tea for two

[Smellen]

Any reason why a 13mth old toddler cannot have the odd beaker of very weak tea - heavily diluted with milk? No sugar of course!

Why would you want to though? My dh keeps saying 2 year old ds is ready for tea now and I just can't see the point. He loves water, diluted fruit juice and milk so don't see the need for tea!!

mine liked it too feel grownup and have tea parties.

I used decaff earl grey, just to slightly colour some water and top up with milk.

It is really only milk and hot water when you think about it.

i'm sure it is ok as the odd drink, but tea & coffee can interfere with iron absorption ,so not a good idea for toddlers and young children to drink a lot of tea

but a beaker of weak tea as a treat with mummy, with afternoon tea is a nice idea x

I don't understand why people think its necessary to give children tea! I really don't! Why not just give warm milk?

No, definitely wouldn't give tea. Mine are 7 and 5 and don't drink tea or coffee. hot choc yes.

i'm 26 and still don't drink tea or coffee. it's not essential.

I don't think it is necessary to give my children tea but I don't like to make very strong distinctions some things being only for adults and others only for children so when my ds aged 3 asked for a cup of tea I didn't decide it was necessary I just decided why not.

there are plenty of things that you can and should make a distinction between being for adults only. alcohol for example, and tea and coffee in my humble opinion.

The reason I offered DS some tea is because he made it clear that he wanted to try it, and I gave him a little drop of mine, diluted with more milk, in a melamine mug - and he loved it.

I can understand the concern about caffeine, but the amount in approx 20ml of weak tea, with added water and milk, can only be minimal (and possibly less than in a small cup of hot chocolate). Added to which I thought it might be a good way to get more liquids into him, as I don't want to give him dilute apple juice as he had horrendous bum rash for months and I have been told that the acid in fruit juice can aggrevate this. He already drinks a pint of full fat milk a day (or dairy equivalent) but doesn't seem that interested in plain water.

I don't think the analogy with alcohol is particularly helpful DBW! But interesting to hear your ideas. It is funny how everyone has such strong ideas about diet. I would never give my kid a petit filou, for example, but know loads of parents who dish them out as a "healthy" pudding.

Anyway, seems that most replies here are based on ideas of tea being "grown up" - wonder if children drink tea from an early age in different cultures. Anyone know?

Of course I do mnake a distinction between some things being just for adults, Idon't sit with my 7yr old both of us have a fag and gin and tonic whilst watching shameless

It is just tea is not one of my adult only things.

My husband is not from this culture and he had tea from a very early age - mainly as a way of making milk go further .

Do what you do - imho it will do no harm unless you are giving him builder strength tea and from what you say you aren't.

we have weak weak tea when we get in from a cold walk - I thinkit has as much caffinee as hot choc and the benefits of no sugar.

funnily enough i'm from a big tea drinking country, having grown up in morocco.

however, a 13month old, IMHO, should only be having water and milk, and certainly not sugar laden moroccan mint tea!

well everyone is different - would be dull if we weren't.

(Hmmmm - mint tea, no sugar though - it is new year!)