# Do you let your child/children drink soft drinks?



## mamazee (Jan 5, 2003)

Soda is horrible in so many ways, but when a kid is sick, I pick up some Sprite or other similar soda. Otherwise, the older one occasionally has some if she's at a party or something, and she can order soda if we go out to eat (which is seldom lately.) The younger one (4) only gets it if she's sick, and then only if I have to fight to keep her liquids up.

So I can't say never.

What are the rules in your house?


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## tiqa (Feb 8, 2012)

We take a yearly trip to Disney... I figure they're already so hyped by the atmosphere that a little soda won't hurt anything. I also buy a bottle of soda for birthday parties (just our immediate family, and three of our birthdays fall on the same week... so three parties a year, really).

We do have cordial quite a bit but that's just fruit and sugar diluted with lots of water. I don't mind that as much because we dilute it a lot and there's no chemicals or colorings in it.

We also don't do juice... it's mostly unsweetened iced tea or water, generally.

I won't generally say no if a friend offers it to them. It's rare and it's not a hill I'm willing to die on. We treat it as a treat... not an everyday thing,


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## katelove (Apr 28, 2009)

My nearly-3 year old has the occasional lemonade or flavoured mineral water. Usually only special occasions or when she is sick. I was getting lemonade when we had takeaway pizza but I've stopped because I didn't want her having it on another occasion.

We've also stopped buying juice and mineral water and there is only a trickle left in the cordial bottle and I won't be buying more than that. It's a bit of a pain because I really like juice for breakfast but it's hard to say no to DD when I'm drinking it and I don't want her having it every day. I'm ok with it being a now and then treat.


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## phathui5 (Jan 8, 2002)

We don't have "rules" about food anymore. We aim towards eating healthy, our children love trips to the farmer's market and the co-op, they happily eat organic mixed greens with strawberries and free range chicken for dinner. They're also allowed to have pizza and Coke.


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## kitteh (Jun 25, 2009)

We don't buy soda, mostly because I've never liked it and have no desire to have it in the house. DH likes it, but doesn't drink it because of an episode of Dr Oz that he saw which basically listed the reasons that soda is horrible for your body. DD has tried it once, when my in-laws were visiting and they slipped her a SIP of Diet Coke (DD had just turned one at the time. seriously? Who gives diet coke to a one year old?!) She hated it, probably because of the carbonation, and I'm glad that her first sip put her off it. I'm hoping to keep that up!

She does drink fruit/veggies juice mixes or milk with dinner or lunch, and water the rest of the day.


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## newbiemama09 (Dec 17, 2009)

At 4, my DD doesn't like soda. she says it's too "spicy" (i think she means bubbly). I drink soda regularly, but DD knows it's for grown-ups, just like coffee is. I think soda is a highly addictive and terrible drink for your body (again, even though I drink it regularly), so we will not let DD drink it for quite some time. And hopefully we can teach her healthy eating habits so she won't want soda all the time.

(oh, and i'm from the mid-west, so we call it "pop"







)


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## mamazee (Jan 5, 2003)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *newbiemama09*
> 
> At 4, my DD doesn't like soda. she says it's too "spicy" (i think she means bubbly). I drink soda regularly, but DD knows it's for grown-ups, just like coffee is. I think soda is a highly addictive and terrible drink for your body (again, even though I drink it regularly), so we will not let DD drink it for quite some time. And hopefully we can teach her healthy eating habits so she won't want soda all the time.
> 
> ...


I'm actually from suburban Chicago originally, and still live in the midwest, and I call it pop too! But I thought "soda" would be more recognized so I wrote that.


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## ollyoxenfree (Jun 11, 2009)

I rarely buy it except for parties. If we are out at a restaurant for dinner or at a party, they could always order it if that's what they wanted. Often they would choose milk or juice instead.

They drink copious amounts of milk. I can't seem to keep it in the house.


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## mamalisa (Sep 24, 2002)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *mamazee*
> 
> I'm actually from suburban Chicago originally, and still live in the midwest, and I call it pop too! But I thought "soda" would be more recognized so I wrote that.


Ha me too. My dd gets sooo mad because she's the only one born in Milwaukee. I told her to stop saying "soda" and "bubbler" (drinking fountain) and we could give her honorary Chicago citizenship. If you say "pop" in Milwaukee people ask where you're from 

I don't care that much about pop. We keep milk (for cereal, not for drinking) and water in the house. We will stop at the gas station occasionally and get the giant bucket of pop for .99. IN the great mix of things my kids are extremely healthy eaters so I truly don't sweat the occasional brownie for breakfast of 4 gallon cup of pop.

Also, as soon as anyone has a tummy ache they are sending me to the store for ginger ale.


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## Quinalla (May 23, 2005)

I wouldn't care if she had it occasionally, but so far when she tried it she didn't like, I think because it is too bubbly for her. Mostly she drinks water & milk with the occasional juice or no-caffeine tea. I also don't have a problem saying she can't have a drink that DH & I are having though, we drink alcoholic beverages around her and just tell her they are for adults only and she can try them when she's older. She's fine with that as long as we let her smell everything, so that works pretty well


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## Caneel (Jun 13, 2007)

We enjoy sparkling mineral water and for years, DS thought it was soda. He really doesn't have a taste for regular soda except for the occasional real sugar Coke or the root beer brewed by our neighbor. It happens so infrequently, like once a month, I don't worry about it. When we go out to restaurants, he picks club soda over soda every time.

Milk has become the problem in our house. My DH thinks DS needs unlimited access to as much milk as he can drink. (DH can put away a half gal. a day if it is in the fridge) DS has a healthy diet but I can see the pudge starting.


