At what age would you allow your child to have caffeine?

[*LittleMissSummer*]

Whether it be coca cola, coffee or an energy drink.

Obviously i don't allow my DD to have caffeine i don't even like her having soft drink as it makes her hyper. Coca cola maybe when she is a teenager 16+ but as for coffee and energy not in my house. I wasn't allowed to have either when i was growing up and i had my first redbull when i was 19. I now drink coffee occasionally and very rarely have any sort of energy drinks.

So what about you?

[PumpkinZulu]

10, prefferably 12, 13...highschool age? I'd like to say never, but once DD is a teenager I'm going to let her make that choice (in moderation). I'm sure there will be people who will say 'oh, you just wait' blah blah. But yeah, not until probably 12, and then only very occasionally. Seeing as I'm not even going to be introducing cows milk into her diet, soft drink and caffeine are way, way off.

[LuluHB]

My girls are allowed it now. On the very rare occasions we go to the movies, they are allowed a "special Mummy drink" or "special Daddy drink" - not a whole drink to themselves, just some of ours. Mummy drink is diet coke and Daddy's is Lift. I know its not a healthy option, but other than the three times we have been to the movies they never drink it. They very rarely drink juice or cordial - its always just water, or sometimes milk for DD2. Likewise they are healthy eaters with minimal junk food.

I'm sure many will disagree with me strongly with my choice, as they are entitled to, but I see it as an extremley rare treat and they know it as such. TBH I have far more of an issue with the adults that you see allowing their LOs to suck on the neck of their beer bottle, or that drink alcohol frequently in front of their kids. My nephews all watch their parents drink at every single family gathering. My FIL brought cans of bourbon & cola to my nephew's 3rd birthday party! They are all told they can have a sip of someone's beer . I would rather my kids had a sip of cola.

[Jellyfish]

Looooooong time! I have never tried tea, coffee or coke myself and have only drunk water for the most part since my children have arrived so they don't really have the knowledge it is even out there and hopefully I can keep it that way for a while yet. I'm thinking at least 10.

[AnyDream]

My DD was around 10 when we first starting to allow her to have caffeinated drinks. She's now 13 and we have never provided cola at home. She has a choice of tea (and I buy a brand that is lower in caffeine because of where it is grown and the part of the tea leaf they use), or decaf coffee. I know she sometimes chooses cola softdrink when she is out at parties (ie infrequently), and she enjoys having a decaf cappuccino (which has caffeine in) and iced coffees. So she does have it, but she understands why it's good to restrict her total caffeine consumption.

[RockingBaker]

DS has had coke before but I hate that he has. They occasionally have lemonade but it's very rare. I'd like to hold off as long as possible. I hate that my 7 year old sister gets energy drinks and iced coffees all the time.

[Miss E]

hhmmm I tend to think you're kidding yourself if you think you'll be able to decide when they try these things... Unfortunately soft drinks (coca cola included) etc are regulars at kids birthday parties and once kids are in school (particularly high school) and visiting other kids homes, you have very little control over what they are exposed to food and drink wise.

Personally, we don't have soft drinks in the house. Until recently DS had never drunk anything other than water and milk. But he see's DH having juice and wants it so we now let him have a juice (25% juice and 75% water) every now and then. He also sees me drinking bubbly water (plain mineral water) so sometimes has a cup of that with dinner. I think all that you can do is model good diet habits and establish them in your home. When you're out of the home you have to allow for a degree of flexibility.

Mind you, now that I think about it DS has had coca-cola. My GP actually recommended it when he had a severe case of gastro and couldn't keep anything (water and pedialite included) down. It's great for settling the stomach, even she said she has no idea why given all the nasties in it... But what you do is put a teaspoon of sugar into it to make it flat. Then you give them a teaspoon of it every 2 minutes, for 15 minutes. Then you give them a 15 minute break and repeat. Despite my initial reluctance and concerns, it worked miracles and settled his stomach almost immediately. After doing that he was able to keep sips of water down and we were able to avoid going to the hospital and having him put on a drip. A little OT but thought I'd share...

[Nai]

Well it settles the stomach when you have a hangover so I can see how it might work with gastro I always do the same but with lemonade for stomach upsets.

[Zee]

Miss E- I have heard the coke thing as well for gastro. I still haven't gave it to them yet cause I never think of it at the time. Though saying that, I always crave it when I'm sick especially with M/S

[AnyDream]

Mind you, now that I think about it DS has had coca-cola. My GP actually recommended it when he had a severe case of gastro and couldn't keep anything (water and pedialite included) down. It's great for settling the stomach, even she said she has no idea why given all the nasties in it... But what you do is put a teaspoon of sugar into it to make it flat. Then you give them a teaspoon of it every 2 minutes, for 15 minutes. Then you give them a 15 minute break and repeat. Despite my initial reluctance and concerns, it worked miracles and settled his stomach almost immediately. After doing that he was able to keep sips of water down and we were able to avoid going to the hospital and having him put on a drip. A little OT but thought I'd share...

