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Original poster

How many fizzy drinks, if any, do you allow your kids?

104 replies

Teessider · 30/05/2021 09:47

And by kids, I mean older ones.

My youngest is 14.5 and he'd drink Diet Coke all the day long if I let him. I don't of course and he has a couple of cans at the weekend, probably a bit more what with half term next week. The only other drink he has is water and his diet overall is excellent and varied

I'm obviously soooo mean in only allowing a few cans on the weekend - but I think this is more than enough.

How about you? Do you restrict it or ban it completely or are you relaxed about it?

OP posts:
Dntevenknowit · 30/05/2021 10:44

I do love mumsnet. I wonder why the aisles in the supermarket are always full of half empty fizzy drink shelves and yet nobody on here drinks them.

We keep ours in the safe and bring out a shot glass worth at Christmas as a treat if the butler remembers otherwise its just water for us all and even then we have it extra filtered just in case! GrinWink

Original poster
Teessider · 30/05/2021 10:52

@Dntevenknowit but most people responding allow it? And I certainly do as per my op - a few cans on the weekend and more during half term/ holidays etc

OP posts:
MikeWozniaksGloriousTache · 30/05/2021 10:54

Sadly my mum and dad weren’t very strict about this kind of thing growing up. The only thing we had in the house other than water was full fat coke so that’s all I drank from about 13. I must have drank at least 2/3 cans on an evening, 5+ Each day on a weekend. As I result I was massively addicted to fizzy pop, bad teeth, overweight etc. I gradually stopped drinking as much as I got older and moved out. Now we usually have 2ltr of flavoured sparkling water a weekend between me and DP (usually one pint a night on a Saturday and Sunday and that’s it) but I wish I had the stuff restricted. It’s a vice now. I think a couple of cans a week is enough.

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1starwars2 · 30/05/2021 10:54

@Dntevenknowit
Well you're right, someones buying it, but there's lots of good reasons not to.:
Environmental, plastic bottles vs tap water
Teeth health/obesity : there's a correlation between people who drink the sugar free/diet version and obesity too.
Addictiveness/habit:
I really struggle to drink water as I was brought up on lemon squash, but my kids like it

Theforest · 30/05/2021 11:03

My teenager hates fizzy drinks and refuses them.

My 10 year old still has squash as a rule but sometimes has a can of Appletiser as a treat.

AuntieMarys · 30/05/2021 11:08

Never at home. Dh and I don't like fizzy drinks so we never bought them. Didn't buy squash either. Think they went straight from water to beer

Bbq1 · 30/05/2021 12:07

Ds almost 16 and has more than he probably should. He does however, have perfect teeth, we visit the dentist regularly and he's never yet needed a filling. I don't police his drinks because he's a good lad and as a pp said some teens are consuming a lot more harmful substances than the odd can of coke.
Like anything, make something the forbidden fruit and it will become all the more desirable. A lot of teens allowed a coke only very sparingly will be more inclined to down massive amounts when parents aren't policing their intake.

cushioncovers · 30/05/2021 12:36

We've never had fizzy drinks in our house apart from birthdays. I just don't see them as something we need. However on holiday or out for a meal my kids were free to drink however many they wanted within reason. They are now adults and don't drink them everyday but have them with a takeout and if they are socialising. I don't t like them so don't drink than at all, I do drink squash everyday though

MargaretThursday · 30/05/2021 12:55

I never really made a fuss about it. We have a bottle of lemonade as a family on Sundays, which comes to a glass and a half each, and the rest of the week it's we might if we're out having a meal.

Result is one rarely drinks fizzy except the Sunday lemonade. Even that she's not bothered. One is discovering the pleasure of having her own money and often buys a can at school. And the other likes his fizzy and will have it if offered.
They would very rarely have more than one can a day-would tend to be if we were at something like a party where there were free drinks.

We were brought up with a bottle at Christmas, but not the rest of the year, and I struggle myself not to go overboard on fizzy. I really could drink it non-stop through the day. (I don't usually, but have occasionally when stressed)
So I think you want a good median, not forbidden fruit, but not excess.

clipclop5 · 30/05/2021 13:46

DD (16) probably has one a day. In the fridge we always have cans of coke, flavoured San Pellegrino and others. To be honest I don’t mind as otherwise she has a very healthy diet, never eats sweets etc and has great teeth. She has never had an energy drink and it certainly isn’t something I would encourage. Dropping her off at school in the morning I see kids drinking cans of Monster at 8am!!

