Coffee as a treat?

[saturdaynightgin]

Do you ever give your DC coffee as a treat?

Sat in a coffee shop with SIL and the people on the next table have bought their 3 DC (aged between 7-12ish) a coffee each. SIL commented that she’d never pay Starbucks prices for her son(11) to have a coffee, but she does let him have one at home when he’s feeling a bit tired or as a treat when he’s done his homework

DD is only 3 and hasn’t asked for coffee yet, but I’m almost certain I wouldn’t let her have one.

My family drink gallons of tea and I did growing up. That has plenty of caffeine in and as far as I know nobody ever questioned it.

He’s 11 and nearly at high school.

There's flouride in tea, and calcium from the milk so good for their teeth!
I remember reading that Italian doctors prescribe coffee instead of stimulants for kids with ADD, I started giving DS a ( proper) coffee in the morning at High school as he had to get up early, it really helped him wake up and focus. I have no regrets.

Despite me drinking gallons of tea neither of my 2 - 10 and 6 have one if we are out. On the rare occasion I have a latte (decaf with oat/soya milk) they like to have some of the froth!

They've tried my various flavoured green teas and sometimes have a hot chocolate at home.

I couldn't imagine letting them have caffeine... I made the mistake once of letting them share a free mini can of coke zero (I thought this meant no caffeine/sugar) they were bouncing off the walls for hours 😂 was a fun train journey back from London!!!

Greyhound22 I know it’s nothing to do with me, I was just wondering if other parents give their children coffee as a treat

And I couldn’t care less whether they could afford it or not, the thought didn’t even cross my mind.

Once they're going out alone you can't police what they drink.

I'm like you OP, I think of coffee as an "adult" drink, probably because I wasn't offered or was interested in "proper" coffee until I got to University and was introduced to the essay marathon wonder that is bean to cup freshly ground brain juice! Instant at home while I was growing up held no interest.

DS is 12 and shows no interest in it either, he's had a sniff of my morning espresso and reeled back in horror so I think my supply of Colombian Joe is safe for a while yet if he really wanted to, I'd let him try a decaf of his choice but I don't see any need, he has plenty energy naturally!

My DB and I - we got very milky coffee in our bottles - apart from milky coffee being OK for children at that time (in my culture) - my exhausted mother accidentally found out that coffee calmed us down (long before anybody talked about ADHD).

I had a really cute patient at work I would buy a babycino for. He didn't always drink it and I only realised, when he was eyeing up my latte
Why. Because his mum gave him coffee! He was 6. He was Eastern Europe do probably a cultural thing.

No, my kids don't drink coffee. The bigger two (11 and 9) have tasted it but don't like it. They very occasionally ask for a cup of tea but are more likely to want hot chocolate if we are out.

My children always get a babycino when we to to a cafe. Not fair on them otherwise. I started drinking espresso coffe drinks (capucinos, lattes etc) at 8. Never impacted my growth (very tall) or made me hyperenergetic. I allow my children to have some of my drink if they ask for it but I usually don’t have coffee these days tbh.