Looking for a way to keep hydrated while sick? Check out this easy DIY Pedialyte Recipe. Oral rehydration therapy (ORT) is a simple and effective way to treat dehydration caused by conditions such as diarrhea and vomiting. Here is a recipe for making homemade oral rehydration solutions with common household ingredients.

Don’t you hate when you have a sick child and you have to run out to get rehydration drinks to make them feel better? Nothing is worse than taking a sick kid out in public! Skip the Pedialyte or Gatorade, and make your own oral rehydration salts instead. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been a big fan of sports drinks. I feel like they have way to much sugar and the ones that are sugar free have too much artificial sweetener. However, when young children are really sick, plain water or fruit juice just isn’t enough to help with the absorption of fluids.
I’ve been lucky enough that we’ve only had to buy Pedialyte once and my boys hated it. I hated the fact that I spent so much on a stupid drink that my boys wouldn’t even drink.
I knew there had to be a better way which is why I did some research on dehydration and found out that The World Health Organization has been teaching how to make an effective oral rehydration solution / DIY electrolyte water to fight signs of dehydration for decades.
How do you make electrolyte water?
It’s actually pretty easy to make your own electrolyte water / DIY Pedialyte recipe.
The simple recipe helps with electrolyte balance and only contains three ingredients: clean water, table salt, and sugar. This homemade solution is so simple to make that it’s almost insane that Western culture reaches for processed drinks and soda to treat a dehydrated child and a stomach bug.

Homemade electrolyte drink recipe/ DIY Pedialyte (Oral Rehydration Salts)
Ingredients:
- 6 teaspoons of sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 liter of water
Instructions:
- In a clean container, measure out 1 liter of clean drinking water.
- Add 6 teaspoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the water.
- Stir the mixture until the sugar and salt dissolve completely.
- The oral rehydration solution is now ready to be used.
My kids prefer this at room temperature, but you can easily chill it or add ice if you prefer. Make sure to take small sips- no chugging here!
It’s important to note that this homemade ORS solution should be used only as a temporary measure. Severe dehydration is nothing to mess with! If the symptoms persist or worsen, seek medical attention immediately.

What do you do to keep the kids hydrated when they are sick?
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