do you let your children have coffee? My daughters all are desperate to drink coffee but it has been ingrained in me that coffee is for adults.
Drinks of any kind don't really bother me as long as there isn't a whole lot of sugar or (especially) caffeine. Caffeine sucks the calcium out of your bones... which is especially hard on teen bodies. I don't plan to let mine have anything like that (on a regular basis anyway) until college.
Does it really?! I'm totally serious- does caffeine really damage your bones? This could be a problem for me..... I LOVE coffee! This could be bad. On the plus side it's a concrete reason to tell the kids no coffee.
OTOH, my mom, sister, brother, and anybody who frequented that house drank enough coffee every day to sink a battleship and never had any bone-loss problems at all, nor did my first father-in-law who drank coffee every chance he got all day long. I don't have a problem with kids having coffeemilk from a young age, as I did. BUT I've tried giving DGS caffeine drinks (coffee, energy drinks) to try to curb his hyperactivity, and he simply refuses!
We drink most anything in moderation. After about 5pm there is no caffeine just in case it bothers their sleep, and we do let them have some coffee, but I only buy decaf anyway. And we make decaf tea, too, so they really only get caffeine when we are out and about.
This is just one article from one doctor. There are lots of others. It's a controversial topic. It's been proven to damage the spine in post-menopausal women, and we also know that it blocks Vitamin D, which is essential for calcium absorption in children (and adults). Some doctors say you can counteract the effect by adding milk to your coffee, but some don't agree. Either way... I just don't think it's a good idea. One of my sons is on Rx vitamin D already (naturally resistant), so I wouldn't give him caffeine for sure.
My kids drink 1 cup each morning, have forever. I think I even remember putting some coffee in a sippy cup once... LOL I think anything hubby and I eat or drink is fine for the kids to eat or drink, in moderation of course. As for the caffeine-bone loss link, there are other factors that are more significant for bone issues than caffeine ETA since we're talking of teens- Here is a link to an actual study about caffeine and teens and bones...http://www.jacn.org/content/17/5/454.full
Em drinks coffee. She is 15. She never liked it until last year. I do not have a problem with it. She does not drink it every day, but loves it cold and sweet. My dad drank coffee since he was about 4 years old, everyday. He is 65 and has very strong bones. He will put away at least one pot a day, by himself. My mom drinks a lot of coffee, too, and she has too much calcium. The doctor told her to stop taking calicum pills. Her calcium is still high but not as high as it was when she was taking them. Her spine is collapsing. She was born three months premature and some of her vertebrae never formed. Since I was a child, her spine has been slowly collapsing, but there isn't any sign of bone loss due to too much caffeine. My mother-in-law drinks only coffee and an occasional sip of water. She is a two pack a day smoker and has been since she was a teen. Her spine is deteriorating and she struggles to walk. She is nearing 80 years old. It is possible the caffeine might have something to do with it, but I think that poor diet and her heavy smoking are the main contributors.
Smoking is a big contributor to bad bones. I think too often we forget that while studies and statistics are a very good thing to have, people are still individuals. My husband has never had a sweet tooth or ate much junk, always been very active. But, he has been on blood pressure and cholesterol medication (and for a while some heart medication) since he was in his early 20's My blood pressure has ALWAYS ran on in the "borderline hypertension" numbers my entire life. Even when I was much younger, skinnier and more active. But age, weight and less activity, haven't made my BP go up any either....I still consistently have BPs in the "borderline" range. For my kids, that 1 cup of coffee in the morning helps their behavior. We don't buy cokes for drinking at home, and they are special treat out. But I'm more concerned with the effects of HFCS and red dye on my children than caffeine...but each child is different. I think in moderation, most things are okay. The problem is in our country we eat way more "food-like products" than actual food. If most of your diet is real food, then an occasional cup of coffee or a coke or pop-tart or a Big Mac or slice of chocolate cake with butter cream icing and a scoop of ice cream....isn't going to kill you.
My kids have tasted it, but never had a cup. My oldest is 11. They rarely have drinks with caffeine anyway.
My ds takes a few classes at the high school and I was reading the daily online annoucements today and it said that if you returned all your library books you can stop in for a free coffee. I was thinking how odd that they have coffee for the students at the high school. But, then I had to remember that these are teens and I suppose they drink it. I'm like you....coffee was always for adults. I took a sip of my moms coffee once and didn't like it. I'm almost 46 and I've never had coffee again. My oldest is almost 21 and she doesn't drink coffee either. Although she and I do like french vanilla cappuccino. My husband drinks coffee...so we have it here. But my kids have never shown any interest in drinking it or asking if they can. Do you mind if I ask how old your kids are? I'm just wondering if they are teens or younger. Maybe if they had a taste they wouldn't like it and then you don't even have to worry about it.
You ladies have given me a lot to think about! My daughters are 13, 11 and 5. I think that it could *maybe* help my 11 year old with focus- she has asperger's among other things. All three of the kiddos have stolen a sip or several of mine and my hubby's coffee and they love it..... sigh. Blah.
Well I guess the idea to have them take a sip and maybe they won't like it won't work. :lol: I'm kind of unusual I guess. My brother calls me "boring". I don't like coffee, I don't like alcohol, and my favorite ice cream flavor is vanilla. *sigh*
I don't put age restrictions on coffee. With nothing in it, coffee is like beer...nobody really likes it the first time. I don't fear coffee. If they want it, they can have it. I worry about the cream and sugar more than the caffeine. Only my 18 year old drinks coffee. He started at about age 15 or 16.
My youngest has had coffee with me in the morning. He's 10 and this has been something we've done for several years. I don't know why we wouldn't give our kids coffee. I honestly do not see a problem. There is caffeine in chocolate and sodas, why is coffee so taboo for kids? He's the only one of my kids that likes it. My dd hates even the smell of it brewing.
