When I was caring for a 10-year-old from foster care, I found myself putting all of his needs before mine. How could I not, knowing his needs had always been ignored, rejected, laughed at, or just plain overlooked. I didn’t realize I was drawing such a clear boundary between honoring my needs and accommodating his needs.

When I facilitate the course TBRI Caregiver Training (which helps foster, kinship, and adoptive parents understand their children’s behavior and how to navigate it), there’s a section that explains the impact on the brain and body when they do not receive adequate food and water to fully and healthfully function. Here are some of the facts I share.

Dehydration can negatively influence all of the following:

• Concentration
• Both short- and long-term memory
• Anxiety levels
• Mood (including intensity)

In Colorado, we need at least 56 ounces (that’s seven cups) to help prevent dehydration!

Hunger can also impact our behavior, sometimes leading to these challenges:

• Deficits in cognitive function
• Difficulty concentrating and listening
• Anxiety fluctuations
• Depression
• Irritability
• Aggression
• Difficulty regulating behavior

There’s no question that adequate water and nutrients are vital for children and youth!

AND it’s easy to forget that they are also critical for adults—especially foster, kinship, and adoptive caregivers, who are asked to perform significantly more caregiving duties.

For instance, dehydration could lead caregivers to forget caregiving responsibilities more often, lose patience and empathy sooner, or just be less like themselves. Going more than two hours without eating might result in a caregiver more easily feeling annoyed or frustrated, becoming less attentive to their youth, or experiencing increased episodes of extreme sadness. You can see how disregarding our basic needs doesn’t serve anyone, including ourselves!

When I recall how I often hurried through a meal, overlooked my natural craving for snacks, or felt so busy that I forgot to drink water throughout the day, I can see how I might not have always shown up as my best self as a caregiver. These days, you can be sure I always have my baby carrots, almonds, and water bottle nearby.

When we honor our own needs for proper nutrition and hydration, we can stabilize our caregiving responses—and better accommodate the needs of our children and youth.