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The battle to keep an unwell child hydrated is a very real predicament for parents – and so is getting them to guzzle essential electrolytes from big-name brands.
Kids are notoriously fussy, and with the rise in food allergies, options are limited.
Enter Newcastle mums Danielle Campbell and Anna Wendtman.
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With five children between them, they know what it’s like to go to war with mineral-deficient kids in their time of need, which is why they created Kidhy, an electrolyte brand scientifically formulated for little ones – with both their tastes and needs in mind.
“Kidhy started when our kids refused every single electrolyte drink we offered during back-to-back rounds of gastro,” Danielle, who met Anna working in mining in remote Queensland, tells WHO.
“So we did what any sleep-deprived, snack-dispensing, hydration-obsessed mums would do – we rolled up our sleeves, did our research and created hydration for kids that actually works and tastes good.”
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Anna has a background in human resources and Danielle in procurement, so they really had to start from scratch to create Kidhy, which was born over many coffee catch-ups as they vented over the germ factory that is childcare.
“It took a lot of time in terms of researching and exploring,” Danielle explains, adding that after they’d secured a lab in Queensland to work on the formulas, it was time to call in the big guns to come up with their powder-to-liquid electrolytes, appropriately named Hydra Helpa.
“There was a lot of back and forth in testing the formula and the flavour. The flavour must be spot-on, otherwise they’re not going to let it pass their lips!” mum-of-three Danielle continues.
“The kids had some crazy ideas in terms of what flavours should be included in the range – and still, they were pivotal in tasting the product and giving us brutally honest reviews.”
Now, the ladies offer a kid-friendly flavour range, all of them gluten-free and dairy-free, and made with natural colours and flavours, plus they don’t contain any nasties or added sugar.
“The long-term goal for us was to put prebiotics and probiotics in there to proactively improve their gut health, which is the base of their immune system,” Anna explains, suggesting the contents of the colourful little sachets are even best consumed every day because they act as a preventative.
“You can even throw it in the lunchbox and have it after sport.”
