To not understand why any child under school age (ish) is given anything other than milk/water on a regular basis?

[Sarah1611]

I see it a lot out and about- tiny dots with bottles and beakers full of juice, squash or fizzy drink. I know it's not the worst thing that a young child can be given but I don't understand why it's necessary. I'm an avid squash drinker and happily drink it in front of my charges but they never ask for it. I don't drink tea/coffee so squash keeps me going!

If we were at a party then I don't see a problem with having other things but not on a normal day at home or on a trip out.

It's not even just the teeth element, but the habit it creates (I should know!!) and also the dependency on sugar- there's enough sugar in most foods in a normal diet without the almost saturate of a soft drink.

[MalcolmTuckersMum]

A dentist friend of mine saw a child recently of about 10 years old who (he was told) was diagnosed with ADHD. The teeth were found to be pretty dire and the Mother asked if it would be anything to do with the 8 cans of Red Bull a day...

Oh yeah. Dentist friend of yours eh? And you got the ADHD in. Was she perhaps a single mother? I bet she was on benefits wasn't she?

Dentist friend of yours my arse.

[exoticfruits]

There seem to me to be too many people who can strictly control their child's diet and not their own.
Children do as you do and not as you say. Yes- you can make sure that they have just water and milk when little but I don't see the point if you have other cold drinks yourself. You are teaching them that your drinks are better and that is what they will have as soon as you can't control it all.
Drink lots of water yourself and they see it as normal.
Fizzy drinks don't suddenly become any better for you at 9yrs, 12yrs, 16yrs, 40 yrs etc!
You will get exactly the same hypocrisy if you give them a rice cake and eat a chocolate biscuit yourself- the loud and clear message is chocolate biscuits are nicer!

[xTillyx]

Good God, I think the ADHD diagnosis was down to the Red Bull!

[BoysAreLikeDogs]

Your dentist friend talks loads about their clients don't they.

[MalcolmTuckersMum]

I really have got a dentist friend - a real one, you know, not an imaginary one like yours - and they NEVER talk about their patients. Like Doctors and other healthcare professionals.

[ouryve]

Chocolate is more nutritious than rice cakes, anyhow, exotic!

Malcolm - I bet the child with ADHD arrived in their free car, too.

[xTillyx]

I'm very gullable so I took it as face value, if it is true I'm sorry but I would have to tell someone too! And no I'm not judgey just shocked if I'm not being a gullable knob

[hobnobsaremyfavourite]

^^wot Makcolm said again

[tapdancingelephant]

I had a child who drank just water. It was a doddle.

THen I had another one who, once bf stopped, would not touch the stuff. At all. Ever. And was cow's milk intolerant.

So, what was I supposed to give dc2? Believe me I tried. Every cup/sippy cup/bottle/drink apparatus ever made has passed through my house.

At first I could manage it with diet, but this was not sustainable longterm. And not drinking is a major health issue.

So it became a question of finding which drink was acceptable. Anything at all was fine with me, so long as fluids were going in.

Pure juice it was, for a while (pineapple, in case anyone is interested), and yes, I was bothered about dental health.

It took me 3 years to be able to water down the juice. Even now, aged 10, dc2 will only drink watered down juice (at least now it is seriously watered down - about 1:10). dc1 has followed suit (did so a long time ago, mostly by swiping his sibling's drink!). As yet, dc3 is still on water and being bf. But I hold out little hope that once he can swipe his siblings' drinks that he will stay drinking just water - why would he when the older ones are drinking stuff that is much more interesting?

FWIW, fizzy, fruit shoots, anything even remotely favoured by most children is not touched by my older 2. Just watered down grape juice or pineapple juice.

there are worse things in life.

[Salmotrutta]

The woman with the ADHD child probably had a goat she could milk too.

[Justforlaughs]

I haven't got a dentist friend at all but I do genuinely know someone who's 3 yo DS was diagnosed with ADHD and he was always drinking red bull. She thought it was funny to see what he did after 2 cans!

[missmapp]

DS2 only drinks milk and water ( his choice) , he is nearly 6 and the odd looks I get at parties/friends houses when he refuses all other drinks are far greater than when ds1 was drinking weak squash at 4/5 !

[Sarah1611]

I went to university in Wales, and had a few friends studying dentistry there too. I saw them a couple of weekends ago. I'm not sure why this is difficult to believe. I had a few questions about children's teeth so I asked them. I've got no idea if the mother was on benefits or a single parent- I'm not sure why you're asking.

[Salmotrutta]

Course you don't love.

[TwasBrillig]

Only milk and water at home here. Didn't really see the point introducing anything else.

I'm not strict though, they have squash at toddler group. I can't imagine why anyone would give a small child coke, never mind diet coke with all the rubbish that is in that, but that's my prejudices. I'm not slim so not at all perfect!

[hobnobsaremyfavourite]

no I'm sure you don't....

[Sarah1611]

Well I don't know why it's relevant, so no I don't.

[IneedAyoniNickname]

When ds1 was small I was adamant that my pfb wouldn't have anything other than milk or water. My auntie (who has no children) said he didn't drink enough, and that I should give him squash to make him drink more. I was 99% certain he was fine, but that 1% niggled and I gave in and let him have squash. If anything he drank less! I checked with hv who said his fluid intake was fine.
Even now at nearly 9 he prefers water.

I do wonder why people give their children squash/juice without even trying them with water, but ultimately there are far more important things to worry about!

[Justforlaughs]

Ah, Wales!! That explains it then

and yes I'm Welsh, so I can say it

[Salmotrutta]

//💩

[Mrsmorton]

I'm a dentist and I have a patient who drinks four litres of full fat coke. Every day. His teeth are fucked and he has massive insomnia. Quelle surprise.

[Salmotrutta]

That's a pile of poo ^^ up there by the way.

[JoyMachine]

If you don't give children anything but water and milk, they just drink water and milk.

I don't drink cordial/squash, neither do my children.

[LtEveDallas]

Because it is more important to get fluid into her than a specific fluid

Her teeth are great, her height/weight in perfect proportion, she is extremely healthy; fights off illnesses much easier than I do (and has only had 2 sick days in 4 years of school). She was a teeny tiny 3lb Premie but you wouldn't know it.

Oh and she wouldn't drink milk/formula as soon as she was weaned off me so the doc suggested smoothies that she drank with gusto. She's always been a water refuser, to the point of dehydration when we lived in Cyprus. The Cypriot Doc was furious and gave me (and the pre-school that said water only) a serious dressing down, so much so the pre-school changed its rules.

I don't care what you do with your children or your charges - but I hope I've given you a satisfactory explanation that will help with your 'confusion' about what I do with mine.