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## Polliwog (Oct 29, 2006)

I drink a lot of diet soda but my kids aren't allowed to have it. However, my kids are usually allowed to order Sprite or Root Beer when we go out. Actually, they often choose a mixture of Sprite and Root Beer, which sounds vile to me. I don't buy it to have at home, although my kids just had their first root beer floats (with cookies and cream frozen yogurt) last weekend. They eat a wide range of healthy foods most of the time, so treats are fine in moderation.


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## limabean (Aug 31, 2005)

We don't keep soda in the house. Neither of my kids liked it for the longest time, so it wasn't even an issue when we were out. Now, DS8 is starting to like it a bit, so he'll ask for a sip of mine when we're out to dinner and I'll let him have a little, and sometimes he'll order a root beer float for dessert. DD4 still doesn't like it.


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## GISDiva (Jul 13, 2007)

We'll get him a root beer when we're at a special restaurant where I'm from and we're visiting Mom. You just kind of have to, it's brewed down the street (and called pop, haha). He's only recently thought it wasn't too bubbly (or spicy, as someone else said) for him, so it's a relatively new thing.

At home (where it's called soda, of course, because it's Milwaukee ), we don't ever have it in the house unless you count LaCroix. Sometimes I'll share one of those with DS with a bit of juice mixed in for a special treat, but it's not a regular thing either. We've shared a fancy ginger ale on occasion too, and he likes that. But he knows soda is just like candy and meant as a treat, not a regular every day thing. I figure he'll get his allotment of soda when he's a teenager and guzzles it by the gallon at a friend's house.


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## meemee (Mar 30, 2005)

to me juice, soda, gatorade, popsicle are the same thing. no difference,

from 11/2 to 2 dd got maybe an oz of real watered down pepsi from our 'grandma' neighbor that initially i objected to and then i stopped.

i'd give dd an occasional watered down juice. she'd get sips of my soda.

then i stopped soda and juices myself and went to kombucha. that's when i lifted any rules. dd was 5 and i left it upto her.

she has never abused it. she has drunk soda or juice to fit in. last week she went out for pizza with her school friends and being dairy and gluten allergic the only thing she could have was a soda and i think that was the first time she actually had a glass of soda.

dd is educated about sugar content. she also knows about her reaction to too much sugar - no matter whether the source is healthy or not. the last couple of years lots of sugar has been giving her mood swings. but even before that she did an occasional treat of either dessert or drink mainly coz she agreed on the balance. if she ate a good meal then she'd have a little bit of junk.

i call soda dessert.


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## ollyoxenfree (Jun 11, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *meemee*
> 
> i call soda dessert.


LOL, sounds like me talking about those cold cereals filled with chocolate or marshmallows and that kind of stuff.

"We don't have candy for breakfast".

Sometimes I would agree to buy it, as long as they agreed it would only be eaten as a snack instead of cookies or other treats and so we wouldn't be buying those things that week. They rarely took the deal.


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## mamalisa (Sep 24, 2002)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *ollyoxenfree*
> 
> LOL, sounds like me talking about those cold cereals filled with chocolate or marshmallows and that kind of stuff.
> 
> ...


Candy cereal is often dessert. Mostly because I ADORE Fruity Pebbles.


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## sarafi (Feb 10, 2008)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *mamazee*
> 
> Soda is horrible in so many ways, but when a kid is sick, I pick up some Sprite or other similar soda. Otherwise, the older one occasionally has some if she's at a party or something, and she can order soda if we go out to eat (which is seldom lately.) The younger one (4) only gets it if she's sick, and then only if I have to fight to keep her liquids up.
> 
> ...


I try not to, and I can say than in the last two years the few times DD1 has had soda a UTI has followed shortly after. Sadly, I have a thing for diet Coke


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## meemee (Mar 30, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *mamalisa*
> 
> Candy cereal is often dessert. Mostly because I ADORE Fruity Pebbles.


Me toooo!!! Till I started studying up sugar content because of diabetes in the family and then i was HOLY COW!!!!

i am proud to say (well its taken me over 12 years to succeed and that i am getting close to the age when my mom was diagnosed with diabetes) that i have been able to kick my Coke habit. while i didnt allow myself to get one except on occasions, if someone put one in front of me i could NEVER say no. not anymore.


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## sarafi (Feb 10, 2008)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *mamalisa*
> 
> Candy cereal is often dessert. Mostly because I ADORE Fruity Pebbles.


I had the reputation of "the mom who buys Lucky Charms and eats them for dessert, yet makes her kids eat eggs or oatmeal for breakfast" at the last place we lived. I really had people come and ask me if I was "that woman". Yup, we all eat healthy breakfasts and two or three times a year I buy a box of my special cereal to eat as a dessert.







At least I am not eating sugar, or fueling my kids with it first thing in the morning! For the record, the Lucky Charms we get now are always stale--so I've given them up entirely


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## fruitfulmomma (Jun 8, 2002)

I don't drink it really. I might buy a single can 2 or 3 times a year and pass most of if off to be shared among the kids or take a sip of my husbands every once in a while. He on the other hand has quite the Dr. P habit.

In our home the kids get water, milk, and tea. Occasionally a soda from dad or grandma. When we eat out or go to the movies I let them have it. Or from the gas station sometimes. My son has it a lot more often because he works with my husband and they go to the gas station pretty much everyday whsn they are working.


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## Caneel (Jun 13, 2007)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *sarafi*
> 
> I had the reputation of "the mom who buys Lucky Charms and eats them for dessert, yet makes her kids eat eggs or oatmeal for breakfast" at the last place we lived. I really had people come and ask me if I was "that woman". Yup, we all eat healthy breakfasts and two or three times a year I buy a box of my special cereal to eat as a dessert.
> 
> ...


