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Original poster

Do 9 year olds drink tea?

118 replies

northstarisnorth · 23/04/2022 08:45

I'm asking for a friend who has a visiting 9 year old who's telling her that it's perfectly fine for her to drink tea and coffee.

I have a 9 year old, but I realise I have no idea what other people do.

Is it OK for a 9 year old to drink tea never, occasionally or all the time?

What do you do?

Thanks :)

OP posts:
SpidersareTapdancing · 23/04/2022 12:26

It's tea not heroin Hmm

JoeGoldberg · 23/04/2022 13:18

Reigateforever · 23/04/2022 12:19

I can’t remember when I didn’t drink tea and gran used to give a saucer full to the dog every time.

Haha oh my gran used to do this! A teacup for her, a tiny cup for me, and a saucer full for the dog. That brought back a lovely memory!

ABIIOR · 23/04/2022 13:41

DD has drunk tea regularly from around age 8 but we only ever buy decaff tea and absolutely never have sugar in it (uggh)

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9 year olds
MardyOldGoth · 23/04/2022 13:47

Think I was probably drinking tea in the womb! I was definitely getting a cup every morning when I was about 4 which is as far back as I can remember! 70s and 80s parenting, eh?

fruitpastille · 23/04/2022 14:12

My 8 year old often has a cup of tea (Yorkshire with milk no sugar) with breakfast or maybe after school. It's much healthier than hot chocolate. Not more than one mug a day though. My older two children don't drink it (although 12 year old likes mocha) so I thought I'd better get my third on to it early 😁
I don't see any problem letting a 9 year old have a cup.

UnaOfStormhold · 23/04/2022 14:17

My 7 year old has decaf tea but I wouldn't give him caffeinated drinks, we've had enough disrupted nights!

sleighbellsjiggling · 23/04/2022 14:20

My DD and DS (3&4) both love a tea and have done since they were tiny. It started with them drinking my dregs from any cups I had lying around and went from there to me making them their own. It's decaf, weak, and mostly milk but they love it every morning.

My DD also has daily medication and it's the only thing I can hide it in so I'm not about to stop it. The dentist has never mentioned any issues with their teeth but I do make sure I brush well as they can get a bit yellow sometimes.

They won't touch a babycchino weirdly though.

Longdistance · 23/04/2022 14:23

Dd12 has been drinking tea since she was 8. She drags me into coffee shops and costs me a fortune, as you need cake with tea, obviously.

SickofHomework · 23/04/2022 14:28

I let my 7 year old have the occasional cup of tea, usually Sunday mornings when we lie in late.

AlexanderTheGreat · 23/04/2022 14:33

DD started at about that age when our babysitter made her a cup.

DS is 16 and has never drunk tea or coffee

GlitteryGreen · 23/04/2022 14:58

I've definitely been drinking tea for as long as I can remember.

I don't really see why it would be bad or your friend would assume she's lying, at 9? It has a lot less caffeine than Coke/Pepsi and at 9 many are already drinking those.

LBOCS2 · 23/04/2022 15:00

My 9yo has more of a taste for coffee than tea but likes both. She is allowed one coffee a week, on a Saturday morning 😁 She periodically makes tea but I think she enjoys making it more than drinking it as I always find half drunk cups around.

Tlollj · 23/04/2022 15:01

Hold on to you’re pearls everyone I used to have it in a bottle. But I’m old.
Did not know camp coffee is decaf. Learn something every day.

Rubyred7 · 23/04/2022 15:02

Absolutely I was always brewing up at that age. Tea doesn’t have much caffeine in - I’d say the only bad thing about it is the sugar.
I always had millions of fizzy drinks aswell but they’re deffo not good for ya 😆

GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal · 23/04/2022 15:37

My 10 year old started drinking tea when she was 9. Not every day, but a few times a week.

shreddednips · 23/04/2022 16:02

Why would a child lie about having a cup of tea? My 3yo DS has a small cup of tea (espresso cup) or two quite regularly, it doesn't seem to have done him any harm.

unlimiteddilutingjuice · 23/04/2022 16:07

My 7 year old likes a cup of tea.
She takes it quite weak with a splash of cold water, plenty of milk and a spoonfull of sugar.

zingally · 23/04/2022 17:31

I know of plenty of kids younger than 9 who drink tea.

sanityisamyth · 23/04/2022 17:32

My 8 year old isn't interested. He doesn't like hot drinks. He'll drink a hot chocolate but only when it's cold!

DelilahBucket · 23/04/2022 17:33

My DS did at that age, and coffee, but decaff only. He drinks caffeinated tea now at 14 and the occasional coffee, but I still limit him on the caffeine and always in the morning only.

SquigglePigs · 23/04/2022 17:46

My three year old already likes to steal a mouthful of my tea so I can imagine by that age she would have the odd cup for herself. I would be mindful of caffeine though so I can't see myself letting her have coffee at that age.

sophienelisse · 23/04/2022 17:51

My dd8 loves tea and will ask for a cup.

Fupoffyagrasshole · 23/04/2022 17:53

Mate - my 1 year old has a drop of (very milky) tea loves it

my nana used give me tea as a small child in my bottle 😂😂

I think it’s fine

BeerLoas · 23/04/2022 17:56

My 9 yo will drink an odd tea and likes it. Is allowed a sip of my latte to taste or a scoop of the milk froth. I don’t give her coffee otherwise, tea I have no problem with. No sugar in either.

Aside from ensuring there’s not too much caffeine, wondering what the issue is? There is a ton of sugar/calories in smoothies and juice etc.

Glittertwins · 23/04/2022 18:06

One drinks black tea and coffee and the other drinks neither. I just made sure that the drinks were cool enough to be safe.