Baby drinking coke from a bottle

[papergate]

Saw this earlier and was horrified!

Baby maybe just over a year old crying in pushchair.

Mum gets bottle of full fat coke out from under the pram, fills up babies bottle and hands it to the baby.

I honestly cried when I saw the baby guzzling down the cola like it was milk.

How can anyone think this is acceptable?

It's irresponsible but quite a common sight, perhaps the child was older than you thought and parent gives bottles still. Apparently in Mexico they sold tears that screw onto pop bottles, it's a huge issue.

A gregg's sausage roll wouldn't seem half as bad to me, although not the greatest nutritional choice. It's the effect Coke would have on any budding teeth.

At least there wasn't vodka in it

Well there may have been. In fact we will say there definitely was just to be sure.

My family refer to fizzy drinks as 'leaded or unleaded', depending on the sugar content!

@Yeahyeahyeahyeeeeah I refuse to acknowledge any more comments from you!

I am an adult who was neglected as a child. Seeing things like this upsets me and bring horrible memories into my head.

I don't expect everyone to laugh about me crying. We all have different things that upsets us.

Well there may have been. In fact we will say there definitely was just to be sure.

Just a single though

And actually OP, I get it too. I wouldn’t have cried but someone who doesn’t have the fucking brain cells to know you don’t give a baby sugared drinks in a bottle is at best likely to be providing only bare minimum standards of parenting, and god knows what at worst.

As for the faux innocence “what is full fat coke?” comments ODFOD. As others have said it’s become a very common euphemism over the past few years for full sugar coke.

🙄 at all those suggesting tea is on a par with coke

Do you give your kid caffeine deliberately?

Most MNers would probably judge and think “oh that’s a bit shit of the parent” and then get on with their day. Some MNers are sadness vultures and just want the attention of being ‘the most empathetic person ever’.

I know someone who fed her baby/toddler sugary irnbru in a bottle. She used to brush her teeth then send her to bed with a baby bottle with irnbru in it. Sometimes if it was too fizzy for her she would add a tea spoon of sugar to make it go flat.

The child had to undergo general anesthesia and have her milk teeth removed. Person I knew said this was because of a "tooth deficiency" nothing to do with the sugar in a teat oh no.

I saw a fat 2 year old being pushed in a buggy out of poundland while eating a big bag of sweets.

I dropped to my knees and screamed, why god, whyyyyyyyyyy.

True story

Buttermuff- if that was aimed at me, I was giving an actual example of what my parents do - so chill out dear 🙃

Most folk have acknowledged it is shitty, but the OP's reaction was OTT. Especially seeing as she takes personal offence to PP highlighting actual facts of horrible things that happen in the world.

I wouldn't dream of giving my one year old any caffeinated drinks, it's pretty obvious its bad for adults, let alone babies but people do these things, we all have different standards as to what is acceptable I suppose. But for me it would be a no brainer, I've seen how hyperactive it can make older children. Giving it to a toddler is a recipe for disaster.

Bloody hell.

Giving a baby coke (full sugar or otherwise) is not ok.

It’s horribly negligent parenting. Whatever the OPs reaction, please do not pretend it’s acceptable because any competent parent knows it is not.

My friend has a 2 year old. Ever since hes been on solids all he has is chocolate, chocolate spread sandwiches, sweets and full bottle of fizzy drinks, it's disgusting to see. She gives him sugar on his cereal and 2 sugars in tea.

I might be biased because in in dentistry but I'm absolutely horrified.

Schuyler did you read the OP’s update where she says she was neglected as a child before calling her a sadness vulture?

Mn just loves to argue. If you came on here and said aibu to feed my baby coke in a bottle cos I have nothing else and she was thirsty. Then you would get 1000 replies saying yabu go and ask for free tap water from anywhere.

People just love to tell others they abu.

@papergate, well I’ll resist the obvious comment, and say I’m am truly horrified to hear that.

I am in no way suggesting that the coke is not horrid - and more, but without your own story, crying sounds grandstanding and hollow. With context, I can understand. Without context I want to scream at you, if you want to cry at this, get motivated by the real suffering to do something to help those poor kids, don’t waste tears, act.

I don't get the comments on here either OP. It's horrible and I completely agree. Witnessing inappropriate neglectful parenting is upsetting. That said anyone casually handing a baby a coke bottle needs practical support rather than judgement.

I work with teen mothers. I know a girl who gives her baby very inappropriate drinks (we are working on this).

She herself grew up as part of an extremely marginalised community, alcoholic parents, DV, abused herself, bad health, bad education. She loves and looks after her baby wonderfully. She is kind, loving, sweet and teaches her all about her culture and tries so hard with her. She is a great mother, shitty drinks notwithstanding. I hope people aren't weeping over her baby when she leaves the house. She has it hard enough as it is.

OP, I worry more for you, than I do for the baby.
Lots of children don't have optimal parenting, and if you are going to cry each time you think you see it, well actually, I'd say that's you too.

Maybe the child was thirsty and that's all she had at that moment

Maybe you don’t know, but there’s this substance called water that is not only free but readily available out of a thing called a tap, which you can generally get hold of more easily than coke.

Some people really will make any excuse for shit and neglectful parenting. Sad really.

anyone casually handing a baby a coke bottle needs practical support rather than judgement

Agree and it chimes with @MrsTerryPratchett's post that followed yours. Whilst I would think 'shit decision' I wouldn't automatically think 'shit parent'.

Oh and the child I mentioned above who was fed irnbru in a bottle as a baby/toddler is now 13. Has rotten adult teeth even since having all baby teeth removed. And is obese. Not overweight but properly obese. What chance did she ever have? Statistically her future health is horrendous. I hope as she gains more autonomy she can turn it around.

To be clear I don't cry about everything. It was this one scene that really got to me.

I won't share any more of my personal problems as this thread is not about me.

I really didn't expect most of you to be focusing on the fact I cried.