I think they put something addictive in Lucky Charms. I don't like cereal and never bought it so DS was not exposed to cereal aside from Cherios, Kix and other generic so-called healthy cereals at daycare.

When DS was 4yo, we went on vacation. From the kitchen, I hear his uncle say "I am making DS breakfast" and didn't think to question it as his Uncle is a health nut, just about the last person in the world I would think would eat sugary cereal.

He served DS a bowl of Lucky Charms and it was like the heavens openned and the angels sang, DS had never been so delighted with a food in his life. He literally had groans and squeals of pleasure as he shovelled it into his mouth. He has begged for Lucky Charms ever since.


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## sparklefairy (May 21, 2005)

I can't remember the last time I had it in the house.

They have it at their dad's regularly. He buys the kind with cane sugar mostly. Not really my hill to die on, though I've commented if they're drinking something with caffeine when I pick them up later in the evening.


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## MichelleZB (Nov 1, 2011)

It's not allowed at my house, and nobody has a taste for it. We just drink milk, juice, or water; adults drink coffee, tea, or alcohol.

I didn't know drinking soft drink when you're sick was a thing! We just have juice or whatever.


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## ocelotmom (Jul 29, 2003)

They drink water 99% of the time. I don't worry about the other 1%, as long as it's legal.


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## Mikelina (Sep 9, 2012)

My boys are 28 months and they have never had soda. I don't buy it for the house unless I am having a party, hosting a holiday or have guests that drink it. I buy organic apple juice and they get a small splash in their full sippy of water on occasion but its normally water and milk. We (DH & I) don't drink soda unless we go out and sometimes even then it's lemonade (which I prefer watered down with some sparkling water or seltzer) unsweetened icead tea, sparkling water or just plain water.
I don't plan on letting them have soda for quite some time yet, especially since they have no idea what it is yet and wouldn't even ask for it. One day they will figure it out and we will have to allow the occasional indulgence. I think if healthy habits can be formed early maybe they will make healthy decisions for themselves most of the time. @ least that's what I'm hoping for!


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## mamazee (Jan 5, 2003)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *MichelleZB*
> 
> It's not allowed at my house, and nobody has a taste for it. We just drink milk, juice, or water; adults drink coffee, tea, or alcohol.
> 
> I didn't know drinking soft drink when you're sick was a thing! We just have juice or whatever.


I had a hard time getting one of mine to drink anything when she was sick. She'd start to get dehydrated and would still refuse to drink anything. So my husband said he would run out and get some Sprite and no doubt she'd drink that, and she of course did. It was such a treat that she'd drink as much as he'd give her. She got enough to keep her from getting dehydrated anyway.


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## CortC (Aug 4, 2011)

We don't keep coke (from the south so all soda and pop are coke) at home, but occasionally at a party there will be some and we will share a glass. I do like sparkling apple juice for holidays and my kids (4 & 2) will have a glass. Same goes for juice. We keep apple juice in fridge for smoothies and my husband uses it to mix his calcium magnesium powder with, but the kids never ask for it, so it's never given as a drink. Same for milk. We use almond milk for cereal but not drinking. Pretty much water only here. When we visit my family in Texas, there is definitely more juice drinking for them and coke drinking for me. But, I have a when in Rome policy about what we eat and drink. I grew up eating fast food and coke for breakfast lunch and dinner, but never do now. Ok, well. I do enjoy the occasional in and out trip.


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## contactmaya (Feb 21, 2006)

I never spend a penny on the stuff. Sometimes it comes free with a lunch. I always opt for bottled water. I only soda is available, i just refuse. I see no reason for myself or my children to drink the stuff.


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## limabean (Aug 31, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *MichelleZB*
> 
> I didn't know drinking soft drink when you're sick was a thing! We just have juice or whatever.


I'm not familiar with drinking it for colds and the like, but I've heard of people drinking it when they're nauseous -- mostly ginger ale or 7up. I don't know if it's just an old wives tale or an actual remedy (I know ginger is supposed to help, but I doubt there's enough actual ginger in ginger ale to be medically applicable?), but last summer my DS was feeling carsick so I pulled into a gas station and bought him a 7up and told him to take tiny sips every few minutes, and he felt better.

I don't know if it was just the coldness, or having a little something in his stomach (I made him eat a few saltines also), or the fact that we stopped the car and got out at the gas station so he got a break from the motion, or what, but he felt better, and I'm okay with him having a soda a couple of times a year during a road trip.


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## yitlan (Dec 8, 2001)

I don't like soda at all. And I used to be strict about the kids never having it. Hubby said I should relax about it and we do what his parents did: you can have one soda a week. I bought real sugar soda (Hansen's) and stock up when it's on sale. After I did that they hardly ever asked for it! But it did probably decrease the forbidden fascination aspect of it. They know they can have it if they really want it. And if we're at a party or celebration, they'll ask for their "soda of the week" and I say OK, even though I hate that it's corn syrup. Everything in moderation.


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## jody2010 (Dec 20, 2009)

We don't keep regular soda in the house, but we do keep club soda - not for drinks, but for fizzy lemonade. My husband grew up on it and he loves it, not surprising that our 3-year-old has recently developed a taste for it. I don't say no because I know what is going in it since it's all homemade (except for the club soda) and I can control the salt.

I can see my family guzzling a lot of fizzy lemonade this summer! It's very refreshing!