This kind of makes sense when you know about red cordial working as a water sanitising agent.

[~clover~]

Mine have had coke. The occasional small cup to get the medicine in. I don't buy cordial coz I don't want it in the cupboard so the choice isn't there. Juice only lasts a couple of days, then the option is gone, so I'll get that instead. They're allowed one a day til its gone, then they'll be lucky to get another bottle for 2 or 3 weeks.

Lemonade I buy on occasion & they'll have some with dinner for a night or 2 til its gone. Or if we go out they are allowed lemonade. DD1 occasionally has tea if there's no milo on a cold morning.

I'm a caffiene addict, yet i NEVER drink energy drinks. I did have my first ever in a jager bomb a month ago So my kids will not have that option. I can't control what they have when not in my care, though they know what they aren't allowed. But if I ever found out they had an energy drink in someone elses care, they would not be left with that person again. I'm against energy drinks.

[Nai]

Probably not until they are in high school, then I don't think I will be able to stop them. They will have pocket money and I'm sure they will go and buy it - just like I did. I started drinking coffee in Year 11 but it was instant and we don't have that in the house anymore so unless they learn to use the coffee machine to make a real one then I guess we can control that aspect. i think from year 10 is ok.

DD1 already drinks very weak, milky tea. DD2 doesn't like hot or warm drinks so she won't touch it.

[Zee]

My 2 oldest kids (5 and 3.5) have had the occasional bit of soft drink as a treat. I know DD has snuck a drink of my can of coke, she got busted and got in trouble. Most of the time they drink water.

[Enchanted]

I'm the same as LuluHB. My 2 will have a sip every now and then of mine or DH's coke but it's not all that often we drink it. Otherwise they get a special drink ie. Pop top or soft drink when we go to Maccas. They will have a weak cordial every now and then too when we have it in the house but mainly it's water and cordial.

I limit their junk food and sugary drinks and from my own POV I don't see the harm in moderation. What does get my goat is MIL giving the kids about 3 cups of tea while they are there!!!!!!

[Kazzo]

I don't really know when but I know it wont be for a very long time. I have only just started letting DD1 have watered down juice and cordial. Any type of soft drink is also a long way off. DD1 likes to have a cuppa when I do, I have tea and she gets milk in a tea cup.

[Rainbow_Mumma]

We are the same as enchanted here. Moderation is key.
They dont have energy drinks or cordial or coffee even but do have the occasional lemonade.
I do my best to give them a healthy lifestyle but we do have the odd treat

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[TeniBear]

Gosh, I never thought there'd be so many people not allowing their kids soft drink Not that that's bad or anything, I just didn't realise it was so common to disallow it... I've always seen soft drinks as kids' or non-alcohol-drinkers' drinks, and maybe moderated in very young kids because of the sugar level Never really considered parents might not want their kids drinking any kind of fizzy drink til they were teens...

As for other forms of caffeine, my brothers and I were all drinking tea with our Nan fairly young, maybe four or five? That was a "special" treat (and by "special" I mean "any time we were at Nan's" ) and 2/3 of us don't like coffee at all. If I'm having a hot drink while I'm out, it's always hot chocolate. No-one makes tea the way I like except me

Aaaanyway, to the question, I suppose I'd say I'm going to be pretty relaxed about it. I'm going to encourage Amelia to choose other options, but if she wants a little cup of cola or whatever I'll let her have it... Probably no earlier than four or five?


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[Charlotte91]

I was a coffee addict by the time I was 16. I can't live without my coffee. My parents are big coffee drinks so it was natural for me to start drinking it at 15.

As for soft drink (caffiene or not), we won't be allowing it for many years to come. I don't know about #2, but for DD there will be no soft drink. And I can't have rules for 1 and not the other.
Due to DD's medical condition her tummy won't handle the sugar and results will be severe pain, bloating and either the runs or constipation.
Unfortunately for her, she will be a water drinker. I don't even know how she'll handle cordial (we only drink the no-sugar Diet Rite cordial). Maybe some watered down juice, but gastro-kids struggle with that, too.

I don't want my kids to drink coffee. DH is anti-coffee, and I'm addicted. He shoves a coffee in my face every single morning (he's lovely) otherwise I'm "a dragon" and he's happy to do impersinations of me to everyone.