What age were your DC when they had their first cup of tea?

[NotMyUsualNameNoSiree]

As a very small child I remember drinking chamomile tea (with MILK, thanks mum), because I wanted to drink tea like a grown up - I think I had my first cup of proper tea at my grandma's house when I was 5 or 6.

I just realised, I had no idea what the norm is these days - when did your DCs have their first cuppa?

(I don't think I've ever used the term 'cuppa' before - I quite like it).

Scarfladysbag yes to be sure I agree, would defo not consider it a gateway drug. It is nevertheless, a drug though.

Tbh my main objection is not understanding why anyone would want to give a toddler a stimulant... For their own sakes. My two are crazy and active enough I shudder to think what caffeine would do to them in pretty sure it would tip me over the edge!

My eldest had quite the tea habit when he was little as he’d drink my DP’s dregs. It was all very cute until his teeth got stained. So I stopped allowing it before his permanent teeth came through.

I don’t have a big problem with either of them drinking tea or coffee in their teens. I’d just like to make sure the steins got removed. I’d be a lot more concerned about the kids drinking fizzy drinks all day long including energy drinks. That has to be damaging them.

I would guess around age 2 she wanted to have a morning cuppa like mum and dad. So I would make her warm milk with a tiny splash of tea.

Definitely orimary age, probably infants, and weak and with a biccie to dip! They're now more inclined to drink herbal tea though, as I suppose am I. But I've found you g people divide into those that drink tea or coffee and those that simply won't touch any hot drinks.

I remember my grandma used to tip some of her tea into her saucer for me to slurp
I was probably about age 5 or 6.
My 3 kids never asked for tea so I never gave it them. Now adults, 1 drinks tea, 1 drinks coffee and the other doesn't drink either.

Neither of mine have ever had tea but I don't drink it. Or coffee. I used to drink tea when I was a child staying at my Gran's. All the grandchildren had their own mug, I remember she used to make milky coffee on the hob and I would drink that as well. I must have been around 5 years old, could have been younger but I have never tasted coffee since then.

Eldest (18) started drinking coffee at 16, wouldnt entertain hot drinks before this,
Middle child (8) likes the occasional cup of tea,
Youngest (7) has hounded me every morning and evening for his puppa tea since he was a year and a half old. We use decaffeinated (decapitated) and assume a yorkshire heritage. He slurps loudly and 'ahhhhhh' like hes come in from a hard day down't mines, and likes a garibaldi to dunk 😂

Its never crossed my mind to offer. None of us drink tea. Husband drinks coffee but he's the only one.

I've seen plenty people give it to kids in bottles when young. That's always struck me as weird.

This is interesting! My DS is 17 months and has had a taste of his grandads tea but I've never given him any. My parents never made us tea as kids, i remember my first cup of tea I was in a caravan with my friend and her parents, they offered me tea and I said yes since my friend was drinking it. I was surprised as I saw it as an adults drink. I guess I was around 8/9. I didn't really start drinking tea properly til I was in my 20s and I have a cup a day now

@Bubbletrouble43 Pedant

My daughter was drinking tea out of a sippy cup from weaning, and had to be "Daddy's way", which was plenty of sugar and evaporated milk.
She's 26 now, has perfect teeth and only drinks black tea and coffee.
My son (28) has never drunk tea or coffee. His friend gave him a Red Bull on a sleepover when he was about 14, I had to pick him up in the middle of the night as he was having palpitations, he had the jitters for 24 hours!

I come from a family of tea drinkers and grew up drinking a lot of tea (I still do) but my parents always put two teaspoons of sugar in. I weaned myself off the sugar when I was 18 and could never drink sweet tea now.

My DC were around 5 when they started drinking it. My DS is now 14 and has about 10 cups a day and is an expert tea maker. My DD (13) has one cup a day and is also very good at making it :) Neither of them have ever tried it with sugar.

Daughter is 6 and likes a little cup (as in a small mug and made with the same bag I use for my cup) with milk but no sugar! She's been doing this for about 2 years now... another year or so and I reckon she'll be able to make me a cup properly!

6 and 4 year olds never have, and as we don’t drink it I imagine it’ll be when they ask to try it elsewhere, if they ever do.

I used to occasionally drink coffee at about 8 as my mum did, and I thought it was grown up!
I had a six year old patient at work with CP, who I absolutely loved, so I'd take him for a walk to costa and buy him a babycino. He wouldn't drink that, most of the time but stare longingly at my latte until I gave him some! His mum said he loved coffee. (She was happy for him to have it)

As to why give them a stimulant - well, I doubt the amount has much effect, but to me a cup of tea is a lovely soothing thing. It smells delicious and it's hot. Anything like that is nice. I also let her have lemon verbena tea, which is another terrifying drug, which sends you to sleep.

It's had no noticeable effect yet, sadly.

The smell of tea makes me feel sick 🤢

18 months. Love a milky decaf tea

My twins are 20 and they both drink green tea, but have never drunk normal tea or coffee.

@scrivette I quite like the idea of a 'rescued' tea bag.

It sounds like a majority of people offer their DC tea (or have it swiped from their cups) at a time relative to their own enjoyment of tea.

To the PP's who noted I asked about DC, rather than their own experiences - sorry! I was just wondering out loud really and thinking about it in the context of my DD (3). I didn't mean to exclude!

@Rockbird guilty as charged! 🤣 Also just dawned on me sugar may also be a drug? And my kids have plenty of that to my shame as my mum is an amazing and prolific baker of cakes and treats that she drops round far too regularly!

My DD 6 has started asking for cups of tea now and again and she really likes it. My eldest 11 has never drank tea.

Dd's are 13 +14 and haven't had one.

It's 'cuppy' actually