Tea and kids?

[starrychime]

Just wondered what age is OK for kids to have a . DD is 7 and I've let her have the odd sip of mine - I like it milky with hardly any sugar. Remember hearing there's the same amount of caffeine in tea as in coffee so have always been a bit about letting her have a whole cup. What do you think?

Personally, I don't think children need the caffeine kick as they have enough energy already. I give my DC de-caffeinated.

I think its fine to give kids a cup of tea

well I would say that I am about the same as a young child re caffeine intake

as in I dont drink tea or coffee or coke and not enough quality chocolate at all

and I will choose to drink a cup of tea or coffee to give me a very noticeable kick so no I dont think children should be drinking those things as they will get a kick

There's more caffeine in tea than coffee per weight - but you'd have to have a shedload of tea in a mug before you came close to the equivalent weight of coffee beans, IYSWIM. So a mug of tea actually has far far less caffeine in it than coffee - tea leaves are very light.

My DCs have been drinking weakish milky tea since they were about 5 or so. It's a family addiction. THey seem to be thriving.

"not enough quality chocolate at all" :o

what I mean is
a mug of tea actually has far far less caffeine in it than a mug of coffee

I'm with you hassled

I mispook becasue actually I dont ever choose tea but I do choose coffee for times when I need to buzz like mad and stay awake
like on a long long drive down to my parents

or just feeling awful but need to keep going

so maybe coffee would be hideous for kids but not tea

DD (4) has a mini mug of very milky, weak tea every now and then, probably at 1/4 of an adult mug. She just seems to like the 'hot drink' concept and always has. DS doesn't like it and isn't keen on hot drinks, even hot chocolate has to be lukewarm.

I don't give it to mine, but I remember having weak tea as a kid. I do know that if you give it to them at all it should be very weak because of the negative effect on iron absorption. I really wouldn't advise giving it at all if you have a really fussy eater whose nutritional needs are probably only just being met (like my ds2, whose iron level in a recent blood test was found to be just outside of being considered anaemic) but my ds1 is a big/varied eater, so if he wanted it I'd not be so concerned...

I went to school in Nairobi and all children were provided with a cup of sugary tea and a biscuit for break from age 6 until you finished your A-levels.

My DTs have a cup of very milky, decaf tea about twice a week. They started demanding 'cuppa tea, mummy' at about 15 months. Usually only about 1/3 of it gets drunk.

(Sorry, they are 20 mos now). They only get tea when they ask for it - I never offer!

DD has been stealing my tea since she was about 18 months old. Now she sometimes has a cup of her own (half milk) and drains my cup if my back is turned for long enough. She's 3.

My children are 10 and 12 and have tea whenever they like (so long as they make it for me too ). ds started enjoying quite a while ago and as he totally stopped drinking milk I was happy about that. I find coffee makes me very buzzy so drink it rarely, but drink quite a lot of tea. Often to relax or for comfort.