How safe or unsafe is it for kids to drink coffee? I've never dranked coffee so I don't know any effects personally, but it was kind of surprising to learn of a 7-year old drinking (and liking) coffee.

I do know that my Mom was addicted to coffee, because when she didn't drink it, she'd get a headache. The coffee would make the headache stop.

Hi Honi,
I found a couple of interesting sites for you:

Caffeine and your Child

Coffee the norm for growing number of children

Thanks dg, those are some interesting links. I think the coffee is really bad for the kid. Even tho the links list other things with caffeine, the coffee has the highest content.

Seems like they are saying it might be ok in moderation, Honi. But in my opinion, why let little kids get hooked on the stuff in the first place?

I agree with dg. Give'em Coca Cola or Jolt! Let them get their buzz the old fashioned way, like I did, with good old American soda. (Pop, to Clare.)

Most young kids I knew that tried coffee said it was nasty.

Well, LR, that's because you offered them that American crap. Get them a Tim Hortons from Canada, and you'll have them hooked for life.

I know that my father drank coffee from a very young age and has terrible teeth, a bad heart and the shakes all the time. I know there are other contributing factors, but that much caffeine on a regular basis cannot be good for kids, in any form.
I also know that my cousin put her child on a high-sugar diet (her pediatrician told her to put him on a high-calorie diet but she didn't understand the difference) and all of his teeth had to be pulled out. He is five.

My soapbox stance is: kids really don't need coffee or sodas or really sugary snacks. They would do a lot better with whole grains and veggies and getting their sugar fix from fruit.

quote:

Originally posted by dg:
Well, LR, that's because you offered them that American crap. Get them a Tim Hortons from Canada, and you'll have them hooked for life.

I've lived a sheltered life then. I'm not familiar with that brand of coffee

Give 'em booze instead. It's a depressant.

Only mentioning this because a mother on TV has just said, in a discussion about introducing children to alcohol, that she never gives her children fizzy drinks because fizzy drinks are bad for them, but does give them wine ! (In Britain,it's legal to give alcohol to a child of 5 years)

French mothers would probably agree. From an early age,French children are introduced to drinking wine,diluted with water to the degree appropriate to the child's age. Their mothers are inclined to object to the children drinking 'coca' (cola)

quote:

From an early age,French children are introduced to drinking wine,diluted with water to the degree appropriate to the child's age.

Did that with my kids. Now beyond the age of majority they rarely drink alcohol.

I guess if you give them some wine that tastes bad, they might choose to stay away from alcoholic beverages.

When I was in France, everyone drank wine with their meals. Workmen carried wine in their lunch pails. I wonder how prevalent alcohol abuse is in France, compared to the U.S and/or the U.K? I know the French live longer and have more centenarians.

I never cared for coffee early in life, but found a fondness for it by the time I was about 17. My family never was into sodas at all, this was back in the 70's.

As far as kids TODAY are concerned, it's important to note that they're getting caffeine from any cola drink along with any chocolate they may be consuming.

Caffeine is SO prevelant in so many things.

Personally, I mentally keep track anymore...yes, I'm a big coffee drinker, and I USED to consume mass quantities of chocolate.

However, as I get older, I find that 1) If I drink coffee all day, and then snack on chocolate at ALL, I'm not sleepin that night!

2) SINCE I drink coffee all day until about 2-3pm, I make a POINT not to have any cola drinks after that, and hardly ever eat chocoate anymore.

Caffeine is definitely something people need to monitor. Everyone's tolerance is differert, and we need to factor in the weight of children when THINKING of children.

I would never have considered giving my young children coffee OR tea, and DID restrict their use of colas or other beverages with caffeine during their younger years.

Speaking of coffee, Smucker is going to buy Folgers from Proctor & Gamble for $3 billion.

quote:

Originally posted by Lighteningrodd:
I guess if you give them some wine that tastes bad, they might choose to stay away from alcoholic beverages.

My father-in-law used to give my husband a taste of beer every so often when he was growing up. To this day, my husband cannot abide the taste or smell of beer.
He has not, however, had a problem with hard alcohol. Maybe his father should have let him taste that...

Elexina-Your post reminded me of when I was a kid, some medice we got from the Dr. was called Paragoric. I remember it contained morphine. I remember it was considered addictive because of the high morphine content. Although as a young kid, I couldn't see how. That stuff tasted AWLFUL It gave a whole new meaning for the word nasty.

I doubt the myth that coffee stunts your growth.
When I'd babysit my friends kids sometimes I'd give'em each a can of that starbucks iced espresso. They're like 9 and 10. It just made them hyper for a good few hours, then they'd crash and go to sleep.
Now I wouldn't recommend doing things on a constant basis, but keep it to a once in a while treat type thing. After all it's no different than soda.

My sons drink nothing but water, milk and juice. They are 12 and 14 years old. My oldest will only drink chocolate milk, but water is his beverage of choice.

Jaden, of course gets formula and whole milk and water, occasionally juice.

I drink water, milk and occassionally juice. NEVER soft drinks and I might drink a chocolate milk shake when we go out to eat. I do like the mudslides at Applebees, but then I am too full to eat and so I do it maybe twice a year.

Sagus drinks soft drinks, but the kids won't... they don't like them and I wouldn't let them if they did.

quote:

Originally posted by SeattleRon:
I doubt the myth that coffee stunts your growth.

No, but it stains your teeth and fouls your breath and gives you the shakes and makes you a wretched person when you don't get your fix. Definitely, we should start kids down that path as soon as possible.

quote:

When I'd babysit my friends kids sometimes I'd give'em each a can of that starbucks iced espresso.

Reason number 542 why I'm not having children.