Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

To give my 15 month old a cup of tea?

42 replies

lifeas3plus1 · 01/08/2010 06:45

We've woken up to a pretty cold house this morning and ds feels and looks like he could do with a warm drink.

He will only drink milk straight from the fridge bur he keeps trying to get his mouth around my cup of tea

I have Some rooibos tea (naturally caffine free) from when my mom stayed over and it will obviously only be warm not hot.

That'll be ok right? Or am I missing something here?

OP posts:

Original poster

lifeas3plus1 · 01/08/2010 06:58

Oh, must add that the reason I am asking is because I was talking to a friend a while back about ds trying to steal my cup of tea and she looked awfully shocked and said that it is one of the worst things you can give a child to drink and that she would never allow her kid to have a cup of tea until he was at least a teenager!

That's why I was asking if there was something I was missing about the whole thing!

OP posts:

Rockbird · 01/08/2010 07:12

You're not missing anything, it's just another one of those things that some people like to feign horror over . DD has been drinking tea since that age. Only sips from my cup, occasionally her own cup, not massive mugs of her own and not 6 a day like I do. But like anything, the odd time is fine, don't worry about it.

AnyFuleKno · 01/08/2010 07:36

won't it stain his teeth? stained teeth on an adult from tea drinking is one thing, but on a child, seems a bit unnecessary.

Can't you just wrap him up in a duvet? Give him some weetabix made with hot water and a splash of milk? Or some porridge? they will warn him up nicely

Original poster

lifeas3plus1 · 01/08/2010 07:46

Well I've given him a small cup.

Anyfulekno: if only it where that simple, he hates clothes and will tolerate a vest over his nappy and if I tried to wrap him up in a duvet he would scream blue murder lol. I didn't actually think about the teeth thing. He's not going to be drinking it every day. Today was just a one off and I've just brushed his teeth as soon as he finished. If it continues to be chilly in the mornings then I'll get the heating set to come on for half hour when he wakes up! I don't want him to get in the habit of drinking it!

OP posts:

Ineedsomesleep · 01/08/2010 07:51

At this age they need their tummy filling up with nutritious things, but you know that anyway.

Cold milk from the fridge is fine even on cold mornings

Having said all that DD has drunk tea from that age, she just steals the dregs if we leave a cup down, yuk. My sister has offered her a cup when DD has been in her care, she does take it but hasn't ever drunk it yet.

katkouta · 01/08/2010 07:53

Rooibos will be fine, I think its a popular drink with the children in South Africa! and is full of antioxidants too

katkouta · 01/08/2010 07:54

And you can make it really milky anyway.

mummalish · 01/08/2010 08:06

You're right katkouta, about rooibos being a popular drink for kids in SA.

We have SA friends whose children drink all forms of rooibos. Their baby drank it from a bottle from around 6 months or so, and their older children drink it with milk from cups, every day.

The friends have said all SA kids grow up with this tea and that it is good for them. I have given my ds rooibos tea with milk and he loves it.

Not only is it fine, but I think its actually quite good, so carry on.

innocuousnamechange · 01/08/2010 08:08

yabu. Rooibos stains the teeth terribly, not to mention why on earth would you even want your dc drinking tea in the first place?? It interferes with absorbsion of certain vitamins iirc

catinboots · 01/08/2010 08:08

I drank sugar-loaded milky tea from a beaker as a kid - I think lots of kids did. I'm still alive and well and here to tell the tale (with perfect teeth )

bamboobutton · 01/08/2010 08:13

couldn't you give something like horlicks or ovaltine?

can anyone give me good, sciency reasons why DH shouldn't let ds drink coffee, all i can come up with is that it's just bad for him and sends him hyper.

coraltoes · 01/08/2010 08:19

Bamboo caffeine reduces the bodys ability to absorb calcium...which is crucial for growing bones! Furthermore it is a stimulant for most adults...I'd hate to think what it does to a child. With so many other hot drinks around why risk it!

Ilythia · 01/08/2010 08:24

For when it's cold I have ovaltine for the girls as dd2 won't drink plain milk.
Rooibos isfine as a one off i reckon as it's the caffeine i have a problem with.

oldenoughtowearpurple · 01/08/2010 08:24

Many years ago - and we are talking the '60's - my mum observed that the local children from the Wrong Side of the Tracks who were given (sugary) tea in a bottle from the age dot all had good teeth, whereas mine were rubbish despite good care and brushing. Many many moons later I related this to a dentist who said that there was a connection - tea has fluoride in it.

NB: these kids would have been drinking tea out of their bottles from 6 months or earlier, several times a day. They would have been on solids of some sort at 6 weeks.

I would be astonished to discover that the odd cup of tea (unsugared) could do your ds any lasting harm.

mummalish · 01/08/2010 08:29

Rooibos has no caffeine, and has health properties and has been recommended as a healthy drink for children. Google it.

WoTmania · 01/08/2010 08:31

Rooibos is like you said caffeine free so won't affect iron absorbtion. The milk will though but he'd be having that anyway wouldn't he.
I wouldn't worry. Once isn't going to matter even if it was regular tea.

ohemgee · 01/08/2010 08:35

Oh ffs its a cup of tea! It will do them no harm whatsoever.

Original poster

lifeas3plus1 · 01/08/2010 08:47

Ooo mixed opinions. I know that it's the caffine that can interfere with iron absorption but it is caffine free so didn't think that would be a problem!

Is olvaltine or Horlicks any better though.

Anyway like I said it was only a one off. I certainly won't be making a habit of it. I was just wondering why my friend seemed so shocked about it. ( and the thought hadn't even crossed my mind to give him tea at that stage, I was just mentioning that he tried to steal my cup of tea)

OP posts:

bellavita · 01/08/2010 08:57

Blimey, give your child a cup of tea if they want one.

Both mine (they are now 11 and 13) had a milky cup of tea from being about a year old. They have survived.

WidowWadman · 01/08/2010 09:11

My daughter even sometimes pinches a sip of coffee from my cup. I think it's really not worth obsessing over.

PrincessBoo · 01/08/2010 09:14

Think my DS had sips of my tea at this age - bith redbush and normal.

His teeth are fine by the way -he rarely asks for tea but when he does I make him a miky redbush in his special toy story cup.

Storm in a teacup methinks... (groan)

amidaiwish · 01/08/2010 09:21

my kids have tea every now and again (age 4 and 6), have done for years. very weak and very milky. can't see the big deal personally. never saw any reaction to the caffeine.

my sister gave DD2 coke with ice cream in the other day, a "coke float", now that's another story. not pleased!

amidaiwish · 01/08/2010 09:23

oh and i am a mother who avoids aspartame and won't let them have fruit shoots.

bruffin · 01/08/2010 09:28

My DS has a huge reaction to caffeine at that age, he was literally climbing the walls the first time he tried tea. The only thing my dcs have ever got hyper over is caffeine and antibiotics (even in tablet form)

Ilythia · 01/08/2010 09:36

I meant to add my children have never had a cup of tea, and never will. But that's because tea is boaksome and vile.
Coffee however....

Flip

1 2