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I don't think there is any age that is *good* to get exposed to and addicted to caffeinated beverages.
That being said, I don't put strict age guidelines on the behaviors of my kids.
Every kid is different...my son could handle more responsibility at a younger age than my daughter, etc.
My parents were tea drinkers. I did not drink coffee till my last couple of years of college.
Oh come on, a couple of cups of coffee in the morning isn't going to do damage to any of us. We are not talking like in the years past when the pot was going all day. Both my parents and my in laws drank it all day. As a matter of fact we did as well many years ago. Now it is a couple of cups in the am; that is it. If they don't get caffeine from one source they will get it from another. I have a granddaughter who is a nurse practitioner plus a mom of 3. She admits she has to have her fix and though, in her case it isn't coffee, it is DR Pepper.
When I was two, we moved to next to an older childless couple who took a real shine to me. After I was a little older, I’d eat my breakfast, and go over to their house, and have coffee with them. She’d heat milk for me and splash coffee into it. And often she’d make me a little pancake cut into a fish shape.
My husband joked I still liked my coffee that way.
So this morning, when I was making my morning coffee and my wife had left home for office, I took out 4 shot glasses and made black coffee, black with sugar, coffee withe milk, and milk and sugar. I told my 13 year old that these are the most common preferences of coffee, and had him take a small sip from each. I told him, unless you can come up with a better reasoning, we'll revisit this next year when he is 14.
My teens don't drink coffee and only drink one soda a day. I don't drink coffee or soda. Or beer. Or wine. I just never developed a taste for those things, and think it is weird that people keep drinking things until they finally like them. Why?!
I only drink water, milk (skim or 1%), oj (only on weekends) and in winter I drink hot cocoa on occasion. Sometimes I'll go the trouble of making a cup of hot tea when the urge strikes. Sometimes when we go out to dinner I'll get a cocktail, but it is always a fruit juice-based drink of some kind.
Having said all that, my kids are content to drink water and lemonade most of the time, along with their daily soda that they normally have when they get home from school (or at lunchtime in summer months).
I personally did not like coffee until age 21. Started energy drinks around age 19. Alternated with green tea for about 5-7 years (which is probably the only form of caffeine I'd recommend).
With the probability of these kids being on ritalin and anti-depressants along with other stimulants I think age 16 should be the earliest.
If at all possible I'd strongly advise steering them away from caffeine and stimulants, there really is no benefit. I've been caffeine free for 3 years because it spikes my BP too high and makes me feel dizzy. But in people who are not sensitive it's not really all that beneficial long term. Looking back the illusion that I was more productive under caffeine was just that, a false sense of increased productivity. The only thing that happened was my mind moved faster but not necessarily more productive or engaged in constructive thinking.
My family never put any age on it, but then again, my Mom’s European, and my Pa was working 80hr weeks.
I had my first espresso shot at 9.
Somewhere close to 10 seems alright to me.
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Solly says — Be nice!
