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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

About giving a baby/toddler tea?

130 replies

WannabeNigella · 30/03/2011 17:00

I have heard a few people mention it over the last few months at baby groups etc and I'm a bit miffed?

Why would you give a baby/toddler tea? I'm talking anything between 10 months to under 2yrs in particular. Even if it is decaf, why?

I just can't think of a reason, apart from a selfish one, such as maybe you want them to have some with you cause you're having one. Even in cold weather, what is wrong with warm milk or some sugar free Horlicks etc if you really must.

I just don't get it, or AIBU and you're about to flame me and my 4yr old and 18month old are "missing out"

OP posts:
RobynLou · 30/03/2011 17:03

I've never given any to DD, but then she's never shown an interest, if she had \i'd let her try a little. what's wrong with decaff tea? prob better than sugary juice...
I've heard of people giving cooled camomile tea as a calming pre bed drink which makes sense to me.

thisisyesterday · 30/03/2011 17:03

i probably wouldn't give a small baby tea. but i don't relaly see the problem with it tbh!

a plain decaff tea is probably better than horlicks

Desperateforthinnerthighs · 30/03/2011 17:04

I dont think you should give them tea so I am right with you. When DS was a baby my SIL gave him a bottle of milky tea....to this day I have no idea why!

usualsuspect · 30/03/2011 17:05

Its not a big deal

If you don't want to don't

Original poster
WannabeNigella · 30/03/2011 17:07

To be honest I'm not convinced it is even decaf they're giving them, just giving them the benefit of the doubt.

RobynLou - I don't give mine sugary juice either, but agree it might be marginally better than that.

I just think tea and coffee are "grown up" drinks and have no idea why you would get a baby onto them when it is totally unnecessary.

OP posts:
lubberlich · 30/03/2011 17:07

I always drank tea from a very very young age.
But then we are very common.

thisisyesterday · 30/03/2011 17:09

what's grown up about it though?

is your problem with the caffeine?

lesley33 · 30/03/2011 17:11

Didn't do this, but I don't see the problem. Milk would be best I guess. But tea/coffee would be better than sugary drinks and probably better than fruit juice.

Firawla · 30/03/2011 17:11

for a young baby I wouldn't but at like age 4 I don't see the big deal particularly. However if you don't want to then don't, its not going to kill them by lack of drinking tea. It's a personal preference

Tangle · 30/03/2011 17:11

Caffeine inhibits the absorption of iron. As such I think the recommended advice is not to give it to young children (IIRC, anything under 4).

SpawnChorus · 30/03/2011 17:11

Sugar-free horlicks is surely full of some nasty sweetener. I'd rather my baby had tea! DS2 is 18 months and often has a swig or two of my tea, but I mostly drink rooibos so I don't think there's any harm in it. My other two DC aren't interested, even though I've recently started offering them some.

Original poster
WannabeNigella · 30/03/2011 17:11

Yeah I guess my main issue is with the caffeine but even if it's decaf I can't see why it's necessary.

I'm not saying I'm right and everyone who does it is wrong I just really wondered if any people who are giving their children tea could offer any kind of explanation as to why they deemed it a good idea? (Although that now sounds like they have to justify themselves to me, which isn't quite what I mean lol).

OP posts:
exoticfruits · 30/03/2011 17:12

Mine had a taste and didn't like it. They still don't like it at the age where most of their friends drink it. It is no big deal-I can't see them wanting it without sugar and I don't do them with sugar.

Original poster
WannabeNigella · 30/03/2011 17:12

Tangle - You've just reminded me of another point I was going to include in my OP lol.

Thank you.

OP posts:
SpawnChorus · 30/03/2011 17:13

Am also LOLing slightly at the idea of you being miffed about this. Why would it annoy you? It's not like they;re forcing it on your DC!

overmydeadbody · 30/03/2011 17:14

Wannabve lots of things we give our babies/toddlers/childrne are unnecessary. Doesn't mean it is wrong though.

Nothing wrong with a young child having a weak cup of tea, I don;t see it as any differnet to warm milk or horlicks really.

administrator · 30/03/2011 17:14

My health visitor once told me that you shouldn't give under 5's tea as the tannin in the tea interferes with a toddler's absorption of iron. Seems like a good enough reason not to give them it to me....

Vallhala · 30/03/2011 17:14

Me too, hubberlich. Wink

Why give my DC tea when they were small? For the same reason that I had tea when I was small. Because it's a very pleasant drink and, like ice-cream, not essential for the diet but a nice thing to have once in a while. I didn't just feed my children what they needed or only food and drink which was specifically good for them and I don't think most people do as if they did their children would be brought up with little or no meat in their diet, would never be allowed a slice of white bread or piece of chocolate and so on.

But, all that said, if you don't care to give tea to your DC that's fine by us tea-givers.

UnseenAcademicalMum · 30/03/2011 17:15

Ds2 steals the dregs from my cups when I put them down (I never drink more than 2/3eddy of a cup) . Tbh I don't see much harm, though I wouldn't necessarily make him a cup. He is nearly 3. Ds1 (age 6) has never had tea, he's never asked to try and consequently has never been offered.

justpaddling · 30/03/2011 17:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

thisisyesterday · 30/03/2011 17:15

ok but not being necessary doesn't mean there is something wrong with it does there?

Original poster
WannabeNigella · 30/03/2011 17:15

Spawn - DH is testing my patience and I'm holding it in do the Tea Givers get it Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
WannabeNigella · 30/03/2011 17:16

*so

OP posts:
thisisyesterday · 30/03/2011 17:17

a quick google tells me that heme iron is not affected by tannins or caffeine (that is, iron from animals/blood)
plant iron IS affected by tannins and caffeine

so... swings and roundabouts i guess. i don't think that one weak tea a day would really affect a child, but i don't know much about that kind of thing tbh.

StarlightMcKenzie · 30/03/2011 17:18

I've given my two littlies warm tea when we haven't been able to afford to put the heating on or to buy milk.