Oh, and answering the first question, no, I don't let my kid drink soda. He hasn't had any yet. I don't think I'm going to be extremely strict with that, but I would avoid it if I could. Everything in moderation - like someone said earlier.


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## Matt's Mom in MT (Apr 18, 2003)

I have a sick soda obsession. I'm completely addicted to diet root beer.

Having said that, my kids don't drink soda, except for maybe 2 - 3 times a year when we go out to eat and they are allowed either root beer or sprite. Most of the time they opt for milk. And it's milk 99% of the time at home, the other 1% is water.

I don't forbid soda, (I refuse to be a hypocrite) but I certainly don't encourage it.

And it's soda, not pop! Lol. Pet peeve.


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## gypsymama2008 (Apr 23, 2008)

DD gets sparkling water and Komboucha (which she LOVES). When she's sick I'll give her "natural" ginger ale. Around Christmas she has sparkling cidar. That's about it. We call Komboucha "healthy soda" so I think I'm going to try and push that when soda is an option since she likes it just as much (honestly, it's hard for me to tell the difference between flavored Komboucha and soda anyway).


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## JudiAU (Jun 29, 2008)

No, never. At almost 6 and 3 they are still ahem, kind of suckers about stuff. Watered down juice is a rare, party-only treat. And if the host actually serves full strength juice I still water it down in cups before I give it to them. My 6 year son just sucks it down. My three year old will say, why isn't mine in a box and then excitedly suck it down.

I am comfortable with sweets but they have to be quality sweets. We don't ever give them junk both because it is junk/void of nutrition/filled with nasties but also because I like food, actually love food, and want to teach them what good food tastes like.


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## Katie8681 (Dec 29, 2010)

I have a soda habit outside of the house, but on the rare occasions we've had root beer or those carbonated juice bottles in the house, the most he's had is a sip, which has been enough to persuade him it's not for him! I think the carbonation is ouchy for him and its too sweet. He has sipped on heavily watered down apple juice but it's not his thing so far. Water, cows milk, and above all else nursies are his beverages of choice!


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## Cathlin (Apr 4, 2012)

I drink soda water but we don't have soda - she loves my bubbly water, though! DH and I have talked about it and decided that if she's at a birthday party and there's soda or they go to McDonald's, it's ok, no big deal. I dont want her to think it's apocalyptic. But we don't drink it at home (there's obv potential for real ginger ale when she's sick, but she's still too little). I could see if she requested it for a bday party getting it, but I'm hoping she'll think the soda we make at home with simple syrup and lavender is special enough.


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## newmamalizzy (Jul 23, 2010)

I'll get my DD one of those Izzy sodas for treats now and again, but I don't think she knows about real soda yet. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, I guess, but I don't intend to buy it. It's just not something we do.


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## limabean (Aug 31, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Matt's Mom in MT*
> 
> Having said that, my kids don't drink soda, except for maybe 2 - 3 times a year when we go out to eat and they are allowed either root beer or sprite.


Those are the two soda options I was allowed as a child too, I think because back in the day they were the ones without caffeine. I love root beer and try to limit my caffeine intake, so it bugs me that most restaurants nowadays serve Barq's root beer (which has caffeine -- well, the non-diet type does anyway, I think the diet is caffeine-free) instead of A&W or Mug (which don't).


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## One_Girl (Feb 8, 2008)

I let my DD choose soda or juice on very special occassions like a birthday or celebration. When she is sick I give her whatever she will eat or drink becausw she will just not eat and it makes her scary sick.


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

We don't have pop in the house, as a rule. I think dh has bought a bottle a couple of times, but it's very rare. If we have it, they get a small glass occasionally, but dh and ds1 will drink most of it.

If we're eating in restaurants, they usually get the kids meal. That usually comes with an option for pop, juice or milk/chocolate milk. We let them pick what they want of the options - the only rule is nothing with caffeine (eg. no cola) at dinner. It's okay at lunch. And, once or twice a year, we take them to a movie. They can have a pop there, too.

This doesn't amount to a lot of pop, as we don't go out to eat (or pick up drive through or whatever) very often. They get juice slightly more often, but not even close reguarly. I have it in the house for cooking sometimes - three of our favourite recipes use orange juice. I also have apple juice around in the winter, because I heat it up with spices as a nice hot drink when we come back inside from a walk, trip to the farm, or whatever.

We mostly drink water around here. The kids drink milk (I don't like it) fairly regularly. DD1, ds2 and I drink herbal teas (the kids less often than I - they sometimes ask for them as a treat). That's about it.


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## kejohnson (Jul 17, 2009)

Nope, I dilute our homemade kombucha with water. They LOVE it! Makes me happy


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## mamalisa (Sep 24, 2002)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Caneel*
> 
> I think they put something addictive in Lucky Charms. I don't like cereal and never bought it so DS was not exposed to cereal aside from Cherios, Kix and other generic so-called healthy cereals at daycare.
> 
> ...


When we go to Myrtle Beach I buy Kool Aid because the water in our condo tastes like crap. Dd is always asking "when are we going on vacation again?" When I ask why, her answer is almost always "Because I want to have Kool Aid again". We haven't been back for 3 years, but she's waiting!


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## newmamalizzy (Jul 23, 2010)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *mamalisa*
> 
> When we go to Myrtle Beach I buy Kool Aid because the water in our condo tastes like crap. Dd is always asking "when are we going on vacation again?" When I ask why, her answer is almost always "Because I want to have Kool Aid again". We haven't been back for 3 years, but she's waiting!


We had it only at dance school Christmas parties as kids. Looked forward to "red drink" all year long...


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## revolting (Sep 10, 2010)

We do an occasional Izzie, but that's it.


