Do you let your kids drink caffine?

United States
February 14, 2007 6:44pm CST
I am talking like soda or iced tea. If so what age do you let them start having that kind of stuff? I let my 7 year old son have sprite as a treat when we are out at a restuarant but that does not have caffine in it. I just cant seem to let him have the caffine yet. Now my almost 3 year old sneaks my diet coke every chance she gets. It makes me so mad. I just dont know when its ok for the kids to start having soda with caffine in it.
14 people like this
54 responses
• United States
15 Feb 07
My kids are 5 and almost 3 years old. I let them have iced tea, but not all the time. Only a couple times a week, if that. No sodas with caffeine. They can have Sprite, but nothing else unless they get a drink of my diet dr pepper and sometimes I do let them have a drink or two, but that's it. Mainly, they drink water, milk and 100% juice
1 person likes this
@merkava (1225)
• Philippines
15 Feb 07
Almost all sweet drinks contain caffeine from chocolate to coffee. Some herbal teas don't have caffeine in them. I allow them to drink chocolate, hey they're kids after all. But I don't allow them to take coffee. Last time my kid niece drank coffee she didn't sleep the entire night. Coffee also stains your teeth faster than any caffeine drink that's why I stopped drinking coffee and switched to fruit juices and herbal tea.
• Philippines
15 Feb 07
Caffeine is one of the ingredients we can found in most chocolate candies or drinks. This is not bad. In fact this will help prolongs the stimulating effects of cyclic AMP on the heart and central nervous system. What makes it not good is if we eat or drink too much of these things. There would be no problem if kids have this content with their body system, just make it sure to put limitations to maintain their good health.
@KrauseHome (36449)
• United States
16 Feb 07
Overall, I am not sure if the effects of Soda and Caffiene has been determined completely for kids, and at what age is it appropriate, but I have heard it is dangerous and Bad for kids period to drink Soda. I know if it was me, I would try to always make sure they had like Koolaid, or other things that are better for them to drink just to save and protect their teeth.
@phon4u (2215)
• Laos
4 Mar 07
I have not got a kid; if I had, I would not give the child a cold drink, because I am afraid they would have got the problem with the soar throat. I would prefer them to drink coconut juice and lemon juice or orange juice.It would much healthier than the other acid beverage.
• United States
18 Feb 07
only every once in a while but i mostly make them drink juice because it is very bad for them
@Michele21 (3093)
• United States
18 Feb 07
I guess I am really relaxed about this because I let my kids have soda's when we go out to eat or pick up dinner somewhere. They are 5&1. I am totally addicted to soda's so I don't think of them as a bad thing, just something I have to have!!
@not4me (1711)
• United States
15 Feb 07
My girls are 6 and 4 and they have never even sipped soda before, not just because of the caffeine but because of the sugar as well - I don't want them to get hyper *or* have cavities. They don't have iced tea or any other caffeinated drinks, nor do they chew gum with sugar in it. Not only do my girls have perfect teeth but they are very well behaved. I don't know if is how they were raised or if they aren't loaded with uppers. :P
• United States
15 Feb 07
caffeine is very addicting so I do not believe in letting your kids have soda or iced tea.
@LeslieD (59)
• United States
15 Feb 07
I have a 7 year old and a 5 year old and of their group of friends, they are the only children who don't have cavities. It makes me crazy to see these little ones with a can of soda in their hands. I think Sprite is fine for a special occasion as you do. Otherwise for me, since I have girls and they stop growing faster than boys, I am pumping milk, drinkable yogurt, water and some fruit juices into them for maximum bone density. I don't know when I will allow them to have caffeine. I also don't let them chew gum. I suppose when they are old enough to decide some other things in life on their own, they can try these items as well. I am always with them at a party or out with friends, but when they are old enough to go on their own, I guess that's when they can choose their drink preference.
• United States
15 Feb 07
my mom doesn't let me drink alot. i used to drink alot but me and my mom noticed that i was putting on a little weight so i cut down a whole bunch and now i drink mostly water and juice
• United States
15 Feb 07
I have let my kids have caffine in small amounts since about 5 or 6 years old. I think its funny how pwoplw think caffine is so bad for you when there is no evidence to prove so. My kids are not even effected by caffine. I could give my little one who is 5 a glass of iced tea and he could fall asleep! I have never had a kid with hyper activity and I drank caffine while pregnant because I had quit smoking and the doctor said it was easier to stay quit if you drank caffine! So I did all my kids were mellow and relaxed, they go to bed they dont have athsma or add or ADHD or any of that crap,,,, Hey maybe thats the cure! lol
• Philippines
16 Feb 07
For me it is okey with the kid to drink, but not so much...he must have control to drink on it. My niece is also drinking a coffee also when she was one year old, its the time that her mom and dad going to city and they didn't know there is no milk anymore, and they leave my niece to my older brother, but the baby is crying co'z she wanted milk but how he can do about it so my brother have no choice is to make one bottle of coffee then he give it to my niece so my niece stop crying thats why she was hungry that's it....but she's okey...until now she drinking coffee with me when she wake up in the morning but small coffee than a milk...and in the night before she sleep she must have one glass of milk...
@smartpk (193)
• Pakistan
15 Feb 07
noway, avoid these as much as you can and children adopt habbits to see others (specially siblings or parents)
@aku_ok (3)
• Indonesia
15 Feb 07
heheeh i'm like tea.
@blanksolid (1631)
• Spain
15 Feb 07
I think that the kids wouldnt drink caffine so its not very good for the health in general, Have a nice day on mylot and happy earnings also.
@onesiobhan (1327)
• Canada
15 Feb 07
My mothere used to let me drink as much coke as I wanted when I was a kid, and I used to get *wasted* on it. Of course I was too young to know what I was doing. But yeah, I think kids shouldn't have caffeine. It's bad for them.
• United States
15 Feb 07
The only types of sodas that my children are allowed to drink is sprit. Now when they are visting their dad (my oder two children from my last marriage) i'm not really sure what he lets them drink. But they only have sprit when they are with me. tey can also drink coolaid, water, milk, c. milk.
@pagibig (297)
• Philippines
15 Feb 07
My brother is 6 years old. he started drinking coffee when he was 6 years old. Once in a while we make him drink a soda. He eats chocolate which also contains caffeine a few times in a month. As long as you give them something in moderation i think it'll be ok.
@stvdns (1)
• United States
15 Feb 07
She doesnt drink soda or tea, juices is all she is allowed, there is to much junk out there for kids now a days
• United States
15 Feb 07
I have two 4 year olds and I let them drink sodas and tea on occasions like once or twice a week. They mostly drink juice or water.