to find people who give their babies and toddlers cups of tea in bottles weird?

[wolfear]

I've seen this a couple of times at various local baby and toddler groups and have had to quickly remove the shocked expression on my face. It just seems wrong wrong wrong.

[liahgen]

completely agree. Wrong. Children and particularly babies do not need tea.

[norktasticninja]

YANBU

[angel1976]

My MIL proudly tells me of how when DH was little, he would down a bottle of milk and then a bottle of tea? WTF! She and FIL has since tried in various methods to get 17-month-old DS to drink tea i.e. putting it in a milk bottle etc. I have to admit that DS sometimes takes sips of tea from my mug but only if he asks for it (which he does rarely). I just let it pass, I really don't know why they do it...

[twoluvlykids]

I think this is weird, and particularly hate it when MIL says "Oh I used to do this all the time, with sugar - never did them any harm".

Erm, DH's teeth are rapidly falling out, and those that are left are filled, no harm, eh, mil?????

[mumblechum]

Blimey I thought that had died out in the sixties. Where do you live? Do they have whippets in flat caps?

[MovingOutOfBlighty]

How frickin' wierd.

I didn't know they have the internet in your part of the world...the 1930's perhaps?

[Meglet]

yanbu. Baffles me too.

[golgi]

My children like tea. It's very milky though, I just squeeze in the teabag after I've made mine. And they don't drink it out of a bottle.
I wouldn't say they need it. Me, I'm addicted to the stuff.

[wolfear]

I knew the old 'didn't do mine any harm' line would come out here. I live in chav central and the mum's I've seen do this have been younger than me - I'm a spritely 34.

[golgi]

They do have whippets in flat caps where I live.

[poopscoop]

yanbu i think it is ver ver common

[5inthebed]

YANBU, it rates up there with putting squash in a bottle.

[thumbwitch]

not weird, plain wrong.
Tannins in tea can prevent absorption of essential minerals - bad plan for fast-growing babies.

[lilacpink]

Same parents probably give their children takeaway and choc cake as 'normal' meal. At least most schools now promote healthy food/drinks that are appropriate for the age group.

[liahgen]

Golgi, can I just ask. why do you give your dc's tea?

It has no nutritional value, a glass of fresh water would be much more thirst quenching, or diluted juice or similar.

Genuine question

[mumblechum]

I've never seen it except in working class Up North area in about 1969.

[Meglet]

good point thumbwitch. IIRC its the caffiene that stops iron being absorbed.

[liahgen]

my sil does it still with her 3 yr old dd, in a sucky cup. comes from Sth London

[edam]

tea does have some nutritional value, actually. From memory, some level of antioxidants and quercetin, I think? Or possibly some other trace nutrient, I forget. And milk, obv.

It's funny how ready people are to use the 'no nutritional value' line. Quite hard to find a food or drink completely devoid of any nutrients at all...

Wouldn't recommend it for babies, but ds loves a cup of tea after his gym lesson on Fridays. (Don't shoot me, he's six, and it's basically milk with a little hot water and the tea bag from my cup stirred round for a few seconds.)

[TAFKAtheUrbanDryad]

liahgen - i sometimes let ds have the dregs of my tea, when he asks for it.

I do this because I figure a few swigs every now and then is not going to do him much harm and - to be bluntly honest - it's easier than saying no and dealing with the resulting meltdown.

"Pick thy battles" is my motto at the moment!

[edam]

Obviously caffeine is not v. good for children but I'd be more concerned about tannin if a child was drinking lots of tea. Seem to remember it binds non-haem iron.

[AnarchyAunt]

Oh my ex-MIL used to do this all the time with DD.

She was annoyed at me BF for so long as she thought it 'weren't reet filling'' and wanted to 'be able to give 'er a bottle'

As soon as she got the chance she was giving DD (2 ish by then) milky sugary tea in a bottle - this was when DD's dad took her there on access visits so there was little I could do really. Saying anything just made the ex situation even worse.

She is working class and v v northern.

[liahgen]

ok, I give you the antioxidants etc, I recall somewhere in the recess of my memory,

Just not necessary for littlies imo. I guess nor is chocolte cake or the 4 biscuits I gave dd this morning while I had coffee with some girl friends eh?

Agree with picking arguments though. This would be one of mine with a straight no though. But that's me.

[thumbwitch]

edam, black tea has considerably less in the way of antioxidants - they are altered or destroyed in the fermenting process. Green or white tea will have lots, but green tea also has lots of tannins (hence its astringency). White tea is better.

Still not a good idea for young babies imo.

[EldonAve]

YANBU, I know someone who does this

I'm addicted to tea, I see no sense in getting my kids addicted
Also the tannins reduce iron absorption