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## sageowl (Nov 16, 2010)

I was raised by a dentist, so I'm pretty anti-sugar, so for the most part, I don't drink soda (or even much juice, really), so I don't keep any in the house, and almost NEVER buy it--probably 4 or 5 times a year, max. DH drinks the occasional soda, but he buys them one at a time. Definitely don't buy it for the small ones...

On the other hand, I don't want to make a huge ol' big deal out of it, so I don't forbid my kids to have it at parties or other people's houses if that's what's available, but I try to encourage them to limit it (under the guise of sharing--sure you can have a glass, but don't drink too much so other kids can have some too.) Granted my kids are pretty young (not yet in school), so they're not at the age where they're all that aware of it, and thus demanding it when we go shopping at the store. When they get older, especially when they're teens, I'm anticipating having to set limits around it. Probably will make them buy it with their own (earned) money or something...I think if they have to pay for it themselves, they might decide it's not so important. Maybe...

I taught nutrition classes for the past couple of years, so I'm super aware of the health issues around sodas, and that will probably get trotted out on a regular basis. Mt. Dew is as bad as meth as far as I'm concerned.


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## meemee (Mar 30, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Caneel*
> 
> I think they put something addictive in Lucky Charms.


They do. its called SUGAR. or high fructose corn syrup.

i think us liking sugar so much is remnants of survival skills from when man was a hunter gatherer. anything usually sweet was safe and not poisonous. so we have it in our genetic buildup that sweet is safe. i mean so many years ago an orange on the east coast was a christmas stocking stuffer. due to corn industry lobbying we all have become addicted to so many things. our definition of junk has changed in a hundred or so years. yesterdays junk is our healthy food now.

today when they try to come up with a new variety of apple - what do they test it against? yup soda. if it isnt 'sweet' they dont clone that plant. we are forcing nature's hand to do what it wouldnt do naturally in nature. the majority of apples are inedible. bitter. only the cultivated ones are sweet. johnny appleseed wasnt planting apples for food. it was for alcohol. hard apple cider.

the good news about this is - awareness. if your family is aware of this - whatever is important to you - sugar, fat, salt, processed - your child WILL pick it up and run with it and make the right choices.

dd is 10. her new thing is baking. she is experimenting with making cookies. figuring out textures, etc. she figured out herself that she doesnt need to put the amount called for of sugar in chocolate chip cookies. she researches and reads up on fats. once she made cookies without sugar but with peanut butter and the result was quite interesting. scones.


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## gypsymama2008 (Apr 23, 2008)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *meemee*
> 
> They do. its called SUGAR. or high fructose corn syrup.
> 
> i think us liking sugar so much is remnants of survival skills from when man was a hunter gatherer. anything usually sweet was safe and not poisonous. so we have it in our genetic buildup that sweet is safe. i mean so many years ago an orange on the east coast was a christmas stocking stuffer. due to corn industry lobbying we all have become addicted to so many things. our definition of junk has changed in a hundred or so years. yesterdays junk is our healthy food now.


I have an anthro. degree so I know a little about this. Humans can differentiate 5 different specific tastes: salty, savory, sweet, bitter, and sour. Savory and Salty were to attract us to meat, bitter was to help us recognize something poisonous, sour was to help us recognize fruit/veggies that were too unripe, and sweet was to attract us to carbs. We like sugar so much because way back in the day when we were hunter-gatherers there was about a month or two when fruits were in season and we were supposed to gorge ourselves on them and fatten up for the winter (they see the same thing in Orangatans), so anything sugary or even carby doesn't trigger the "full" feeling, because we were supposed to eat as much of it as possible. With meat or fat they trigger the hormones that tell you you're full relatively quickly because it can be dangerous to over-consume them (especially protein). And you can feel totally full of protein (ie the idea of steak sounds unappealing because you feel so full) and still feel like you can eat carbs because our bodies want to fill us up with extra energy to reserve for "famine." I find it really fascinating.


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## ChristinaLucia (May 1, 2006)

Almost never. Maybe 1 time per year.


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## mamalisa (Sep 24, 2002)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *sageowl*
> 
> I was raised by a dentist, so I'm pretty anti-sugar, so for the most part, I don't drink soda (or even much juice, really), so I don't keep any in the house, and almost NEVER buy it--probably 4 or 5 times a year, max. DH drinks the occasional soda, but he buys them one at a time. Definitely don't buy it for the small ones...
> 
> ...


But it's delicious. My one true weakness. It's the devil.


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## meemee (Mar 30, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *gypsymama2008*
> 
> I have an anthro. degree so I know a little about this. Humans can differentiate 5 different specific tastes: salty, savory, sweet, bitter, and sour. Savory and Salty were to attract us to meat, bitter was to help us recognize something poisonous, sour was to help us recognize fruit/veggies that were too unripe, and sweet was to attract us to carbs. We like sugar so much because way back in the day when we were hunter-gatherers there was about a month or two when fruits were in season and we were supposed to gorge ourselves on them and fatten up for the winter (they see the same thing in Orangatans), so anything sugary or even carby doesn't trigger the "full" feeling, because we were supposed to eat as much of it as possible. With meat or fat they trigger the hormones that tell you you're full relatively quickly because it can be dangerous to over-consume them (especially protein). And you can feel totally full of protein (ie the idea of steak sounds unappealing because you feel so full) and still feel like you can eat carbs because our bodies want to fill us up with extra energy to reserve for "famine." I find it really fascinating.


ooooooooh a kindred spirit.

i grew up in a tropical country - where ripe fruit is available all through the season. there are many bitter things we eat. the attraction IS the bitterness. i wonder if its because poison in that kind of abundance is around colour rather than taste.

