AIBU Diet Coke at a party?

[early30smum]

DD (7) has just got back from a party. The only drinks put out for the kids were Diet Coke! She did get some water in the end, but the drink provided for each child was a mini can of Diet Coke!

AIBU to think this is a bit weird/uneccesary for a birthday party of 7-8 yr olds?

My goodness, when I was a child there was fizzy drinks aplenty at birthday parties. Lemonade, coke, and gasp even sometimes cherryade! I'm still here to tell the tale.
I'd be more concerned if the only drink available at the party was wine.

I can't get my knickers in a twist about a mini van of Coke but I can about it not being enough drink and no choice for anyone who doesn't like it. My son would've loved that, my daughter wouldn't have drank it at all.

Am I the only parent who had no idea what their kids ate or drank at a party? They probably told me but that doesn't mean I actually paid attention!

You know how the conversation goes:

Me: 'did you have a nice time'
DC: 'yes, we did blah, blah, blah.......'
Me: 'did you have anything to eat?'
DC: 'yes, we had blah, blah, blah......'

After a party all I want to know is that they had a good time and whether they now need feeding. The details don't register.

I agree gnome although dd has peanut allergy so I do have to get involved with what she eats. And FWIW I live in a 'naece' area, dd goes to private school and yet dd gets plenty of chocolate crisps and waitrose sugar free cloudy lemonade. I don't aspire to tick all the boxes in the book of neurotic parenting .

I can't get my knickers in a twist about a mini van of Coke

Even I might be a bit about a kid getting an entire van full of Coke (even if it is a mini van, and the coke is diet).

Even at parties at people's houses the children weren't offered fizzy drinks. I do live in an area that has a lot of well educated professionals though.

What a crappy thing to say. My well educated (mainly doctor including two paediatric registrars) friends offer fizzy drinks to children. To imply people aren't educated enough to make the sane judgement as you is pretty offensive.

Well educated professionals don't give fizzy drinks to children... What a particularly up your own arse ill educated statement that is.
Our doctor has a sweetie jar for upset children. Maybe she's just not educated enough

I bet there wasn't anything approaching a "huge fuss" getting water for your child, Meryl. Unless you were the one causing it...

Jesus who cares about a sip of coke at a kids party.

This would not bother me at all. My dc eat a balanced diet but nothing is banned. Everything is in moderation.

Saying that I always supply a large choice of drinks at my parties, coke, lemonade, diet and full sugar, a choice of juices and squash, shloer and water.

In the scheme of things this is a non issue

I wouldn't be in any way annoyed or upset if my 7 year old child was offered Diet Coke at a party. However if it were me running the party I would:

• Offer more than one type of drink, including water, as the chances of them all liking the same thing are nil.

• I would offer fizzy pop but possibly not Coke/Diet Coke at 7, as I know some parents wouldn't like their child having caffeine or artificial sweetners.

• I'd offer more than 25cl as kids would get really thirsty running around.

In terms of my kids, DS1 hates Coke so it's not an issue. But at 7 if he'd wanted some I wouldn't have minded as an occasional drink. DS2 is mad for any fizzy pop so I limit it so he doesn't constantly drink it. I never buy fizzy stuff but they may have it if we're out, on holiday or at a party.

I wouldn't have thought there was enough caffeine in Diet Coke for it to be a problem - there's far less than in a cup of tea I think? In a recent thread, posters were falling over themselves to say their kids love tea and have drunk it since toddler age. Are these the same posters who are horrified at the caffeine in Diet Coke?

Just seen the comment about well educated professionals! I am extremely well educated and a fully qualified professional. I don't gasp in horror at my kids having a fizzy drink FFS.

When I was doing kids parties (the last one was 12 years ago) I usually put out diet coke and lemonade. The coke was always the most popular. Of course I would have given water if a kid had asked for it, but I don't think they ever did. I never heard of coke or any other fizzy drink being banned, and I wouldn't have banned it for my own kids either, though they didn't drink it every day, only for parties and treats such as going to pizza hut.

I'm another well-educated (Masters degree) professional who has always allowed her children to have fizzy drinks on special occasions!

Really ...

YABU. It's a treat, and it was a tiny little can. Calm down.

What's the big deal?
I buy the mini cans of Diet Coke and sprite all the time. They sell them in all large supermarkets. It's only one mini can, my 7 year old loves it when I let her have a can after her dance class.
However at a party I would always offer water as well.

What's next no chocolate eggs at Easter ?

Ha ha ha.
But she did offer water.
Best you don't let your dd go to any more of these such parties!!

I wouldn't stress about any food served at a party...Its supposed to be fun and treats. I may raise an eyebrow when I see tons of carrot sticks at a party.

Though, DS doesn't (out of choice) drink any fizzy drinks

Hell yeah! I imagine it at a birthday party there is usually a wide selection of fizzy pop for the children including coke,lemonade etc.... it's part of growing up.

I'm well educated and I say this as I sit on the sofa with a pint glass of full fat coke....

I had a strawberry cornetto about 20 minutes ago and I'm thinking of filling a bowl of random sugary things (mini marshmallows, haribo etc) just as it's Sunday and I want to pig out because I can.... But I want to go outside first and have a cigarette!

How uncouth of the educated, eating crap and shock horror smoking as well.

I hate snobby, ignorant people.

Diet Coke is vile and I'd use it to clean the toilet if someone brought it to a party I was hosting.

My DS will drink the odd fizzy pop at a party but if I saw only diet drinks being offered, I'd have a word with the parents. Luckily, DS's friends have parents with more sense.

What a lot of fuss over nothing.

It's probably the reason we now have Trump as POTUS ! 😏

Sorry, very strange- usually some water / squash / non fizzy stuff, should be on offer!
My kids have no interest in trying, but some of her friends have the occasional lemonade, but don't know any who drink Diet Coke, full of caffeine, and that's early high school years!