haven’t had that consistent care, those internal signals can become dulled or confusing.
They may not recognise that they’re thirsty or may not trust that asking for a drink will lead to having their need met.
Even mild dehydration can cause:
- Headaches or tiredness
- Dry lips or skin
- Difficulty concentrating or remembering
- Irritability, confusion, or low mood
A child who seems withdrawn, grumpy, or unable to focus might not always be struggling emotionally – sometimes, they simply need a drink.
Making Hydration Part of Therapeutic Care
Hydration can be woven naturally into daily routines as a small but meaningful act of care.
For carers:
- Keep water close at hand and drink throughout the day
- Eat water-rich foods like fruit and soups
- Treat hydration as part of your self-care routine — it supports both your physical and emotional resilience
For children:
- Offer drinks regularly rather than waiting for them to ask
- Make drinks easily accessible like a jug on the table, a bottle on their desk, or a cup by the bed
- Model healthy habits by drinking water together
- Use it as a moment of connection – “Let’s both have a drink before we go out,” or “We always have a drink before story time.”
These small, predictable moments help children feel noticed and cared for. They show that their needs matter — a powerful message for children who may have experienced neglect.
A Simple Act of Care
Hydration might not sound like a therapeutic intervention, but it can quietly transform how both carers and children feel and function. It supports focus, calmness, emotional regulation, and resilience, the very foundations of healing.
Something as simple as a glass of water can be both nurturing and restorative. It reminds carers to care for themselves, and it gives children a small but powerful experience of being cared for, perhaps in ways they’ve missed before.
Sometimes, the path to wellbeing starts with the simplest acts. So, next time things feel overwhelming, pause… and take a sip of water.