Bbq1 · 30/05/2021 13:47

@Dntevenknowit

I do love mumsnet. I wonder why the aisles in the supermarket are always full of half empty fizzy drink shelves and yet nobody on here drinks them.

We keep ours in the safe and bring out a shot glass worth at Christmas as a treat if the butler remembers otherwise its just water for us all and even then we have it extra filtered just in case! GrinWink

🤣🤣🤣
EversoDelighted · 30/05/2021 13:54

Mine probably have a couple a week (15 and 17). Pre Covid we didn't really have them at home but used to have them if we went for a meal, pub, cafe etc. Then in the first lockdown it was warm weather and we weren't going out so we started having cans at home, they still stick to one or two a week each and so do we. Plus they might have some when out with friends etc but that still isn't very often.

roguetomato · 30/05/2021 13:58

Never for my 13 years old. We don't drink fizzy drink as parents, so we never really had them in a house except for odd occasions. Dc has tried it and never liked it.

motogogo · 30/05/2021 14:23

When in restaurants/pubs and I got it in for birthdays etc. Never buy it routinely for the house, there's tea or water, both DD's have drunk tea from toddlerhood

onemouseplace · 30/05/2021 14:26

DC1 likes fizzy drinks, the other two don't really like them. We don't have them in the house*, so she only has them in restaurants/ pubs/ on holiday.

  • unless I've got a stonking hangover and need an emergency can of coke.
motogogo · 30/05/2021 14:28

Ps we are all adults in our household now and still don't buy pop, just tonic for the gin and vodka. If DD's want pop they know where the shop is

TheCanyon · 30/05/2021 14:39

I was out at the bingo last night so dh and the dc got a takeaway with a free 2l bottle of Pepsi. The 12 and 10yos have just finished it.

They only usually have fizzy drinks if we're out for dinner, maybe once or twice a year or if having a party.

Fluffycloudland77 · 30/05/2021 14:42

@whiteroseredrose

Very rarely in our house.

We have tonic for gin and the fancy fizzy drinks like Belvoir ginger and lime with Saturday dinner occasionally.

Coke annually on 4th July.

DH and I don't really like fizzy drinks so DC haven't grown up with them.

However as late teens they probably drink too much coffee.

Coffees high in antioxidants. Waitrose do a nice decaf.
Frazzled2207 · 30/05/2021 14:45

We occasionally have lemonade in the house and they will have some when we are eating out (almost never since the pandemic) but other than that they never have fizzy stuff. Growing up I never had cans in the house and I don’t expect these will either.
They have plenty of sugar free squash however. And most cans are sugar free these days so not convinced the “fizz” makes a massive difference.

CoffeeBeansGalore · 30/05/2021 14:50

I very rarely buy fizzy drinks.
I buy sparkling water & they can add fruit juice or diluting juice. When it's hot they also put some in the freezer for a few hours to make a slushie. Coke etc is just seen as an occasional treat.

Kinsters · 30/05/2021 14:51

My parents never had fizzy drinks at home when I was little and I'm the same now I'm an adult.

EversoDelighted · 30/05/2021 15:15

We tend to have fizzy drinks in since Covid but not squash or sparkling water, we've never had those routinely and we only have a carton of juice occasionally (maybe once a month). So I don't think a couple of cans of fizzy a week is doing any harm.

Passthecake30 · 30/05/2021 15:36

My dc (11&13) have 2 cans a week, at the weekend, extra if we go on holiday or out for a meal. They would claim it not fair if Dp and I had a beer/wine and they didn’t have a fizzy.

greensnail · 30/05/2021 15:45

I only buy them for the house at Christmas and birthdays but DC are welcome to choose fizzy drinks when we're out (12 year old generally does, 11 year old prefers fruit juice normally). I used to drink them most days in my teens as we had a vending machine at school - I'm guessing they don't have them now.

Worriesome · 30/05/2021 15:51

Sayer scrolling through these responses it appears I’m the first to say I’m relaxed about fizzy drinks at home. I always have them stocked and if we feel like it we’ll have it. My LO is 8 and she’ll have a can now and again, I don’t mind x

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