To think that the rules are RIDICULOUS and infantilising?

[OhBling]

Was just in a Co Op buying a few bits. DS negotiated with me that I'd buy him a Monster, and he'd drink half (they are such huge tins it drives me mad)....

... the man in co op would not sell it to me because I was going to give it to a child.

FFS. I'm an adult. He is my child. I can decide what he can and can't have. And caffeine is NOT illegal for children.

I'm also fully aware that lots of people will say I AM BU because no child should ever drink anything except fresh water, preferably from your local stream.... But I'm extremely annoyed. These rules are ridiculous.

Actually they are illegal to under 18

I get what you mean about the fresh water from a stream comment, because I do think that this idea of kids only drinking water or milk is ridiculous, but you're on about a high caffeine energy drink that even adults should approach with caution. They don't sell them to children for a reason and you were obviously within earshot when you told him he could have half.

Yes! And some rather middle class weed .

No child NEEDS an energy drink to get through the day & if they do I’d be taking them to see a doctor for blood tests!

Do you know that you can be stopped from buying alcohol if you have a child with you when purchasing that too!

Thing is these rules have been put in place to protect those who are unable to regulate their intake of these poisons, if given free access to them, & because these drinks can make you very sick if not kill you when they are consumed like they are pop or water!
Basic health & safety around the danger of over-consumption is the reason for the rule so it has not been put in place to just inconvenience you!
Be glad your child hasn’t had a serious reaction to the levels of caffeine in these disgusting & dangerous drinks!

If you had done any research about these products, which are literally made for athletes to use after serious workouts, you wouldn’t consume them let alone let your child but we all make choices each day that others may make differently.

Simple research will also show you that caffeine is a poison to our bodies & it can cause lots of issues when over-consumed!

At the end of the day your choice is your choice but rules are in place to protect those who can’t protect themselves or make better choices for themselves!

It's very weird. She has coffee too and Psychiatrist says it brings the other "voices" up rather than quieting the ADHD (same as the meds), but if it means she can hold a thought for longer than 30 seconds and finish a train of thought, it's better than nothing. The meds are more precise though so we always encourage that over energy drinks.

School closed their coffee bar after complaints from parents about the caffeine

I wouldn't encourage an adult to drink it, much less a child, though why anyone would want to as it tasres awful to me.
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Actually OP I think Abu

You'd have been safer taking him home for a glass of wine.

monsters arent good for you and being a parent doesnt automatically give you the right to enable your son to make poor choices

@scoobycute What's wrong with a child only drinking water? My child will only drink water. Literally NOTHING else, she won’t even drink milk, milkshake, juice, absolutely nothing else. So you're saying that's wrong?!?

@arethereanyleftatall What astonishing ableism. Reported

Mine (8,10) were demanding this Prime stuff in the supermarket the other day. I’d never heard of it, so asked the teenager, who explained.😳
Full of caffeine and can only be bought by over 18s.
A hard no and ignored the nagging for the rest of the shopping trip.
I reminded them of the time that one of the Alfies was found unconscious on the playing field after drinking too much Monster energy - which seemed to do the trick.

My children have always been the same. There’s only ever been water on offer at home, so that’s what they drink. If they are offered squash etc, they always decline and ask for water.

My 20 year old still only drinks water as a preference.

I generally get looked at like I’ve got two heads though. I had to take my 2 and a half year old year old to hospital, they were bringing her squashes and I kept asking for water (she will not touch squash, a family member gave her some once and she acted like it was acid), and they made me feel like I was depriving her.

The ADHD puts a slightly different spin on my previous answer.
Although I still think no-one in their right mind should be drinking Monster or any energy drinks like them, unless they are using them to recover from a serious workout or physical activity, caffeine IN SMALL DOSES can be good for people with ADHD.
It doesn’t give them the buzz/kick/energy it gives neurotypical people but rather it can calm & relax them.
I can testify to that as an ADHD sufferer who drank copious amounts of caffeine & never felt that buzz ever. I’d drink coffee before bed & still sleep.
I then discovered, by accident, that the massive, debilitating, migraine type headaches I’d been suffering from for 27yrs were being caused by caffeine & started to research how that was possible & discovered caffeine in a large enough quantity was poisonous to our bodies.

I still wouldn’t give the caffeine in the levels contained in energy drinks to someone with ADHD though 😬

YABVU. It’s illegal for shops to sell Monster and similar drinks to under-16s. You made it clear that it was for your DS and therefore left the staff member with no choice.

If you, or another customer in the store, had been a mystery shopper or if it had been reported, they’d have been in trouble. Your DS’s fancy for a particular drink isn’t more important than someone keeping their job

Actually ignore all of that. I’ve just checked and that’s not the case. I’ve never known a shop to sell them to under-16s. My eldest DS was asked for ID until he was older, and my younger DS has been refused at 15. I wonder where that rule came from? Because I’m now inclined to agree with the OP that if it’s not the law then someone has made this arbitrary decision

I was once refused the purchase of some glue (heavy duty type) whilst out shopping with a three year old least I allowed him to have it 🙄

Given that he has ADHD the caffeine probably won't even effect him, and although I wouldn't buy my 14 year old one I know he drinks them. But after a recent meds review the Dr pointed out there actually pretty similar to the ADHD meds my son already takes, so I'm pretty sure half a can won't hurt him.

OP regarding the Monster, it doesn’t sound like you give your dc this daily for breakfast so I can’t see what the fuss is about. Seems like everyone has assumed you feed your dc absolute rubbish all the time. ‘Bad’ food choices every so often are unlikely to cause harm, and the amount of caffeine in 1/2 a can of monster is unlikely to land your dc in A&E. if everyone who is berating you can honestly say they have never allowed their dc to eat unhealthy foods as a treat then fair enough, they’re entitled to their views, but I suspect they’ve all had ready meals/takeaways, sweets, birthday cake etc, all of which are packed with sugar and additives. So please don’t go away feeling like you’re a bad parent. 😊

I think it’s a mistake to give him that type of caffeinated drink. It has more caffeine than a regular caffeinated soda. Why not give him the regular one instead (occasionally)?

Too much of regular caffeinated drinks can lead to heart rhythm problems and I think the jacked up drinks are really terrible and shouldn’t be encouraged for anyone children or adults. You’re encouraging a drink with much more caffeine that a regular one. It may make him want more of those types of drinks.

I think it’s irresponsible to do this. I am for freedom and definitely side with you that parents are the authority but in this case, caffeine is a drug and like alcohol and tobacco and nicotine etc should be regulated when it comes to these monster type super caffeinated drinks. You could let him have a Coca Cola instead. I do understand why you bristled at the guy at the counter. Totally get it!

Caffeine is in the same class of substance as nicotine, alcohol, amyl nitrite etc. Would you be happy a shop selling a bottle of vodka, 20 cigarettes etc to your child? Hopefully not.

The shop doesn't have to sell you anything.
Many schools have complained about the behaviour of children using caffeinated soft drinks.
Many retailers have therefore stopped selling it to under 16s.
Makes sense to me, as a responsible retailer in the community.
If you want your child to have it, you need to buy it in advance or have the child wait in the car. It's not hard, surely?

How tired is the poor little man to need a monster!?

😂PMSL!

As pps have said, no CHILD of 13 should need a MONSTER!

@OhBling, if you had been a mystery shopper, and the cashier had sold you the drink for your child, they could have lost their job.

And why didn’t you just get him a can of cola instead?