Getting DS onto tea and coffee

[spanieleyes22]

Just wondering how did you start your dc on tea or coffee. DS refuses to try either ! It doesn't matter but I feel bad for him that he never has a hot drink . Maybe I didn't push it on him early enough . DD used to spend time at my parents and she always wanted tea if they had it so they'd give her a weak milky cup. I think she started on mochas and gradually started to like coffee

There's a cafe at a nice house&gardens we sometimes go to which has a notice something like 'unattended children will be given a free espresso and a puppy'.

So maybe the OP should take her recalcitrant caffeine refusenik there?

Our DC tried tea at my parents house but probably not until he was about 10. Started having a cup of tea at home after school when in secondary plus the odd hot choc when we went out for a cuppa. He only started drinking coffee in sixth form.

We are not a hot drinks family really. Usually one cup of coffee in the morning and a tea sometimes in the afternoon. I do like a herbal tea, but it’s just my thing and no one else’s here

Have to admit I sorta do too. Doesn't bother me really but there's something cosy about having a tea or coffee together

Bonkers

..

Took my kids to Vietnam, and DS aged 13 came back loving a daily coffee! His choice to try it.

Why does he need to drink either. I'm 41 and just don't see the appeal. Drinks are meant to be refreshing. Hot is not refreshing.

Would take a nice cold glass of water over a hot drink every single time.

Utterly bonkers to introduce a child to a completely unnecessary beverage, which will anyway only be palatable with the addition of sugar. Why would you do that?

I was never bothered by it, parents never forced it. I've never had a cup of tea or coffee. Tried an espresso before but didn't see the appeal.

I don’t think that too many younger people drink tea and coffee now really. My 19yr old
son will have a mocha sometimes but my 16yr old daughter doesn’t drink either. Whenever we have students at work, 16 year olds, they always decline the offer when we’re making tea and coffee.

Both my DC drank non sweetened weak tea when they were in upper primary school and maybe decaff coffee from early secondary school. I also admit it was done in purpose because of knowing some adults that don't drink hot drinks and will sometimes have a coke instead.

I didn't 'start' my DC on hot drinks, but they are coffee aficionados now, in their 20s.

I don't drink hot drinks and I'm 53! Probably because, as a child, I was forced to drink a cup of tea with every meal. Bleurgh!!

There's no need to have tea or coffee though. Plenty of other hot drinks available that aren't caffeinated or stain your teeth.

Hot juice
Herbal tea
Warm milk
Hot chocolate
Spiced apple

Depends on age...I didn't really drink it until uni. Children don't need it bad for iron absorption etc. we haven't even let them try cola etc

It's not compulsory for people to drink tea or coffee, but in my immediate and extended family kids get given tea from toddler age and it's a weirdly big deal for us. So I do completely get why you'd like your son to drink hot drinks. Ultimately, though, if someone's not keen, they're just not keen.

I'm properly laughing at how weirdly puritanical Mumsnet is about tea and coffee. It's a cup of tea, not crack cocaine.

@ItGhoul why is it a big deal in your family?

My 10 year old drinks tea, and my 13 year old drinks coffee ( mostly decaf). It's better than squash/ soft drinks.

I don't like coffee and barely drink tea. Only started drinking tea when I was am adult. Don't think anyone 'needs' hot drinks.

DD is 10 and never had any interest in tea or coffee despite me loving coffee, she still had hot drinks and loves hot squash or hot chocololate.

I drink cordial with boiled water, always did with mine when they were younger.

There are lots of alternatives to tea and coffee

How do you know he is 13?

Interesting choice of words to “push it on him” tea affects absorption of iron and there’s no real benefit to a younger person having it.

I drink coffee and like it but never tea, and never have a hot drink after about 11am. I don’t feel left out when others have it.

If DS wants a hot drink if he’s had a cold cycle home from school for example our cost treat for him is hot chocolate so I get the cosy aspect but literally don’t understand why you want your kid to have tea or coffee? He’ll drink it if he wants to.

That should say cosy.

Exactly. The amount of people who can’t seem to function without it. Maybe better not to start 🤷🏼‍♀️