Do you let your child drink coca cola? - Page 5

[Norasmomma]

I don't give DD(almost 3) soda of any kind. My mom tried to give her some once and she said "icky" so did my MIL and my stepmom. My MIL was very surprised that she didn't even like "orange drink" which to me is just orange pop. Dh's family think we are bizarre. My niece gave her not even 2y/o soda in a sippy cup and when my DD picked it up my SIL was going to let her have it, I asked "what's in it?" and she said, "oh just pop." I couldn't believe it was so nonchalant about soda in a toddler's sippy. It grossed me out so bad. DD is allowed to have milk, juice and once in a great while she gets one of those juice Capri Sun's as a treat. Much of Dh's family has a long history of tooth issues and I have no reason to let that start being a problem now.

I personally don't get why it seems like sugar and candy are seen as rites of passage for children. DD has 2 chocolates at Easter and was seriously clucking like a chicken, it just is really unnecessary for her to have a good time, in fact it makes her awful. People already think she's sugar addicted because she is a wired kid. I've more than one person tell me to stop giving her sugar, which is just so stupid when they have no idea what I am giving her. It's so annoying:.

[MidnightCommando]

DD is 2.5 and has never had a soda. She knows what it is but hasn't shown any desire to drink one. I hope she never ever drinks one (but I'm sure someday she will)

I will give her sips of my Izzy every now and then. Boy those are addictive!

[BroodyWoodsgal]

Originally Posted by green betty

Awesome post, Natalie--and thanks for the Codex link. We eat our (occasional) Nutella spread on slices of local, organic baguette, lol.

Once, my DD got her fingers in some nutella which had glooped onto the coffee table...oh man, if you think it's good on a baguette, you should try it on fatty-fat little sausage fingers!! Oh maaaan! D-licious! :: It almost made me want to get more on her, on purpose!

[octobermom]

yes I do my DD is allowed to order soda (she likes sprite) when we actually eat out which honestly we don't do that often. Just like I allow my self a diet drink and DH allows himself a coke. FOr me soda is no worse than many other unnecessary junk foods but we one rare occasions allow those and soda falls into tha catagory. Now if she was ohh 2 still my answer would be diffrent but now at 6 yes it is. SHe drinks water her drink of choice most of the time so I don't worry about the 1/2 a dozen small sodas a year.

Deanna

[GuildJenn]

Nope, and we don't often.

But when he's really old enough to want to (right now he thinks they are horrible grown up icky drinks) this will be the 'rule': pop is a dessert, not a drink, but you may have it for dessert if you like.

We're pretty much into moderation.

[itsrtimedownhere]

once in a while we will get organic soda and he's allowed to have a cup. they are fruit flavored though so it's not coke.

he's not technically allowed to have coke but sometimes if my dh brings some in from work that he's not done drinking and is mostly melted ice anyway and he asks for it, he can have a sip.

[GuildJenn]

Originally Posted by AverysMomma

When she is older, if I'm making her an awesome Chicago Dog, or a delicious chicken sandwhich for lunch on a hot summers day...she may get a little glas of coke to savor. I think that it is important to fill your body with foods that nourish and to hydrate with liquid which ACTUALLY hydrates. But...I also believe that chocolate is good, that bacon is precious....and that every once in a while, a little glass of soda, can make a great sandwhich into a feast fit for a king. We eat local, natural foods...we eat meats from a farm in our area which does not pump our food full of crap....every meal is balanced, we eat in season...we try really hard to make sure we feed our bodies how we should...for this reason, we don't feel bad about a special treat every once i na while. I mean, what is life, without a little nutella mixed with some bananas on chocolate brownies with homemade whipped cream, every once on a blue moon? :

It's about balance. I just want her to grow up with a good diet...with a balanced food intake, with clean water to drink and a little treat for herself every once i na while.

Can I grow up in your house?

[CatsCradle]

DD is 2.5, has been a vegetarian since birth and eats consistently healthy diet every day. That being said, yes, DD is allowed to have coke and other soft drinks on special occassions. My dad is a dentist and we grew up in a household where we were permitted to have a sweet after lunch and after dinner. On Sunday nights, we had soft drinks and pizza. There were always chips and other such foods in the house, but we only ate those with sandwiches, etc.

Despite this, we grew up with healthy attitudes toward food and drink. In fact, all of us got more focused on health as we got older (hence the vegetarianism). The point being, my parents took a "moderation" approach and the concept stuck with us into adulthood.

In writing this it reminds me that DH and I are indeed limiting DD's diet in that we will not provide her with meat, fowl or fish. There may come a time when she doesn't want to be a vegetarian anymore. I hope not, but she must ultimately make the decision for herself. For now, she does as we do.

[KSLaura]

My 3yo drinks coke. She also likes sprite, diet drinks, milk, juice, and tea. We keep it in the house and sometimes have it with dinner. She eats/drinks whatever we have, and we drink soda sometimes.

[*Aimee*]

No, but I don't even let them have juice I see them both as completely useless and a waste of calories. I want him to develop healthy tastes and quench his thirst with water.

