Kids on Coke...and gum

[Arabica]

Got chatting to very nice mum also in her early 40s at a kids' theatre show today. We were just getting seats when she handed her little girl a bottle of cola--then yelled at her to stop! when she began to drink it. At first I thought she had obviously made a mistake with the drink and was going to hand her daughter something more suitable...but no, it was simply to tell her to remove her chewing-gum first!
Was shocked not just at the coke (child was seen drinking a new bottle of cola later) but at the gum, but am I being naive?

There is no way I'd even consider giving Coke to my child, especially after I found out clean up crews in the U.S.A use it to clean blood off of the highways after road accidents, apparently police officers carry a 6-pack of it in their car boot just for this purpose. The other think is that the amount of sugar let alone caffeine is nearly one cup full (8oz).
I like Coke but I know its not healthy for me to drink it all of the time, same for adults who drink coffee and smoke ciggs etc; as an adult you can choose what you want to do...but children aren't old or wise enough to make that decision so we have to do what's best for them...it may sound hypocritical buts its the old, so as I say not as I do thing.

I have a 19 and and 8 yrs old and neither of them have coke nor gum - No way! Think Gum is disgusting!All that chewing with open mouths Yuk!!!!

I personally find gum horrible. I have no urge to chew it. DH has it when out of the house (I find wrappers in his trouser pockets )

I love Coke though. I am going to have to stop I think as DS (16 months) always wants to have what I have. And seeing as the only drink he likes is water (we tried him with some watered down Ribena when he was constipated and he looked at us as if we were mad ) I would like to keep it that way.

I won't mind him having it when we are out, when he is older (although not sure how old) but think I do need to either stop drinking it at home or at least cut down. Could just stop buying it I suppose.

I second the dislike of gum chewing. My mother didn't allow it when I was young and now I am glad. Patients who come in to see me and talk as they chew , click and pop their gum come across as just plain rude.

I can't tolerate gum. I detest people chewing with their mouths open, which is basically what people do with gum and it makes my skin crawl!

I also hate gum chewing... bovine, I can't get the appeal. Even as a kid I thought it was dumb. The one thing my kids will be banned from doing in my presence... they'll have to use their own pocket money to ever buy it, too.

I do share an occasional diet coke with DD (3) & DS (5).

What is this fixation of the dental association encouraging them to chew gum, i agree i hate seeing it being chewed open mouthed like a cement mixer or something. Isn't it beter to give them an apple at least it holds a nutricious value as well as helping destroy plaque or have they changed their mind on this theory as well?

mummyhill, thank you for articulating what I so often feel about the whole advice system at the moment.

My mum only had three consumption rules and I will try to stick to them in my household too - no hard drugs, no fags and nothing from McDonalds! Well, it works for me...