Tea for toddler??

[MamaLov]

Hi lovely mums!
I feel confused and hope some of you can help me out.
My father-in-law has been giving my One year old son digestive biscuits dipped in his tea. Initially it was just a taste and I didn’t mind. But recently he gave him almost two biscuits each time dipped in his tea.
I am really worried about caffeine in tea. My in-laws see my son three times a week and I’m also worried about this becoming a habit...

Would you say I’m being unreasonable worrying about this? Or should I talk to them and ask them not to give him buisciuts dipped in tea?

Thank you xxx

Maybe ask if they can swap the tea for milk

It's probably not going to harm him, there won't be much caffeine in a dunked biscuit.

YANBU. Children should not get any caffeine. There is also a lot of sugar and salt. He is teaching your son very bad habits by both encouraging his palate towards salt and sugar and no doubt reinforcing this by laughing / saying he is a good boy etc when your son takes it. He is no doubt well intentioned but it needs to stop ASAP.

I was given tea to drink from 18 months - the doctor said it was good for me as I was prone to chest infections. This was over 50 years ago, so I'm sure the medical advice has changed, but the tea didn't do me any harm.

I think I'd be more concerned about all those biscuits TBH!

I remember drinking tea in a sippee cup, but that would have been the 70s.

I am addicted to coffee now though.

Can’t you ask them to swap to decaf?

@LemonLemonLemon

Can’t you ask them to swap to decaf?

For the sake of the tiny amount of tea, let alone caffeine, absorbed by two biscuits? Mumsnet is crazy sometimes. OP, I'd be far more concerned about the biscuits as a regular treat than I would about the tea in this scenario. Can't you just ask them to cut it back?

@Seeline - indeed it has. We used to give babies heroin and cocaine!!

amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/mar/15/long-opiate-use-history-america-latest-epidemic

My 2 and 3 year olds love a cup of tea... but it's decaf, no sugar tea. They like a biscuit occasionally too but I try and swap to sugar free digestives or rich tea when they're not looking...

If you're really worried ask them to limit the biscuits and swap to decaf. But I'm sure there's not enough caffeine to worry about and 3 biscuits a week if his diet is generally good won't damage him.

@rottiemum88 - for me it’s more about forming habits and tastes at a very young age may become hard to break. Eg sugary and salty foods. The DC is one and is getting digestive biscuits. You might as well be feeding him chicken nuggets. Some dig biscuits have more salt than popcorn and a fish finger.

Nothing wrong with tea. It’s a healthy drink.

The biggest reason to say no to tea for small ones is the tanning in tea when drank regularly prevents iron absorption. That’s far more of an issue than the caffeine.
However the minuscule amounts of tea in the biscuits would be of no concern really.

What you have to weigh up is how it will go down. If they’re seeing him that regularly and it’s to provide childcare, is it worth rocking the boat for the sake of a few biscuits and maybe 20ml of tea.
Your child. Your choice-no one can make that decision for you. But you have to live with any potential repercussions. My parents don’t always do things how I would choose with my oldest who’s almost 3, but he loves them and they would help us out whenever we asked without hesitation and for me that’s more important than them being a bit soft/giving in easily etc.

The tiny amount of caffeine is literally nothing. My kids have always drank cups of tea, granted decaf when they were little but now they are 3 and 6 they have normal tea. Not everyday - but still. Waiting for the pitch forks to come out 😉

[quote Doggybiccys]@rottiemum88 - for me it’s more about forming habits and tastes at a very young age may become hard to break. Eg sugary and salty foods. The DC is one and is getting digestive biscuits. You might as well be feeding him chicken nuggets. Some dig biscuits have more salt than popcorn and a fish finger.[/quote]
My little ones had biscuits and fish fingers at one - the horror!!

YABU for being really worried. Mildly concerned is a reasonable level.

European Food Standards Agency has advised that "daily intakes of caffeine [in children] up to 3mg/kg bw [body weight] do not raise safety concerns"

I obviously wouldn't recommend it but your toddler could drink the whole cup and it wouldn't be a full blown 'concern'. Just tell FIL to stop spoiling your ds.

I don't think it will do much hem but if I bothers you and they see him 3 times a week, definitely say something for your own peace of mind

Your kid will get vastly more caffeine eating chocolate than a drop of tea