MAMALISA this one is for you. one thing that really helps me reduce the consumption of the food is social justice. i have been able to give up favourite foods because of where they come from and what the impact of exporting that commodity has done to that community. have you heard of the North carolina Mountain Dew mouth thing. http://www.yourlawyer.com/topics/overview/Mountain-Dew-Mouth-Teeth-Lawsuit-Tooth-Loss-Decay

I was furious by their denial.


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## Sachi Shah (Apr 9, 2013)

No soft drinks are very harmful for children. SO never allow to drink soft drinks to children.


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## Momsteader (Dec 13, 2002)

We don't drink it at home. If kids are in a group setting and it's offered, they may or may not drink it. We go to Costco once a month for shopping and they may or may not have it out of the machine there. At grandparents, they sometimes have it as well. I don't stress too much. Feel like things that are nevers will end up being something they really really want!


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## inconditus (Oct 1, 2012)

My LO is too small for pop anyways but when she gets older I plan on using the same "rules" for her that I follow myself. If I don't know what's in something I won't consume it.. and I make informed decisions about the things that I do know.

The only pop I will drink myself is Sierra Mist Natural and that's only rarely since the only person who ever buys it is my mother in law... and that's only when it is on sale.

I'm fine with 100% juice, even though it is all sugar... at least it's fruit sugar.


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## sillymom44 (Jul 30, 2011)

We don't keep soda in the house b/c we love it too much. When we go out to eat, we usually drink a soda-- but going out to eat is once or twice a month. We drink water for the most part. The older kids have 1 cup of juice a day if they want it. They really do like water though-- weird! LOL


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## journeymom (Apr 2, 2002)

This is a great MDC subject!

We keep diet Pepsi in the house. Before dh took up coffee, diet pepsi was his caffeine of choice. He gets migraines, and he aware that the caffeine both helps and exacerbates it. He's not interested in giving up caffeine, but in the past month he's been making a concerted effort to reduce the diet pepsi, he's uncomfortable with the fake chemicals. I'm thrilled. We're keeping bottles of Arrowhead flavored waters in the house.

Full sugar soda pops are occasional. I came across cane sugar Coke (Mexican Coke) and bought a couple bottles. Ds and I split one. The other one is still in the fridge, a week later. We get root beer and ginger ale a few times a year. Haagen Dazs vanilla ice cream and IBC root beer for floats are simply the best.

The Easter Bunny brought us each a funky soda in the Easter baskets. Ginger Ale from Australia. 'Craft brewed' root beer from Oregon. And a Cherry Jolt Cola, because dd loves cherry cola. She's saving it for her AP English test.

I love a gin and tonic, and was so excited to find Hansen's tonic water. No corn syrup!! It's so good. Dd calls it 'that horrible stuff masquerading as soda' because she took a big sip thinking it was like Sprite, was very disappointed.

The kids and I drink fruit juice. I cut it with water for as long as I could get away with it. I still cut my juice sometimes. I found that some fruit juice first thing in the morning helps me wake up faster than coffee. It's a great shot of sugar.

Water consumption is way up here since I got a Brita water filter pitcher and keep it on the counter.

We each get some sort of Sugar Bombs! cartoony cereal for our birthdays. I love Fruit Loops, even if they scrape up the top of my mouth.


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## columbusmomma (Oct 31, 2006)

Dh,Dd,and myself don't drink any soda. Ds likes it and occasionally I indulge him, either buy a little for the house or let him order at a restaurant.


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## mumm (May 23, 2004)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *meemee*
> 
> to me juice, soda, gatorade, popsicle are the same thing. no difference,


Very big difference to me. A juiced orange or carrot (frozen on a stick or in a glass as liquid) is not the same as soda or gatorade. At all.

We drink seltzer and sparkling water, but not soda. Unless we are in some place where clean water is difficult to come by, and then we drink colas. This started when traveling and dp (who drinks coffee) needed some caffeine to keep a withdrawal headache away. Now sometimes one of my kids will say "can we go to (insert third world country here) to get some diet coke?" As if we couldn't just go to the local grocery store and buy some!


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## journeymom (Apr 2, 2002)

Sixteen oz each, there is about 17g sugar in original Gatorade and 39g sugar in Coca Cola. Not defending either of them, just pointing out the facts. I never get Gatorade.


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## limabean (Aug 31, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *mumm*
> 
> Very big difference to me. A juiced orange or carrot (frozen on a stick or in a glass as liquid) is not the same as soda or gatorade. At all.


I don't think most people think of a freshly juiced carrot when they hear the word "juice." I assumed meemee was talking about commercially available bottles of apple juice, grape juice, and the like. I have a family member who totally thinks that drinking glass after glass of Juicy Juice is exactly the same as eating a bunch of apples, but to me it's much closer to drinking soda than to eating apples.


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## kitteh (Jun 25, 2009)

When I think of juice I generally assume its 100% fruit and/or veggie juice. Not necessarily fresh squeezed, though that would be the ideal (i really need to buy a juicer!)


