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AIBU?

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Original poster

To give a 3 year a cup of tea in the morning

47 replies

peaches1999 · 08/02/2015 11:11

A friend of mine gives her 3 year old 2 or 3 cups of tea in the morning with her breakfast. She thinks I'm being unreasonable as I don't offer a hot drink. My DC drinks milk or water in the morning. Should I be offering tea?

OP posts:
OnceUponATimeAgain · 08/02/2015 11:13

offer what they will drink (within reason) milk or water is fine

my 9r old has started drinking tea, but he has a teasp of sugar in it, so hes not allowed too many

TywysogesGymraeg · 08/02/2015 11:14

There's no "should" or "shouldn't" about it. If your DC like tea you can givit to them. I'd make sure its quite milky and not too strong though.

DisappointedOne · 08/02/2015 11:15

My DD has drunk tea since she was weaning - always decaf, always milky, always warm rather than hot. Too much can interfere with iron absorption, so I'd be careful to be honest.

StillStayingClassySanDiego · 08/02/2015 11:19

My ds's never had hot drinks like tea or coffee when they were small, ds1 has never had hot drinks as he doesn't like them even now and he's 19.

As they got older, [8 or 9] I suppose I'd offer a hot chocolate and now ds2 and 3 like a coffee in the morning

McSqueezy · 08/02/2015 11:21

Why on earth would anyone think it was unreasonable NOT to offer tea? Common sense applies here. Not everyone drinks tea, and as many people will tell you, you shouldn't give tea to young children (insert eye roll).

DandyMott · 08/02/2015 11:21

My nearly 2 year old has a cup of milky warm decaf tea every now and again. She only drinks milk or water the rest of the time and I see no harm in it.

KindleFancy · 08/02/2015 11:22

I would give any child '2 or 3 cups of tea' in a row - seems a bit ott to me.

Mine have often had a cup of milky tea in the morning or to warm up after getting in during cold weather though - probably from age 2. And not even decaf Shock

KindleFancy · 08/02/2015 11:23

*wouldn't

Only1scoop · 08/02/2015 11:23

I hate to see tinies drinking milky tea but that's just me. I'd stick with the water or milk.

StillStayingClassySanDiego · 08/02/2015 11:24

3 cups of tea for a three year old is too many.

FuckOffGroundhog · 08/02/2015 11:29

no sugar and decaf I guess, would be OK...but certainly not a necessity Confused

littlemonkeyface · 08/02/2015 11:31

Large amounts of tea can lead to iron deficiency which is dangerous for a small child's developing brain.

A small cup daily is not a problem and when my DC was a toddler a cup of tea together with a biscuit was a much loved treat.

Fabulassie · 08/02/2015 11:32

My middle son has loved coffee since he was a toddler. He gets it as a treat once in a while.

ApocalypseThen · 08/02/2015 11:41

What's wrong with warm milk? They can have a warm drink without it being tea. And 2-3 cups at breakfast seems quite excessive.

RinkyTinkTen · 08/02/2015 11:43

I give my 2.5 yo dd tea, she loves having a cup when people come over. If she doesn't have he own, she steals mine!

Birdsgottafly · 08/02/2015 11:53

I'm in my late 40's and from Liverpool.

Previous generations (across the world) were raised on tea, I'd rather give tea than the crappy drinks you see children with.

It was around the 80's when giving tea was going out of fashion and juice came in, that children started with the tooth decay that is becoming common.

Mine had tea, milk and water, now 17-30, so did their peer groups, it doesn't set a pattern for life, or do them any harm.

However, giving them carbonated drinks etc, does.

Being aware of the iron absorption issue and caffeine, is a good thing, so is trying different teas, Black (no milk), Red Bush etc.

This is a non issue.

Caronaim · 08/02/2015 11:55

some children like tea, some children don't. it is probably more rehydrating than water, but if they don't like tea, then squash will do just as well.

OneDayMySleepWillCome · 08/02/2015 11:58

My little 3yo dd has a tiny cup of tea every now and again, she's goes through phases of asking for one everyday for a week then not again for a month or so. I just use my teabag and make it half water half milk, in a tiny little ones cup. To taste it, you can't even taste the tea. But she likes the novelty factor. I don't think there's any harm in it at all! Again, I think it comes down to everything in moderation with common sense applied!

Birdsgottafly · 08/02/2015 11:58

""What's wrong with warm milk""

I used to save warm milk before bed. Personally, I think as a nation we are over reliant on dairy and wheat.

GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 08/02/2015 12:04

I think 3 cups is too many but I think a cup a day is fine.

Gruntfuttock · 08/02/2015 12:10

Caronaim "some children like tea, some children don't. it is probably more rehydrating than water"

Why is tea "probably more rehydrating than water"?

Original poster
peaches1999 · 08/02/2015 12:14

Thanks for the replies. It never occurred to be to give my DC a cup of tea , iv never offered and she never asked. Think I will just stick to milk and water. suppose everyone has different ways of parenting

OP posts:
OhMittens · 08/02/2015 12:15

Birds It was around the 80's when giving tea was going out of fashion and juice came in, that children started with the tooth decay that is becoming common.

Sorry but tooth decay has always been common homes where teeth are not brushed regularly and too much sugar is consumed.

Nothing to do with tea going out of fashion and juice coming in.

My mum's generation (60s +) often have problem teeth because of lack of basic toothcare, dentist, toothbrushes, toothpastes and decent foodstuffs after the war.

OhMittens · 08/02/2015 12:15

common IN homes

Viviennemary · 08/02/2015 12:21

Giving tea to young children used to be fine years ago. But not now. I don't see why a three year old should have a cup of tea. But on the other hand I do agree with juice being the fashion for a while until the problem of dental decay came up.