Well, I guess DS1 has had SOME juice, on a maybe two occasions he had fresh squeezed oj carrot kale juice with an apple in it at the local heath food store. And when he's sick he's allowed a splash of oj in his water, but that wasn't until he was 2.5 and it's maybe been two or three times. The baby hasnt. Oh and at a birthday party they had fruitables so I let him have one and he hated it and didn't drink it.

I don't want to limit his foods and make things off limits for him when he's older. Right now though, he doesn't know the difference and he isn't even aware. So when he's maybe 7 or 8 he can have soda for holidays or sparkling cider or something.

I am an avid dr pepper addict, so he knows thats Mom's soda. He thinks it's like beer I think. And DH drinks soda too. But it's funny because he grew up not getting soda except on special occasions, I grew up with it around constantly, and we both are addicted to it, so who knows?

When he does drink soda, I'll try my hardest to make sure it's like and Izzy or something organic. He will never have aspartame as long as I can do anything about it That stuff is poison and has no place in anybody's body, let alone a developing one.

[mommy2maya]

Sprite is so much worse for the teeth than any other type of soda, according to my ped dentist. That said, I prefer that they don't have soda, but my kids (minus the baby) have all had sodas on plenty of occasions.

Here is a chart on caffeine as well:
http://leda.lycaeum.org/?ID=16748


When we are out, I prefer them to get milk or choc milk. I find that of the other things offered- lemonade, fruit punch, tea, etc, all have the same issues- way to much sugar content.

That said- those who don't allow soda, do you allow iced/sweet tea?

[SparklingGemini]

Originally Posted by FondestBianca

ETA: while I am concerned about high fructose corn syrup and excess sugar they aren't the worst offenders on the ingredient list in soda. I'm not just speaking about diet soda either. Staying away from diet isn't going to prevent you from downing junk that will screw up your body.

Links?

[ChetMC]

Yes

I think it's rude to deny what other people are eating or drinking to the kids. If everybody else is drinking pop, the kids can have pop as well - if they want it. It's no better for us than it is for them.

However, I do my best to have them choose other things. I never offer pop. It's something that we don't have at home all the time. The kids have access to it at special occasions, in restaurants, when visiting family, etc. Fortunately, they think that chocolate milk and real juice are enough of a treat to choose those over pop a lot of the time.

The kids also know that pop is a treat, and is the in the category of food we call "does not help you grow." You can have junk in moderation, but you must know that you are eating something that is not particularly good for you and should only be eaten sometimes.

I am also concerned about the HFCS used in the US. We're originally from Canada where pop still has sugar in it, and we've been buying Mexican coke at Costco or "fancier" soda a lot of the time since it's also made with sugar and not HFCS.

King Corn is a good documentary for anybody interested in the topic of corn in the US food supply.

[felix23]

She has had a couple of sips, but she didn't like it. We don't drink sodas a lot, but when she gets older and if she wants one, I will be okay with her having it as an occasional treat.

[BroodyWoodsgal]

Originally Posted by *Aimee*

<snippity snip> He will never have aspartame as long as I can do anything about it That stuff is poison and has no place in anybody's body, let alone a developing one.

Amen, lady. Drives me to pure madness to think of how many people gulp it down all day...there just isn't enough awareness I think, it's *SO* bad! Ugh!

[KyleAnn]

A no for us. We don't drink soda so it isn't sitting around in our house. It's never really been an issue for us at home or out and about-the only time it presents a problem is when we are visiting dh's parents. They buy the bottled pop in enormous quantities and every time, the cousins walk around with bottle after bottle of pop and 6 yo ds always asks if he can have some too. Then I have to be bad mommy and tell him no.

[seriosa]

DS had his first taste of coke when he was 4. At a birthday, and diluted with water. We never have any type of soda in the house so no problem with that. DS likes coke or other soft drinks at parties and those are occasional enough that I don't mind. The odd thing though is that if we eat out, even if others present (kids included) order soft drinks, he will always ask for water. As if sodas were exclusively party fare to him..

[oceanbaby]

Originally Posted by jeminijad

Milk is just as bad as soda?? The nurturing liquid produced by another mammal to nourish their young is just as bad as the super sweetened, phosporic acid laden stuff that we are talking about here? I hardly think so. Cow's milk isn't ideal for us, but it can keep a person alive for a long while, which soda cannot.

You're talking about raw organic milk, not the milk that is given to most children. I think it is horribly bad for our digestive system, which is why we have such a huge amount of lactose intolerant/dairy allergic people in this country.

And I didn't say it was just as bad as soda, but I certainly don't put it in the category of healthy. I try to discourage juice as well, but I will always choose 100% juice over milk for my kids if I have a say in it.

[Snuzzmom]

Nope! But he's only 2.5. I think that's too young for soda.

DH drinks it, and DS says, "Oh, that's Daddy's!" when he sees it. DS has never even asked to try it.

However, I know the day will come when DS DOES want to try it, and that is fine. We'll allow a small amount if he really wants it, but I am not going to OFFER it... you know? But I have this same philosophy about most candy, junk foods, etc. I don't offer it at home but realize that at some point he will realize it exists and ask for it.

[oceanbaby]

Originally Posted by sunnmama

It keeps my kids from puking on road trips

A little bit of ice cold coca cola has always been good at settling my stomach when I feel really nauseous, and we too have given the kids some 7-up or ginger ale if they have an upset stomach.