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.

Tbh when my dd2 was hospitalised with impacted constipation and for the following 18 months of chronic constipation I would have given her beer if it had been guaranteed to get fluids into her.

All children are different and as others have said some children don't like milk (neither of my dd's do) or water. There are bigger battles to fight than occasional dilute squash drinking.

I think it's interesting that so many young children "don't like" something that is so utterly fundamental to survival. You don't see any other species "not liking" water. Makes me wonder if it's because we wean them circa age one, so still very much babies, from breastmilk or formula, and expect them to go from sweet milk to tasteless water or relatively (compared to bm / formula) tasteless cow's milk. Maybe if they continued getting most of their hydration for longer from baby milks, they'd naturally be more inclined to graduate to water at an age where they have more understanding. (DISCLAIMER: this is just me rambling and of course it is probably a load of guff )

Anyway, my two only get water or (limited) milk, unless they are ill, in which case they can have pure diluted fruit juice for extra vit C and easier hydration. It's not just teeth, it's the sugar hit as well; it doesn't just disappear once it leaves their mouths, and I have my own concerns about sugar intake. Sugar-free means artificial sweeteners and that's even worse IMO. So water it is in our house. I'm a water-drinker myself, and they see that, which does help. Oh, and I do allow them a cup of redbush tea now and again.

and its got how much to do with u ?
bugger all thats how much

dd will not drink cow milk. i drown her cereal with milk instead.

she never liked water, even when she had only had the option of formula, breast milk or water. spat straight out.

watered down squash has kept her kidneys healthy.

she would not take in enough liquid to be healthy if we relied on milk and water. it hs even been suggested by the clinic that she has squash at school instead of water as she is not getting enough fluid during the day.

ds on the other hand is a model child and will drink his milk and water quite happily.

My two have been raised on coke and redbull and it's never done either of them any harm.

I eat just about anything- there is only one thing I can't stand and that is milk- I even hate milky coffee and I hated it is a child- I still remember the horror of having to drink it in the infants- as soon as I had a choice I never drank it again. (I like it on cereal)

Recently proven that drinking fruit juice every meal for one month will change your metabolism for life making your body far more likely to store fat - fizzy drinks & squash the same

Uhh, no. The study involved drinking orange juice instead of water at breakfast only.

Unfortunately there were also errors in the study that negated the findings (according to pubmed)

Our tap water tastes and smells vile. I actually keep bottled water to hand for when I can't drink it.

Please, if posters are going to quote medical or dental 'facts' about squash/juice/fruitshoot consumption could they please cite their sources?

DD1 is threatening to tear up up Biology A level text books if I quote one more of these 'facts' at her.

Same here ouryve - it tastes metallic and chemically at the same time -not a good mix.

mine drink coffee and have since they were about 2. So milk, water and coffee it is in our house. Oh and vodka, they both like a V&T

I only drink water that is chilled and filtered - I drink a lot of it but I wouldn't if it was straight from the tap.

Who gives a fuck op really?

This is the very first time I've felt moved to comment on a thread, yet simultaneously don't give a shit enough to read the entire thread

Milk = Grim! Gross! Yuck! Milk on cereal made me feel sick from about 4/5 years old, so good luck trying to get me to down a glass of the stuff at that age. No thanks.

Water = Often tastes funny from the tap. And does anyone else suffer the "cold tap" that is actually more like "the luke warm tap"? You have to run it forever to get nice, crisp, cold water from it. Even then it tastes a bit odd*. I'd happily down water from the yard tap or stream as a kid (but preferred Tizer, ta very muchly) but kitchen tap water is often grim.

Squash hides the grimness of tap water, and whatever they stick in it to make it safe to drink. Fresh stream water on mountains is yummy, and as water should be, until you walk another half mile up the hill and come across that there dead sheep in the stream. Which is why the funny tasting shit in tap water isn't really a bad thing. But should still be covered up with juice.

In other news OP, you need to develop a coffee/wine/beer habit. Then you won't be so horrified by kiddies supping on Robinsons' No Extra Sugar Orange Juice.

*And the hot tap is freezing too, unless you let it run for 5 mins or more. Fuck taps, they're a conspiracy.

I would never ask for water in a friends house- you can never tell who will give you a nice chilled, filtered glass and who will simply run the tap and it might not even be cold and could taste of chlorine. Better to choose juice and be safe.

Chasingdogs. I'm so with you on this.

Both my 2 dcs can't stand milk (to drink) and neither can I.

We all like water. We all like squash. My 8 yr old even likes the odd cup of tea. They like lemonade when out at a restaurant. They like a bit of fruit juice with their breakfast.

We all have no teeth problems. I'm 41 and have one filling. My dcs have none. We brush teeth morning and night and I have an issue with sweetie lollipops - but that's it.

I hate all the teeth 'facts' too. It gives me the jitters like when someone trots out that dummy's delay speech. Er, never here. I wish they had. Mine never shut up

"I think it's interesting that so many young children "don't like" something that is so utterly fundamental to survival. You don't see any other species "not liking" water"

They all hate it, but sadly have no opposable thumbs so can't open froot shoots.

As long as it's not that "no added sugar" crap mine can have it.

Fresh fruit juice, fizzy drinks and squash are drunk rarely.

She has water or tea/herbal tea

I have a friend though that thinks nothing of giving her 18month old coke in a bottle at 9.30 at night.

I think that's appalling

noona that is appalling even I would hoik my pants at that one. One of the mum's at school gives he's cole for breakfast?! Just why? I hate the stuff anyway.

"confused"?
No.
Judgey?
Yes.

Coke!

Sorry. I think that op reads as judgeyrather than confused.

My youngest dd 2.7 drinks very diluted squash. Drinks nothing else. Only has 1 kidney functioning fully and I'd rather she drank that than nothing at all and ended up with a season ticket to a&e. She also suffers chronic constipation due to her meds. She will take very small amounts of water but if I give her squash she'll drink enough to keep her healthy and hydrated.

Personally don't give a fig what anyone else has to say about it. My older dds both drank squash at the same age but by the time they got to 4 would choose water. They all have good teeth and can I add I grew up on Coca cola, Irn Bru and my mum always put 2 sugars in my tea and now at the age of 34 I still have no fillings.

Just wait till your mindees rebel and steal your squash and come in munching WHAM bars

I have never understood this myself, TBH. My kids drink only milk and water, I'm not judgy about it (nor did I start this thread!) but it's never been a hardship for me to not give my kids squash. Perhaps because I don't drink it - I do not understand it. It's vile.

My oldest is now starting to ask for soda because his friends are starting to drink it, but that's fairly easy to shut down with a simple "no". Obviously, most parents feel much more strongly about soda.