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.

Mmmm - your last line; never thought of it like that, but very true.
I love DS eating our food with us - it makes me feel very proud that he is eating and liking stuff I have made from scratch!
Some of my friends are still taking out with them separate food for their DCs - what a hassle, for a start!
And that particular one who stuffs herself with choc cake in front of her DS - oooh, that infuriates me! The last time she did it, the poor little mite was so desperate for some that he tried to fight my DS for a bite! Sad.

I want my DCs to eat healthily for life, I don't see the point of having separate meals where adults eat all sorts of junk but only allow DCs to eat the sort of diet that they would have if they had the will power!
I am not overweight but I have to watch what I eat which I do most of the time-however I do like a treat occasionally! I think it is so sad that some of these children never get any relaxation of rules. Food should be enjoyable and sociable not just body fuel! Festivals are about food and over indulging once in a while.
A balanced diet should contain items from all the food groups. I think that it is a big mistake to label food 'good' or 'bad' in children's minds.
Parents who are too strict are setting up their DCs for all sorts of eating disorders in later life. They have no idea what their DCs are like when they are out of sight and the DCS are clever enough never to let them know! I was in a school last week where they had old photos out and some one said 'that was xxxx whose mother didn't allow sweets-and all the children gave them theirs!'
I think that if I had my time over again I might like to be a dietician because so much nonsense is talked about food! That you have to have a thread asking if you can serve lemonade at a 6 yr olds party says it all!!!

at "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".

Lemonade is not only permitted at children's parties, it is essential. It is old school and therefore works in a bunting and cupcakes sort of way. Rebrand it in your mind that way and you will be free from anxiety.

Is this the time to mention that you should also be serving ginger beer? Or will that prompt wails of outrage at the non-inclusivity and class-based snobbery of the works of Enid Blyton?

Lol Margoandjerry. I think that's what I'm aiming at. Parties have go so bloomin' complicated and wholesome around here. Loads of houmous and semi-educational activities - very little in the way of fun games and special treats to eat.

I am serious when I say that DD hasn't yet had fizzy drinks at a friends' party, in six years, and she is the youngest in the class, so some of them are nearly 7.

And I totally agree with the points about adults and children needing to have the same standard. In our case, my diet has got healthier since having kids, because I'm more aware of what my habits show them. But we do let them have more or less anything we might have at a party, excluding alcohol.

Sorry to go against the grain, but it would jar with me a bit if my 6 year old was given lemonade at a party (despite not blinking an eyelid at all the junk food). I agree with the earlier poster, who said that it was best not to offer them something that they might get a taste for and fizzy drinks can be addictive and are just completely bad nutritionally. If my child was given pepsi at a party, which is just another fizzy drink really, I would be quite put out about it.

With all due respect, I don;t envy you living in your area smith. Then again, you just need to be strong and do what YOU feel is right, and to hell with what others think. A few more might follow in your footsteps if you lead the way!
Why oh why do so mmany mothers nowadays follow these holier-than-thou books in favour of listening to how their own mothers brought them up??!! Did they not do a good job? This constantly perplexes me.
I ask my Mum what she did with my brother and I on almost everything - and follow quite a lot (but not ALL) of her advice. After all, call me big-headed, but I think she did a marvellous job!!!

I think you are completely wrong evangelina! Keeping them off fizzy when other DCs have it makes it forbidden fruit and very appealing! If you have it once in a while it is just another drink and nothing very special. My eldest DC hated them until he was about 9. DC liked them but only had it as a special treat and DC3 wasn't bothered either way. By the time your DC gets to 6 they are very unusual if they are not allowed to drink it ever-unless you live in Surrey evidently!
Parents with iron control will have to lighten up, and it is best to do it slowly. My teenage DS broke up yesterday. He went to a party to celebrate the end of year. It was out in the middle of nowhere, so I knew there wouldn't be a problem with gatecrashers, and I like his friends that I knew were going- but above that I had to trust him! He took a tent and stayed the night, I would be naive if I thought that there wouldn't be some alcohol and the advice we have given him is to stick to lager and keep off spirits.He has come home this morning tired but none the worse for wear. I could hardly go to the party and supervise!
You have to allow your DCs to take some responsibility and decisions for themselves and having a glass of lemonade at a birthday party is a good place to start.

Evangelina, did you every have lemonade as a child?
I did - and I am no lemonade junkie now!!!
What will happen when your child is old enough to go to the sweetie shop with his/her friends? Will she be under oath to stay clear of the demon lemon(-ade)??!

Bring back the 'normal' childhoods of yore, please!!

Silly me; the poor child will probably never see the inside of a sweetie shop.....

blimey, I was having Tizer at parties from an early age. Do they do organic tizer i wonder?

Ooh! Tizer - lovely! Haven't had that for ages. It's nearly the Spangles of the pop world. Hmm - or is that Vimto.

this thread is hilarious!

was at party the other day where there were enormous platters of fruit and veg - the children were almost fighting over the (very few) sausages - twas ridiculous. Of course all the biscuits and cakes that followed were home baked and low sugar and frankly unappetising.....

bring on lemonade, coca cola, sugar and artifical colourings (even aspartame.....) - let's celebrate!

LOL Fio. Mind you, ds hates anything fizzy. Must be all that Waitrose food..

That made me giggle out loud and break the silence in our office, Fio....
Nothing wrong with homemade stuff - as long as we're talking lush chocolate cake and rice crispy buns!!! my DH and I were so proud of the choc cake we made for our DS's first birthday. It was truly decadent. yeah, of course there was sugar in it - but strictly no preservatives. Now what the hell is wrong with that???!

No I dont think you should have lemonade at the party neither should you have chocolate biscuits , party cake , sausages, pizza and of course no party bags

maybe parties shouldn't have children either...

oh yes, gateau! ..imagine a bouncy castle, jelly and ice-cream, silly games and sweeties and cake and lemondae - and no blardy kids to get in the way of your enjoyment of it alll.....

Well, my kids probably wouldn't touch it (not that they're angelic health-food junkies, they just don't like anything fizzy) but I wouldn't be upset if someone offered it at a party as long as there was also water available. I'm amazed the number of times DD has come home from a party desperate for a drink because there was only flavoured drinks on offer adn she just doesn't like them.

I think that you should have water and juice as alternatives, because a lot of children don't like fizzy drinks, but it should be up to the party guest to have a free choice.

my children do not like fizzy drinks

I don't ban them, just that I don't like them, nor does dh so they are not in the house

they have tried my Coke when I have my sneaky Jack Daniels fix of a Saturday evening and do not like the bubbles

so, yes have lemonade for a party but maybe have juice/water as well for ponces like mine?

Wait 12 years and you'll be wondering what all the fuss was about when they start discovering stuff far more damaging than lemonade

The fussy parents will probably bring their own carrot sticks and organic fruit juice anyway, expecting the food to be evil! Go for the lemonade - it's a party! And it's not your reponsibility to worry about the other children's diets.

dd's party (5) is tommorow and I'm providing apple juice and capri sun. They can have water too, but no fizzy drinks. Not because I'm against the sugar rush (capri sun!) but it did not occur to me to provide fizzy drinks. There will be plenty of junk food too.

She does not like fizzy drinks so maybe that's why I did not think of it.