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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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!!!!!!

[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

[nothing2lose]

We don't have coke or other caffeinated soft drinks in this house. I don't drink it, DP very rarely drinks it and DD has never drunk it. She doesn't drink tea or coffee but will have a hot chocolate about four or five times a year.


I imagine she won't drink it for a few years yet.

[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

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

[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.

[*LittleMissSummer*]

We don't have coke or other caffeinated soft drinks in this house. I don't drink it, DP very rarely drinks it and DD has never drunk it. She doesn't drink tea or coffee but will have a hot chocolate about four or five times a year.


I imagine she won't drink it for a few years yet.

Most children follow from example. Though it was different in my house. My mum always drank just water and coffee and my step father always had a bottle of coke with him at all times and drank coffee. But i was told that it wasn't for children.

Of course i had opportunities to have them when at friends houses but i always said no. My mum said we didn't need them and they were adult drinks and thats how we saw it.

My DP is a coke addict he will drink a 2L bottle every night if i let him. DD has thrown many tantrums wanting some of it but i tell her its big people drink and i give her a very watered down cordial or some milk.

People may think i am very stupid in thinking my kids will listen to me but i hope they would. If they want to try these drinks i would hope they would approach us first and i would think about it. Respect and trust is a huge thing with me.

[Calluna]

DS has had tiny sips of a few things, but I'd never give him a cup of any of it for a while yet. I'm not sure how olds, I guess I'l take it as out comes.

He's had nepalese chai tea from our fave restaurant, lemonade, froth from iced coffee and hot choc, and the baby cinos e'er occasionally get have choc in them.

He gets to try anything we have, I don't think it's fair that we are allowed to eat something but he isn't. We limit it, of course, so he gets a taste but we explain to him that if he has too much lemonade for example that it will make him feel sick in the tummy because it had lots of sugar in it- our whatever else is in it that's not good for him. At this stage this is enough for him and he is quite happy to accept that. It also means that we keep our diets in check because we know that what we have he will want too.

mostly though, he has a really good diet. 99% of what we eat is homemade from fresh produce, so I feel good knowing that it is quite rare that he gets this stuff.