Coffee & kids

Avatar for onehappymama
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-26-2005
Coffee & kids
26
Thu, 11-30-2006 - 8:28am
Quinn, my mother & I went to Georgia for Thanksgiving.
One thing that has always struck me as odd is the way just about all of my cousins kids drink coffee. I don't mean just tweens & teens...I mean preschoolers & elementary aged. I was at my cousin Jimmi's house pouring me a cup of coffee. Spencer (3 yo) came up & asked me to make him a cup. I told him "no". He went & told Jimmi that mean ole 'Schrin's mom' wouldn't give him any coffee. (BTW...he can't say 'Quinn', says 'Schrin') Kelly (Spencer's mom) fixed him a cup. I watched her, it was about 1 cup worth, heavy on the milk...but was still a lot of coffee for a 3 yo. (IMO)
Ellen (another cousin) babysits 7 kids (ugh! can you imagine?!) & she told me that they all but the baby drinks coffee. These are all preschoolers.
Is this the norm? Quinn has never even tried coffee (he drinks Cheerwine for his morning kick) & doesn't really care for the way it smells when it's perking.


Edited 11/30/2006 8:29 am ET by onehappymama
Avatar for onehappymama
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-26-2005
Thu, 11-30-2006 - 11:56am
I was born & raised in Georgia. I've never thought about it, but I've drank sweet tea since I was little. I brew tea for us, but I don't put nearly as much sugar in it as most of my Georgia family does. They generally put around 3 cups per gallon. I put just a little less than 1 1/2 cups, which is plenty sweet, but not syrupy.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Thu, 11-30-2006 - 12:27pm

Not in my immediate family but whenever we visited relatives in north Texas all the kids drank coffee. Same goes for DH's family in MS. I know other people (mainly in southern gulf coast states) say that it's normal to allow kids to drink it. My mother didn't like the smell or taste of coffee and neither do I. So far my kids can't stand the smell of it either.

Now sweet tea.... they could probably down a gallon of it if I let them.

     Lisa
and her two "whirlwinds"
     DS-13 & DD-9

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-15-2005
Thu, 11-30-2006 - 12:53pm

Here in the south it is pretty common - however it doesn't happen at my house and kids that are hanging out at my house can not bring it in.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-17-2005
Thu, 11-30-2006 - 1:13pm

I may be wrong---someone please tell me if I am--but I always thought that the medication given to kids for ADHD or hyperactivity contained caffeine.....I know I heard that somewhere.

Also, how does the caffeine in coffee compare to a Coke or Pepsi? I know it's more but how much? Just curious....

Karin

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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-17-2005
Thu, 11-30-2006 - 1:14pm

What if it's decaffeinated coffee? Or is it the fact that it is coffee?????

Karin

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Avatar for onehappymama
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-26-2005
Thu, 11-30-2006 - 2:05pm
It's true. My son & I are both ADD/ADHD. We both can focus better if we have caffine.
Avatar for onehappymama
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-26-2005
Thu, 11-30-2006 - 2:06pm
They were drinking regular coffee.
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-26-2003
Thu, 11-30-2006 - 2:25pm

GOodness, I can't even imagine that it can be normal!


Once in awhile my 7 1/2 yr old will ask for a cup of coffee and once in a while I will give it to him---but it is 1/4 cup of coffee and 3/4 cup of milk.


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Community Leader
Registered: 07-26-1999
Thu, 11-30-2006 - 2:38pm

Karin,

I researched this when I first got pregnant. Actually an 8 oz cup of coffee only has like 10 mg of caffeine I think. Now a coke, pepsi, mt. dew, etc. has I think about 4 times that much.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Thu, 11-30-2006 - 4:12pm

Yes its true that caffeine, like Ritalin, has a calming effect on people who actually DO have ADHD. Since the diagnosis is subjective sometimes, giving the child ritalin and seeing it's success/failure in the child can help diagnose ADHD. With people who don't have it, both cause a 'hyper' effect, opposite of what's trying to be done with the medication. Sorry about the soapboxing, I'm a child behavior therapist and you'd be suprised at the hidden factors that effect children's behavior! :)

Hope this answers your questions!

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/adhd/AN01333

Is it true that caffeine can have a calming effect on a child with ADHD?

Some studies suggest that high doses of caffeine combined with methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, others) may be more effective in treating attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than methylphenidate alone. Like methylphenidate, caffeine is a stimulant. However, too much caffeine also can cause insomnia, nervousness, irritability and increased heart rate. Because of their smaller body size, children are even more susceptible to these effects than adults are. For these reasons, most pediatricians discourage caffeine consumption in children. Caffeine is not recommended as a treatment for ADHD in children.

http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/caffeine/caffeine_info1.shtml

Caffeine Content of Sodas

Red Bull (80 mg per 8.3 oz) 115.5

Pepsi One NSDA 55.0

Mountain Dew NSDA 55.0

Coca-Cola, Diet CC 45.0

Dr. Pepper NSDA 41.0

Pepsi NSDA 38.4

Caffeine Content of Coffee & Teas

Drip (7 oz) B&M 115-175

tea, black (6 oz) CB 70

tea, green (6 oz) CB 35