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## meemee (Mar 30, 2005)

yup yup. thanks lima. that is exactly what i meant.

however to add to the whole thing... even freshly squeezed juice should be in moderation. there is still inherent sugar in it (not added).

the part about sugar is its addictive quality. and knowing about that - if i had known about its addictive nature i'd have kept it away from dd longer.

but i believed in moderation which is bunkum inho when you are starting your kids on food. though i am not sure how i would have done it or if it would have had any affect.

dd is sensitive to sugar and sugar in any form - healthy too packs a punch for her. her body reacts the same way to a glass of soda or a glass of freshly squeezed OJ.

today she handles it well if its not dangled in front of her nose. these days many times she refuses to go to a bday party because of the sugar treats. because it is so painful to say no when its right in your face.

that is so so so sad.

reminds me of the book - the end of overeating where one of the stories told was of this young adult who suffered too because she wasnt overeating. the pull was so great. she struggled to say no and keep away and it took an emotional toll on her.

so yes. sugar is sugar. whether it is in freshly squeezed OJ, oj carton or soda. i'd rather give dd an orange instead of OJ. so we stay away from sweetened drinks as much as possible. there is no reason on earth why our drinks need to be sweetened.


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## alaskanmomma (May 25, 2011)

We don't drink pop in our home. The kids don't seem to feel they are missing out, so no guilty feelings here lol. My DHs brother is 7 and guzzles pop like it's going out of style, even around him they are a-o-k with milk or water. I do occasionally allow lemonade since I love it, but it's rare...once a month if that!


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## JamieCatheryn (Dec 31, 2005)

DH drinks Coke, the kids and I never have that (caffeine and I hate the taste). Every few weeks we'll have 7up in the house and the 2 boys and I will split a can. For upset tummies we do licorice tablets mostly, usually illnesses are gone before we could get to the store for something else and if we kept it in the house it would get consumed. Sweetened drinks in general we just don't do that much, I'll make a 1/2 gal of lightly sweetened tea or lemonade some weeks, and we have OJ at breakfast, otherwise it's water and sometimes milk. If you're in the habit of drinking mostly sweet things it's hard to tell if you are thirsty or crave sweets. I have a bad reputation are church for denying things they want to give my kids, and they get around me every chance they have. I heard one lady say she doesn't believe any of that stuff is actually bad for kids, she felt like indulging them daily with cookies, chips, and koolaid is part of childhood. Meanwhile you have people growing up unable to stand drinking water and having a 2 liter a day of mt dew instead and snacking on chips and such all day long, and huge rates of diabetes etc.

As far as cereal goes, often we have raisin bran for dessert or cheerios with fruit. I'll bake sweets many times too, lower sugar so you can taste what's in it though. Breakfast is usually an egg and half slice of toast, fruit and orange juice.


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## journeymom (Apr 2, 2002)

Quote:


> so yes. sugar is sugar. whether it is in freshly squeezed OJ, oj carton or soda.


There is aplenty of argument lately that all sugars are not equal.

Why would you rather give your dd a whole orange? Because it's not the same as those drinks.

What hasn't changed is that 1 gram of sugar has the same number of calories whether it comes from straight from the sugar bowl, from a soda or a whole orange. Or a pile of spinach. It's still 1 gram of sugar.

1 gram of sugar from spinach. Is that, like, 10 cups of spinach? Lol. The delivery system and the volume are different and that difference matters.

An 8 oz glass of fresh squeezed OJ is not the same as an 8 oz glass of coke. They simply are not.

Yes, a whole orange is way healthier than a cup of Gatorade or Coke or Minute Made OJ for various reasons.

Sorry, I'm not picking on you, but I am nitpicking for the sake of argument. I need to get off the computer and have my 3pm snack already.


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## inconditus (Oct 1, 2012)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *meemee*
> 
> so yes. sugar is sugar.


This reminds me of my childhood. Except my mom took the completely opposite stand. Her opinion was if sugar is sugar and my kids would rather have a twinkie than an apple then whatever.... it's all the same. Lol. How I managed on a diet of sweets, hot dogs, and box mac and cheese is beyond me.


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## limabean (Aug 31, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *journeymom*
> 
> What hasn't changed is that 1 gram of sugar has the same number of calories whether it comes from straight from the sugar bowl, from a soda _or a whole orange._ Or a pile of spinach. It's still 1 gram of sugar.


Isn't that the point though? That it's more difficult to take in the same quantity of sugar by eating whole fruits than when drinking fruit juice? You can pretty easily glug down 16oz of juice without being all that conscious of it, but you'd be unlikely to eat 4 pieces of fruit (or however many would correspond to 16oz of juice -- I'm on my phone and can't easily research that right now) without meaning to. Like you said, the delivery system matters. Sugar is sugar, but some items pack such a dense sugar/calorie punch that it's easier to overboard.

ETA: Holy cow! I looked it up, and an 8oz glass of both orange and apple juice has about the same amount of sugar as the whole fruit (24 grams)! I'm surprised. The fiber argument still stands, but wow. You learn something new every day!


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *meemee*
> 
> y
> 
> ...


It really depends on the kid. DS1 never had any problem moderating his sugar intake - he was the kid who never finished his Halloween or Easter candy, yk? DD1 does reasonably well. DS2 has no ability to self-moderate at all - none. He'd eat an entire box of cookies or large bag of candy if he were allowed to do so.


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## cynthia mosher (Aug 20, 1999)

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## janinvan (May 21, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *mamazee*
> 
> Soda is horrible in so many ways, but when a kid is sick, I pick up some Sprite or other similar soda. Otherwise, the older one occasionally has some if she's at a party or something, and she can order soda if we go out to eat (which is seldom lately.) The younger one (4) only gets it if she's sick, and then only if I have to fight to keep her liquids up.
> 
> ...


Absolutely not, soda is linked to so many health problems (obesity, etc.) and offers little if any dietary benefit. They can drink water, milk, real fruit juice... But not soda.


