Would you allow your 10 year olds to have a Caramel Latte from McDonald’s?

[Workinghardeveryday]

He desperately wants one, been asking for months.

He always has a milkshake which is very unhealthy anyway, I am thinking about the caffeine.

Would you allow it?

Yep Irish family, milky tea with sugar in a bottle. Bonkers now but was fairly common 50 years ago. Didn’t do me any harm though, even the dog had milky tea!

My teenager goes bonkers after a mocha or latte due to the caffeine. Won't sleep until early hours and loses her sleep cycle for a day or two. So I have banned caffeine drinks. Decaf has too many chemicals so I don't want her to start on that route either.

As a one-off it's fine but don't let it become a regular thing. Hard to undo caffeine dependency.

I went to boarding school from the age of 8 and we drank tea with every single meal out of plastic mugs. It came out of the urn with milk and sugar already in it. My teeth aren't great but apart from that it doesn't seem to have done me any harm.

I'm fascinated by people's views on caffeine now. I'm late 30s and at the point my Nan started giving me tea it came in a sippy cup.

It’s caffeine, not crack!

I wouldn’t give it to a 5 year old, but at 10, why not let him try? You’ll soon see if he’s one of the minority who are very sensitive to it. Chances are he’ll be fine to have it as an occasional treat and even if he does turn out to be sensitive, it will just be a minor thing of feeling a bit jittery for a short time, it won’t kill him.

Yea has much much lesser caffeine than coffee.
I grew up on coffee since I was a teen and it gave me artificial energy to burn off - which impacted my food intake as I wasn't eating enough rather just getting by on caffeine. Made me physical weaker with low stamina. When I was 38 I went cold turkey and stopped the coffee. Then I was leaning on tea. The only good thing I did in the pandemic was giving up caffeine altogether!

It doesn't become a habit for everyone but teenagers seem to fall for all things easy - like I did.

Tea not Yea

I would , but I’d also be prepared for him to not like it

At 250 calories probably not. That’s a lot for a drink.

i wouldn't like any child to have a milkshake, or this drink, but because of the very very high sugar content, not because it's coffee.
i think feeding a growing child's sugar addiction/craving is likely to be much more harmful in the long term.
it' easier to just say no, rather than try to regulate how much/when etc.
i see nothing wrong with them having an occasional mild coffee at home, with milk, but not sugar.

It never occurred to me that there would be an issue!
From the age of 5 I used to have a milk coffee and 'cow' biscuits (malted milk) for supper every night. I still enjoy having them for supper occasionally.

@Idontlike

At 250 calories probably not. That’s a lot for a drink.

My DM would make me a milky Mellow Birds (will make you smile 😊🤣) most nights when I got home from School with crumpets. Loved it. I was about 9 (just started middle school).

what does that doubtful looking little yellow face mean in this context ?

@Idontlike

At 250 calories probably not. That’s a lot for a drink.

Depends if your child is obese, surely. If so, maybe. If not, no need to worry.

250 calories is not actually that huge in the context of a day’s calorie needs. And milky drinks are satiating and can be good for stabilising blood sugars - good ratio of protein and fat to the lactose sugar (provided it’s not skimmed milk). He won’t feel hungry again for a good while after drinking it.

Yes a small one but I used to get the shakes from the caffeine from a Costa latte when I first started drinking them aged 30 so I'd warn him if the possible affects

Oh McDonalds - didn't read properly. They are super strong (I can't drink them way too strong) he probably won't like or finish it anyway

Nope. Simply because you can guarantee he wouldn’t like it and it would be a waste 😂 it’s rank in all honesty and I love coffee 🙃

it' easier to just say no, rather than try to regulate how much/when etc.

As long as you’re happy with them having no clue how to regulate their own intake once they’re outd about by themselves.

Actually- just realised you probably mean the iced caramel lattes which basically are just coffee flavoured milkshakes and not strong at all - fine!

@Jobsharenightmare

Caffeine is a drug so personally we've only allowed decaf until 16.

Wow. That’s mad. How do you control that then?

My now-teens were drinking normal tea regularly, and a small milky coffee occasionally from much younger than 10.

Like a PP, I was more concerned about sugar, so I was strict about unsweetened tea and coffee, and always used to say that "grown up" drinks don't have sugar or sweeteners- I would be more reluctant to allow the caramel syrup than a plain latte.

It's paid off now - they still drink plenty of tea, and not much coffee (DC1 is also a big herbal tea drinker) but both Dc are so used to bitter drinks they are revolted by the idea of them being sweet.

I can't imagine giving young children coffee to be honest...its just so unnecessary.

Mine don't ask for it, much as they dont ask for a glass of wine on a Saturday night because they know its an adult drink.

ok, confession time, now that it's been mentioned, i have actually been looking for mellow birds coffee. hard to find now. have found lyons smooth and mild instant, which might be the equivalent.
i don't like strong coffee. used to hate that coffee from a jug on a handle kept over heat, served in restaurants. always gave me a headache and tummy ache almost immediately, however much milk/cream and added hot water i requested.
i don't mind an occasional latter or flat white but at home have lidl instant. made mild, with lots milk.
each to their own.
so i guess if people are trying to keep children off that strong coffee that seems so popular now, incomprehensively to me, then i can agree.
when i was young i was unusual in that i drank milk rather than tea.
maybe that's why i don't like strong coffee.
in those days everyone, including babies, drank tea.
i think sugar is the problem. it was added automatically, to everything.
even lettuce, potato salad, soups, tea/coffee, warm milk for children.

Nope. Coffee shop coffee is very strong, research the amount of caffeine in it before you consider saying yes. Some of them put in a triple expresso as standard!

No way would I agree.