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Parenting

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Original poster

Views on Monster Energy Drinks?

75 replies

CurryLover55 · 06/10/2021 08:34

At the moment DD12 has one can a week but DH & I aren’t really happy about her having it at all. She’s threatened to buy it in secret if we ban it altogether. I need to do a bit of research on it but wondered what you guys think?

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roses2 · 06/10/2021 10:29

I hadn't realised they were that bad. DS (8) has one once a month or so. I'm going to stop now after reading this thread!

PinkFootstool · 06/10/2021 10:33

@roses2 seriously, you've let your 8yo drink these?

MrsTerryPratchett · 06/10/2021 10:35

Fuck no. But I'm always shocked at what parents allow their children to drink.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

12 year olds General parenting

Ilovemycat13 · 06/10/2021 10:40

No, I wouldn’t. Monster is worse (I think?) than red bull for example also due to its size/sugar content/caffeine content. I really think you need to be bad cop on this one and if she looks uncool in front of her friends, so be it.

Interestingly, I bought a red bull the other day and got ID’d. I am 30 annoyingly but it’s good they do check. That was Tesco.

MintyGreenDream · 06/10/2021 10:40

@ginger02 did you know there is caffeine in Lucozade? Ive just recently found this out I always assumed it didnt

romdowa · 06/10/2021 11:04

Where is she getting the money to buy them? If she refuses to stop buying them then stop her having access to money.

BingBongToTheMoon · 06/10/2021 11:09

@dementedpixie

Most shops around me (in Scotland) restrict sales of energy drinks to people under age 16. It's a voluntary ban rather than law...at the moment

Oh I thought that was an actual law. It should be.

00100001 · 06/10/2021 11:12

She's posturing saying she'll buy them anyway.

When has she got the opportunity to do this?

isthismylifenow · 06/10/2021 11:32

comparison here

I know its a fairly old link (2018) and you may not get some of these brands in the UK, but it does cover Lucozade and Monster.

Scroll down the link a bit too see how much caffeine and sugar is in each drink. It is quite shocking to see.

PinkFootstool · 06/10/2021 11:38

@isthismylifenow that comparison may not work in the UK, as we have the sugar tax which means most companies reduced the sugar in all drinks a few years ago. I'm trying to find an up to date comparison list.

PinkFootstool · 06/10/2021 11:40

This is from the Daily Heil in 2019.

Comedycook · 06/10/2021 11:42

@roses2

I hadn't realised they were that bad. DS (8) has one once a month or so. I'm going to stop now after reading this thread!

Why does he have one once a month? Does he ask for it? Do you buy it for him? How did it start?

MitheringMytryl · 06/10/2021 11:43

How will she buy them in secret? I'm assuming she doesn't have a job at age 12. So if she gets pocket money from you, you can easily suspend it if you catch her buying it.

massistar · 06/10/2021 11:50

Absolutely no chance at that age. My DS, 16, has had a couple but I've warned him off and told him the horror stories.

Potatofacey · 06/10/2021 11:57

I used to work for Monster and red bull. Please don’t let her have them!

We used to have to be seen drinking them and would pour them down the sink and fill the cans up with water instead. It was a weekly occurrence at events for people to be taken to hospital with heart palpitations after drinking too many.

Technically the companies say they are not to be sold to under 14’s, but shops rarely enforce this, and the companies grass roots marketing is none the less targeted at this demographic regardless.

There are some ‘natural’ energy drink companies around at the moment but I suspect they aren’t as cool. Could be a compromise if she is insisting on drinking them ans you want to offer a half way point? Also, if she is going to drink them, ensure she has lots of water and it will flush it out of her as soon as poss.

Potatofacey · 06/10/2021 11:59

@roses2

I hadn't realised they were that bad. DS (8) has one once a month or so. I'm going to stop now after reading this thread!

You really, really shouldn’t be giving your 8 year old energy drinks! What child needs MORE energy? They are so bad for adult bodies, never mind growing ones!

That said, I have had to take cans off toddlers before when parents naively at best thought they were just like a fruit juice. They very much are not!

Anoisagusaris · 06/10/2021 12:04

Not a chance. DS understands that kids/teens don’t need those drinks or ‘sports’ drinks and it’s all a marketing ploy when you see sportspeople advertising them.

BrilliantBulb · 06/10/2021 12:08

@roses2

I hadn't realised they were that bad. DS (8) has one once a month or so. I'm going to stop now after reading this thread!

I mean this kindly, if you’re giving your 8year old Monster Energy drinks without realising they were bad could you be giving him anything else bad too? Might be worth just double checking.

Thewiseoneincognito · 06/10/2021 12:10

Absolutely no chance. The warning is hidden in plain sight, Monster.

The health impacts will be felt in the next 10 years from consuming these disgusting drinks.

Tee20x · 06/10/2021 12:10

Honestly I wouldn't be allowing this. At her age if she's saying she will buy them in secret then I would limit her opportunities to do this. Is she allowed out on her own to shops etc? If so I would stop that.

I won't even drink them myself. I have had red bull on a few occasions when really needing to get on with work in the hope that it would help - had half a can and I swear I could feel my heart starting to race.

Never again.

Aside from the caffeine, they're just not good for you anyway and certainly not something a child needs to be drinking.

1vandal2 · 06/10/2021 12:16

As someone who works in one of the big name shops i can assure you we do not sell them to under 16s.

They just steal them.

Thewiseoneincognito · 06/10/2021 12:18

I’ll never forget back in the early 2000s when vodka Redbull was the latest trend drink to have. I had 3 without ever having tried Redbull before, I was probably 18/19. I remember waking (from unconsciousness?) that night and the whole room was spinning as though I was on the Waltzers, my heart was pounding so hard I thought my chest was going to explode. Never ever again.

ACNHMAMA · 06/10/2021 12:23

@1vandal2

As someone who works in one of the big name shops i can assure you we do not sell them to under 16s.

They just steal them.

Yup. Your child will get their hands on them whether you want to bury your head in the sand about it or not.

How about talking to your child about the health implications of these products. Whilst also getting your own alcohol/caffeine/OTC painkiller consumption in check to be setting a sensible example.

isthismylifenow · 06/10/2021 12:33

[quote PinkFootstool]@isthismylifenow that comparison may not work in the UK, as we have the sugar tax which means most companies reduced the sugar in all drinks a few years ago. I'm trying to find an up to date comparison list.[/quote]
Thanks Pink.

The newer version is not much better.

I am sure the sugar is less but they have added in alternatives as a sweetener.

GreatestHits · 06/10/2021 12:35

I know some of DD's friends (13 and 14 year olds) who drink these, probably without their parents knowledge. They buy it travelling to and from school or drink it at the skate park. Then they make tiktoks of themselves doing crazy things and claiming they've downed 4 cans of monster. It's the new smoking/drinking Thunderbird

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