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## jmarroq (Jul 2, 2008)

Guilty. My husband and I are so not on the same page with a lot of parenting issues. He gave my son soda at a young age and he really took to it. Luckily, I do all the shopping, so I don't buy it, except for ginger ale or natural sodas with real sugar on occasion. We let my daughter try it when she was a bit older than my son, and she didn't like it. She wants to like it, but she just can't do it. I think the bubbles annoy her, so only one of my children drinks soda.

My son gets soda at parties or restaurants. I find ways to justify it too! I am worried that the juice they use could be icky. It's from the bar, may have been open a while, could have alcohol (don't laugh, it's been in the news on more than one occasion...server mixes up mimosa with regular orange juice)...and we had a bad experience with bad milk once. At least with soda, it comes from a tank, and is mixed with soda water from another tank...the worst that can happen is the soda is flat. I think it's more the ice cubes you need to worry about as far as germs, and that's with any drink besides milk. The juice we drink at home is organic and is mixed with water, and I know we won't find that at a restaurant...it will be food coloring and corn syrup, so why not just get soda...same thing!

We do eat out pretty often. If it's not a school night, I will let him have Coke, Pepsi or Root Beer...otherwise it's usually Sprite. He also sucks it down quickly, so we make him switch to milk eventually.


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## journeymom (Apr 2, 2002)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *janinvan*
> 
> Absolutely not, soda is linked to so many health problems (obesity, etc.) and offers little if any dietary benefit. They can drink water, milk, real fruit juice... But not soda.


Only because I can't resist looking for an opposite angle: do you let your kids eat candy? Maybe for Halloween or in birthday party goody bags.


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## Cathlin (Apr 4, 2012)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *journeymom*
> 
> Only because I can't resist looking for an opposite angle: do you let your kids eat candy? Maybe for Halloween or in birthday party goody bags.


It's amazing how early this challenge has arisen for us! We don't have soda in the house, but I do bake (dairy and gluten free) cookies from time to time, and boy does my 16 month old LOVE cookies! I've had to curtail the baking a bit so that sweets can be special occasion foods.


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## 95191 (Nov 8, 2007)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *journeymom*
> 
> Only because I can't resist looking for an opposite angle: do you let your kids eat candy? Maybe for Halloween or in birthday party goody bags.


you might find this interesting - http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/06/really-most-of-the-added-sugar-in-our-diets-comes-from-sugary-drinks/?ref=health

Nearly 70 percent of the calories from added sugars that Americans eat on a daily basis come from processed foods like breads, jams, cakes and ice cream. Added sugars can also be found in things like tomato sauce, condiments and salad dressings, and multigrain crackers and cereals.


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## kathymuggle (Jul 25, 2012)

They are older. They can drink what they want. We do not keep have it in the house very often - usually only when I want to use it to make mixed drinks with.

I never controlled soft drink consumption at friends houses; at restaurants I usually insisted on juice or milk until they were about 10 or 11, or just water (paying $3 a drink at a restaurant with 5 people can really add up! Water is free). After age 10 or so, they can order what they want. A lot of the time they just get water.


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## dbsam (Mar 3, 2007)

My children had never had pop until recently. But, now that they are in third grade, it is often served at birthday parties. When they were younger I w/h given them water at the party, but now I figure they can have a bit when we are at some one else's house. It is only a few times/year, they don't really like it much and I didn't want to make a bigger deal out of it. (e.g. My sister thinks her 12yo has never had pop. He's told me he's had it at birthday parties but is afraid to tell his mom.)

My husband and I drink Steaz, which is 'pop-like', green tea soda. The kids have tried it and like it so they might be asking for it one day.

When I was growing up, we had 'pop day' on Sundays. We were each allowed to have a small juice glass of pop or sometimes a black cow.


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## Escaping (Nov 13, 2012)

Everything in moderation... we don't have any strict rules about anything being disallowed in the house. My son had to drink pop on a plane ride at 13 months because the airport made me dump all the drinks I had for him and the plane ran out of juice and water. All they had left was coffee and pop. I wasn't happy about it (although he seemed to be!







) but it wasn't the end of the world. I think obesity has more to do with kids spending their lives indoors than it does with sugar.


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## KaliShanti (Mar 23, 2008)

Our kids are ages 6, 3, and 17 months. The older two have had a few sips in their lives. We don't have it at home and only occasionally get it out.


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## ronart (May 16, 2013)

We avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup at all costs. Now our little one is far from making his own decisions. We hope that when the time comes our LO will be educated enough to make the healthy choice. However, at that point the choice is up to them.

I do agree with you that when sick a little bubbly is good. We would probably elect for sparkling apple cider if we had to choose.


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## meemee (Mar 30, 2005)

just a reminder that real fruit juice, even freshly squeezed juice that you did - is still sugar. in fact without the filler pulp its even more concentrated sugar than eating it. it takes an incredible number of apples and medium oranges to make an 8 oz. glass of juice. even watermelons. even if you smoothie it and dont throw anything away. i have found dd and i tend to eat less watermelon than if we smoothied it.

so since dd is sensitive to sugar - whether it is juice or soda - its still sugar. the only difference soda is all empty calories. but juice without pulp and skin also has a lot taken out of it.

drinking sugar in any form is something to be avoided. i wish i had known this when dd was a toddler.

eating sugar is a whole nother issue. because today what we call junk food - i dont call food at all (but i love a bunch of them too and struggle with this issue). and what we dont consider junk food - like home made cookies and brown sugar in oatmeal - i consider junk. another form of sugar is starch and grains and we consume far too much of grains and not enough fruit and veggies.

in our family we do some junk - some days more than others, some days not at all. living in the world we do today and with food being such a social thing i dont expect to completely keep junk out of dd's life.


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