Tea for toddlers

[globe-trotter]

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So far my son (19 months) has only had Breastmilk and water for drinks. However my milk has dried up due to pregnancy and so now he is only drinking water. I just want to give him some other non-cow milk non-sugary options to drink and I was wondering what teas would be good for him. And besides fresh squeezed juices what other recommendations do you all have for healthy drinks. 

[livinlovinlaughin]

Sorry I do not have any answers for you. I was just thinking about this today when I was making a cup of tea. DS said "Mommy want tea. Me want tea too" He is 2 and has had weak chamomile tea a few times. Sometimes I just give him water in a tea cup. We "drink" only water here almost all of the time. We are blessed to still be BFing. We use coconut milk for cereal and other things. I do enjoy my tea though.

[Nicole730]

My son has had all sorts of herbal fruit teas.  Mostly Celestial Seasoning brand.

[peaceful_mama]

Rose hip tea is an excellent natural source of Vit. C.  Our midwife for the youngest 2 told me about it and DD drank it in her bedtime bottles when I was pregnant with DS2--same thing, the milk dried up at bedtime first.

[caenach]

I drink a nettle infusion frequently and DD really likes it (sometimes with oatstraw and sometimes with mint--she especially loves it with fresh apple mint during the summer). I usually sweeten it with a little pear juice or local honey for her. She's had some chamomile & lemon balm (especially nice during a cold) teas as well. I feel very comfortable with these herbs, my sources for them, and their effect on my child--but I do think that comfort level may vary from person to person.

[jenninjapan]

I live in Japan and so here babies as young as 1 month are given tea....people rarely drink water here.  My son drinks barley tea (mugi cha), green tea, and different kinds of Japanese herbal teas.  Some of them are an acquired taste, but DS has been drinking them since he was one. If there is a Japanese/Korean grocer in your area, try looking there for some alternatives.

[Caterina]

My DD has been having a small cup of rooibos (with chai spices) with a dash of milk and a tiny squirt of maple syrup with me every morning since she was a little younger than two. She also likes chamomile and rose hip tea, and occasionally a weak peppermint. We love tea in our house and of course she wants some of her own!

[waiting2bemommy]

both of my kids have been drinking chamomile tea, sometimes with a little honey, since infancy. I used to give dd 2-3 oz of weak chamomile every day when she had a really gassy colicky phase, and it worked really well. Both of my kids also like warm almond milk sweetened with whatever I have on hand (agave, honey, sugar) and a little cinnamon. My grandma used to give me this and I remembered liking it so I give it to my kids now.

[sapphire_chan]

To replace water, pretty much any herbal infusion will be fine. And honestly, unless you've got a kid who is sensitive to caffeine, black, red, green, and white teas won't have enough of a diuretic affect to counteract the hydration from the water they're made with.

For replacing the breastmilk, replace it with something very nutritious and fatty, bone broth if you eat meat, coconut milk smoothie if you don't. Because at 19 months, there's likely going to be a sucking instinct still and you want some of that instinct still going into nutrition. Now, if he'll chow down on foods that give the same nutrition, that's cool, but a lot of toddlers will drink a whole glass of something that they won't touch with a fork.