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Toddlers: 24 Months+
Giving a 2.5 year old caffeine pop constantly?
My DD is almost 2 and has never had pop, I don't see the point in it really.
My friend's DD is 2.5 yrs old and she is constantly giving her Pepsi, we're talking letting her drink 12oz in a 90 min timespan that I saw her (and I've seen her have it almost every time I see her). Then she's complaining that DD won't go to bed until midnight and she barely sleeps more than 8 hours a day which I think could be from the caffeine...
Is this common and I just am old-school??
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Re: Giving a 2.5 year old caffeine pop constantly?
I don't agree with it. I've had friends who have given their young kids soda and I just don't like it.
DS hasn't had soda yet and shows no interest in it. I plan on keeping it that way for as long as I can.
~Benjamin Franklin
DS dx with celiac disease 5/28/10
Madi has had a little here and there on a "special" occasion (her cousins birthday for example) but it was maybe 2oz worth at most. But full sugar full caffiene PepsiCoke? Not on my watch! Maybe some Fanta or Sprite.
We don't give it to our LOs. DD had a bad belly ache once and I tried to give her 7Up and she wouldn't even take it it was so sweet to her. DS will sneak into the kitchen and climb on the counter to get ours, but we have never given him any.
My SIL gives her kids it ALL.THE.TIME. It drives me batty because we tell our LOs "Soda is not for kids" while she's filling a sippy with soda, diet at that. Don't even get me going on giving diet to kids...
I'm pretty loose with what my kids can have - juice, treats, etc. but no soda. I wish my parents never let us have it.
I work for a national health organization and OMG that stuff is so horrible for ANYONE, let alone kids. The stuff I read every day makes me cringe. I don't want my kids drinking it until they are MUCH older, and then only on an extremely limited basis. I am trying to cut back but it's so hard when you are addicted!!!
Ewww! Nobody should be drinking soda on a regular basis and a toddler shouldn't be having it at all. And yes the caffeine in it is likely why the kid isn't sleeping. Seems like a no-brainer to me!
That said, I'll admit I'm a health nut and haven't had soda in years and never in my life more frequently than once every few months.
Ds hasn't even had a taste of soda yet, and I'm in no hurry to give him any. He doesn't even drink regular sweetened juice, just Gerber or Motts for Tots. I used to have a friend who routinely gave her toddler Sprite, and at the kid's first dental appointment, he had a cavity.
No thank you.
I too, see alot of people doing this. My daughter has had some pop on very rare occasion along with my 5 year old. But, they are only allowed to have Sprite and very little amounts. Not even a full cup. Pop is sooooooo bad for children's teeth! I work in a school and see mouths full of silver teeth all the time!
OMG that is horrible for that child's teeth. Is she looking for some hefty dental bills in the near future. It is not cheap to fill multiple cavities in a small child because they have to be mildly sedated.
My BFF's daughter has had 2 teeth filled since turning 3, but this is because she had to have pure juice at such a young age (8 months old) (per her GI Doc) because of a GI issue. They knew this was possible and are now dealing with the teeth problems on top of her still GI issues at 4 and not fully potty trained.
12oz. of Pepsi at 2 1/2, I am cringing right now.
LOL - its funny you should post this. DD doesn't drink a ton of juice, but I do want to keep an eye on the sugar. I normally buy the Motts for Tots, but finally had a chance to look at the labels on all the boxed juices marketed for kids - and man, they were all pertty much the same. IIRC, even the organic ones were just about the same. I decided to buy the Apples and Eve when I could, but seriously, its all the same.
Ugh that makes me cringe, thinking of the damage done to the kid's teeth! Not to mention that yes, it obviously is the caffeine keeping him awake.
DD has tried sips of my sprite before and she hates it anyway. I wouldn't let her try anything with caffeine though, not even a sip now. She just doesn't need that.
I'm not a huge juice fan, and luckily Ds only gets some at daycare, and not too much on the weekend. It's still a treat for him, and honestly I am pretty relaxed about that.
I honestly did not know that Motts for Tots was so sugary. Everything in moderation, I guess.
I'm not a huge juice fan, and luckily Ds only gets some at daycare, and not too much on the weekend. It's still a treat for him, and honestly I am pretty relaxed about that.
I honestly did not know that Motts for Tots was so sugary. Everything in moderation, I guess.
No worries, its just a good reminder that you really need to read labels yourself and not trust anything just because its a "kids" brand or is marketed to young kids.
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I have seen it before as well. I don't think it's overly *common* but it's definitely done. I try to be polite and not give too much of a stink-eye to the parents, but I really don't think it's a great idea for little kids to drink pop that young!
We don't give DS much refined sugar..he's already a pretty active guy and he really doesn't need the extra energy! We give him baked treats now and then (banana bread or a "whole grain blueberry muffin" are his faves)..but no candy or pop or crazy cake with sugar icing etc. He gets milk and water.. and sometimes juice but he doesn't really like it (He's 2) If he wants something fizzy I just give him juice with a little soda water in it but I think he likes the feel of it more than actually drinking it because he only ever has a couple sips and then laughs.
I judge people who give their toddler pop. There is no reason why a 2-3yr old (or even older IMO) need to have Pepsi, Mtn. Dew, Coke, etc. The only reason I would consider giving any sort of pop to my 3yr or 2yr old would be Sprite or 7-up and ONLY if they were sick.....and even then I probably wouldn't do it. The only other reason I would potentially give pop is if for some reason my kids were thirsty and it was the only thing I had on hand. But I'm not really a pop drinker so this usually isn't an issue.
Your friend is teaching her daughter a very bad habit.
My SIL is constantly give her 1.5 year old pop, tea, koolaid, etc and the kid does not STTN, nap regularly, or really at all, and is always REALLY high strung and bouncing off the walls (and my SIL has no clue why!)
DD has had a sip or two of pop here and there as a TREAT (and we're literally talking like, one sip, not even an oz). I think she's maybe tasted moutain dew twice in her life and a pepsi 1-2 times? So like, 4-6 sips of soda in her whole life.
Couldn't say it any better; tell your friend (nicely) to stop now. I let DS have a little club soda or pelligino when i have it, but if i did have a coke or pepsi we wouldn't let him touch it.