I'm just curious. If so, at what age did you let them start drinking it. If not, what age would you let them start drinking it?

How about coffee-milk as I have heard it called? That is 50%coffee and 50%milk.

I am a firm believer that they don't need the caffeine or the habit. They will be able to drink them when they graduate high school. My DH will drink coffee or Starbucks type of drinks when he is working to help stay awake. I never drink them - I can't stand the taste. Although I do like the smell when I walk down the coffee bean isle at the grocery store.

My SS has been allowed to drink teh coffee-milk since he was five or so at his mom's house. Now that he is older (15) she lets him drink straight coffee. He gets upset that his dad and I won't let him have it.

Just curious if maybe I have blinders on since I don't drink it. Are we being too strict here?

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As usual, you are fine. My mom was and is still addicted to coffee. I never started liking it until about seven years ago. I still don't drink it at home, although I have a nice coffee maker and coffees. However, I have gotten addicted to the cappucinos, frappucinos, etc., but they are a treat. Going to Starbucks, especially alone is a treat, and my dh and I make the storebought cappucinos at home. My mom allowed us to have Postum, which my brother loved, but I never liked. I loved the coffee smell, but not the taste, again, until fairly recently (I'm 44 now). Point is, it can be addictive. Children's heart rates are already higher than ours. Decafs have chemicals in them - they are usually chemically decaffed. I think peds. will agree that coffee just is not appropriate or good for kids. I do let my six year old son have a taste or two, but never his own. Neither dh or I really like sodas, therefore ds doesn't either - he yells at me when he sees I have one, which is maybe every six months. Regarding your ss: your house, your rules. If his mom chooses to do it, oh well. We can't convince people of things, just do our own thing in our homes with our own kids. There are moms and dads out there who do let their kids have coffee. In some countries it's the norm (is it France and Italy?). What's interesting is that I was allowed tea occasionally, and I liked it, but I've read that tea has even more caffeine. Hmmmmm. If my kids choose to drink coffee, I would prefer they be juniors or seniors in high school - older, if possible. With the prevalence of Starbucks and other houses, that's probably a pipe dream. I've never read whether coffee affects growth or intelligence while growing. It would be interesting to know.

My SS knows there are different rules at each house. We have NEVER budged on this one, but I do see many kids drinking Starbucks on the way to and from school. I bought him a DECAF frappachino once which he thankful for.

I do like hot tea and iced tea. Marcus is four and has never had soda (that he knows about). His aunt gave him a rootbeer popcicle and orange soda at a b-day party. She told him it was orange juice and he didn't drink it. I don't keep it in the house. I stopped drinking it when I was a Freshman in college. Again, DH drinks it if we go out to eat or when he is at work sometimes. My mom gave Marcus flavored iced tea and now he asks for that. I try to only give him milk, water and watered down juice. He has too much energy as it is - he doesn't need a sugar or caffeine to make him bounce off the walls!

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I don't give my kids coffee, but then again, I don't like it so it is rarely in my house. I am a tea drinker. My kids do drink iced tea. Personally, I don't see a big problem with either. I would rather them drink coffee and tea then soda. JMO

My dd who is 16 does drink coffee with milk & sugar periodically. She probably started around 14. She doesn't drink it all the time, but if we're having coffee on the wknds and she wants some I don't care. Now I would NOT have let her have it in ANY form as young as five. As far as the starbucks thing, well that's a big social thing for high school age kids (at least here where we have a starbuck practically on every corner). So my dd and her friends will go, although lots of times she gets a non-coffee drink there anyway. My ds age 14 has never had any coffee yet. But he loves some starbucks drink that's basically like a chocolate drink without any coffee..

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My husband grew up on coffee, as did my ex. My husband's family gives his nephew coffee before bed every night. I don't know how they can stand drinking it before bed, but apparently it calms them. Even my BIL and SIL drink it, and have since childhood as well (BIL had same parents, but SIL is their half sister). My stepkids partake in nighttime coffee drinking from time to time as well, and sometimes a half cup in the morning once in a while. I definitely don't see the problem. I'd wager that this topic varies by culture, as everyone I'm referring to is Hispanic (Caribbean Hispanic - Puerto Rican, Cuban).

I hate the taste of coffee (I love the smell though), so I have no plans whatsoever to introduce my dd to this drink. Coffee will be something that she will discover on her own when she gets older.

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My kids don't like coffee as of now - they're 8 1/2 and 11 1/2. I won't have a problem with an occasional coffee as they get older though...I LOVE coffee. LOL My grandma used to give us coffee and milk at her house all the time. growing up. We really didn't like the coffee so much but it was the ceremony of it, picking a teacup from her extensive collection, using the little sugar cube tongs to plop in a piece of sugar etc I have such good memories from that, and I don't think we experienced any ill effects. We also drank tea and my kids now drink tea quite a bit with my MIL. I have no problem giving them tea (iced or hot) as they request it, it's not that often really. I wouldn't encourage caffeine in younger children but as they get older, I think it's fine, just as with everything, moderation is key.

My mom was Welsh & I was raised on hot tea.(I'm drinking a cup now, lol) as far back as I remember We had tea with our breakfast every morning before school. The kids in my family were always more laid back than hyper so the caffeine wasn't an issue that way. When we were sick, toast & tea was what we got & it was very comforting. I gave my own kids toast & tea when they were sick but not tea for breakfast every morning. Usually juice or milk. Also, with my kids, I gave them a lot of milk in the tea, like half & half. I can't handle any more than 1 cup of coffee because it's too acidic. Both my kids , 19 & 21 now, prefer coffee over tea, maybe becauise they didn't get any when they were little.

I don't give my kids coffee, but they do occassionally have a cup of tea w/ me. Even then it's about half milk.

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