to refuse to serve coffee to a 10 year old?

[ScarlettDarling]

Ds just been to an outdoor sledging place for his birthday party. Three of his best friends have come back here and as they're all freezing I offered them hot chocolate. One said he didn't like it and asked could he have coffee instead.I was a bit taken aback and made a joke about how coffee wasn't a children's drink, but he looked a bit miffed and said he had it all the time at home. I ended up giving him hot apple stuff instead but now Im wondering if I was being unreasonable...I don't think coffee is an appropriate drink for children, but I happily served hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows to the others which, let's face it, isn't exactly healthy!!

His parents may well give him decaf coffee. I think you were being unreasonable. Your hot chocolate was more damaging to health....,...

I drank coffee all the time from a much younger age...don't see the problem.

I think YABU, he obviously drinks coffee at home and his parents allow it ( why else would he ask for it ), it's no worse than a child drinking a can of coke from time to time. When I was a child we would always drink tea and coffee as a treat on a cold day ( to dunk biscuits into ).

My middle DDs (13 & 10) drink coffee but its decaff and they know not to have it outside the house as they dont deal with caffeine terribly well!

I wouldnt have given it to him either, you only have his word for it that he has it at home, he wouldnt be the first kid to try and get someone else to give him something that his parents have said no to!

YWNBU

Up to you to decide what you serve to children in your own home.

Kid can get his caffeine hit when he goes home.

What age is it okay to start drinking coffee and tea then?

Do you think the same about Coca Cola?

I don't see what's wrong with giving him a weak and milky coffee? It's not like he asked for gin.

YABU - coffee/cola/hot chocolate... not healthy but everything in moderation and all that.

YABU - unless you think he was lying about drinking it at home, then why not?

Good point about Coca Cola!

I loved a cup of tea as a child, still do.

YABabitU

I don't see the problem either - probably not good to be drinking strong coffee a lot but you could have used decaf, or made it weakish.
And it's only caffeine as found in Coke- I wouldn't think twice about a ten year old having the occasional glass of Coke.

what's the difference between one spoon of coffee in hot milk & 2/3/4 spoons of drinking chocolate?

Hot apple stuff sounds yuck!

Why does he have to be given a weak and milky coffee? I can't remember when I started drinking coffee - I know I drank tea from an earlier age - and I would have hated weak, milky coffee even way back when.

I'd have given him a triple espresso and left it to his parents to deal with the aftermath

Kidding, as has been said a small/weak coffee won't be any more caffeinated than Coke. Even Hot Chocolate has some caffeine in it from what I remember.

My DS age 11 drinks decaff coffee and tea, but I don't think it would occur to him to mention the decaf bit in a case such as this. Even decaf is not ideal because of the chemicals used, but he drinks very little (of anything) so I am keen to get his fluid intake up somehow... In fact when he was very young we drank acorn coffee, which he still called coffee...
I think you did the right thing not giving it to him as you couldn't be certain what he usually has...

Yes you could have given him a whole load of alternatives but you could also just have given him a cup of coffee.

YABU

I drank blend 37 from about 7 onwards. Loved it.

I hate coffee now though.

I have memories of drinking black coffee while I read an Enid Blyton book when I must have been about 10. I think moderation is fine.

Google suggested 'coffee for chickens' before 'coffee for children' when I searched just now.

Who's googling about chickens for the love of God?

My first reaction was YANBU but this thread has made me think. Will see what google says about both chickens and children!

there is caffeine in cocoa powder, so the hot chocolate had caffeine in it

I can see why you might be a bit concerned about the caffeine content if you didn't have any decaff in the house. But I think I'd just have given it to him. And tea contains caffeine too and other drinks do.

YABU. Where you Saying no ifor 'health' reseasons or because you thought it's wrong as its coffee?

DD is 8 and has the odd cup of coffee. She doesn't like it especially milky and would hate it weak. I can't see why it should be anyone else's business. One cup of coffee every few weeks isn't going to affect her health any more than a sugary hot chocolate every few weeks.

I remember the very first time I drank coffee as it made me feel sophisticated. I was 9 or 10. I'd always had tea, but never coca cola or any fizzy/sugary drinks as I've always hated the taste.