Lemonade at six year old's party?

[Smithagain]

Yes or no?

DD1 would love to have lemonade at her birthday party this week. She regards it as a huge treat.

I reckon some of her friends have probably been drinking fizzy drinks on special occasions for a while. But a few most definitely haven't. Of the latter, some only drink water anyway - but we have one younger sibling coming who I'm pretty confident has never had a fizzy drink and will most certainly love it!

So do I go for it? Or put my health-conscious foot down in the interests of harmony with my mummy friends? Your votes please, mumsnet food police.

Definitely yes! And we never let ds have pop, but I would buy it for a party!

Good-common sense seems to have prevailed!
My DS didn't like fizzy drinks until he was about 9yrs old but I am sure that if I had prevented him they would have been something he wanted! If you send your DC to a party you relinquish control-it isn't polite to expect a run down of menu and ingredients-unless your DC has an allergy!

We got pink lemonade from Aldi for DDs party- she was 5. It went down very well and no parents minded. Parties are for treats!

I think it comes down to balance (ie everything in moderation) and also knowledge. People do tend to lump all fizzy drinks into the same category, ie nectar of the devil, when actually there is a vast difference between the types of fizzy drinks.

Lemonade for instance doesn't actually contain anything that fruit shoot doesn't, there is no cafeen in lemonade, whereas coke/dr pepper/redbull contains more cafeen than coffee.

No-one would think it wrong to not want children drinking coffee, so there shouldn't be any difference in parents not wanting their children to drink coke. there is vast difference between banning all sugar and banning one particular thing because of other ingredients.

Also, I do think a lot of people are under the misguided notion that sugar-free is better, when in actual fact sugar-free contains aspartame which is far more damaging.

Yes, let them have lemonade at a party.

I would be more concerned that my child and their friends had a lovely indulgent time, than what the other mummies thought.

We usually get Sprite, as it has no sweeteners in it - although DS1 is currently boycotting all things Coca Cola.

tbh I'm surprised more people on here don't advocate boycotting coca cola, as they have a track record not dissimilar to that of nestle.

I've wondered that before too, wannabe.
DS1 has done a fair bit of research into it, and is adamant that he won't consume anything that Coca Cola produce.
Which can be tricky, as they obviously have lots of fingers in lots of pies.

Bloody hell - I can't believe you even have to ask this. Surely there is lemonade at a party, or did I miss something?

Incidentally, my aunt was one of these "no sugar, no fun" type parents. I have four cousins. Two are morbidly obese and are addicted to junk food, one has suffered from anorexia for years and is scared of food and the other one, the youngest, who grew up when my aunt had started to relax again, is "normal".

I think there's a lesson there.

yes let her have it aslong as there are other drinks available, I took ds to a party last week all 2year olds and there was only fizzy drinks ds won't drink them so I had to nip to the shop to get him some water.

Oh goodness me yes. DS went to a birthday party where the only things offered were sandwiches, cherry tomatoes, raisins and chopped up veg with water or juice to drink. I have never seen so many long faces.

Imo, kids parties involve jelly, ice cream, pop and cakes in copious amounts .

It is so sad ALMummy, your birthday is one day when you should feel special and have festive food! I hope that when my DCs look back on their childhood they will remember their birthdays with pleasure! It would be interesting to know what the parents have on their birthdays! I get very irritated with parents who eat chocolate biscuits themselves but hand out rice cakes. It is the wrong message.

Blimey Almummy - that sounds like the dullest party ever. Was the 'pass the parcel' wrapped in hessian sacking as well?

So long as you have alternatives for those who might not like/want lemonade, can't see the problem. 6y DD likes the odd glas of lemonade, but sadly can't have fizzy pop after about 4pm as she is then likely t have an accident at night but she knows this and will decline herself and ask for apple juice or water (squash and orange have same effect).

I'd be less happy with Coke (def no no for DD) or coloured fizzy pops though have to admit. And much prefer full sugar varoeties of said pop, to low sugar.

AlMummy - only water or fruit juice at DD's party too. Definitely no long faces. Had lots of healthy party food, but also buns and cakes along side. No choolate due to two children who can't have it because of alergies. Children all ate tons, especially of the veg sticks with humous, and the fruit covered in food glitter.

Our rule is anything goes at parties. The rest of the time it's water, milk or sometimes weak squash. DD won't drink fizzy drinks anyway but at parties I'd let her.

Awesome - four pages of response! I guess that illustrates why I did feel I had to ask

Thanks all. Lemonade is on the menu. Have sounded out the mum of the younger sibling who's coming. Apparently "she won't touch it anyway, she doesn't like fizzy things and doesn't know why anyone else would want to drink them" Am a bit about that, since the children in the same family apparently "don't like sweets", but seem to manage to force them down whenever I see them get the chance.

But will steer the child in question onto apple juice, which apparently she regards as a huge treat and let the others have fizz if they want.

On no account provide lemonade. It is the beverage of satan himself. The gateway drink to Bacardi Breezers and so many of these other "alcopops" that we see all too much of these days on our streets, swigged by girls who are no better than they ought to be.

puts head back in letter page of Torygraph

hah! what an arse this woman sounds.

Actually, she's not, in general. But food seems to be a bit of a weird area!

evidently...

i've seen childminders on here saying that parents will leave their kids saying 'they've never seen tv in their lives, i want potato printing and plasticine and nothing else'. and then somehow the kids know all the words to the cbeebies songs... same diff.

this still going on?

Not going on about the lemonade thing as it's been done to death, but on the same-ish subject, the holies joes of good parenting are always yapping on about "bonding" with your child. Don't you think SHARING food you are eating with your baby is all part of bonding? I do!

I agree Gateau.
I am all for healthy eating and cook all meals from scratch (unless I am feeling very lazy-everyone needs a break once in a while!)I think the whole family should be eating the same foods.
I get the distinct impression that some people restrict their DC to a diet that they couldn't keep to themselves.
I don't like the hypocrisy of an adult drinking coke when the DC drinks water, or eating chocolate and nor allowing their DC any etc.
All it teaches is that adults don't need to be healthy and as soon as the DC is old enough they can be free to follow the bad habits!