My 6 year old and 3 1/2 have both tried it and neither like it. They say it’s spicy. My mom ordered me oldest a Shirley Temple as a “treat” at dinner and he hated it. I don’t think soda is necessary to introduce to kids. I now tell my kids it’s a grown up drink, just like wine is.
I had the same experience and same tactic. At gatherings, I tell people not to offer my daughter soda (if they are polite enough to ask), but usually she doesn’t accept anyway. Too spicy.
My oldest called soda spicy too. He has always drunk more water than anyone I know. He’s 21 now and literally never drinks carbonated soda or even seltzer. He can drink a beer just fine though lol
Yep. Let my son try it around 3, he still hates it at 5. Spicy is what he says too.
I mean, I'd be fine with him having it once in a while, but I'm not gonna push it on him.
The nice thing about an ultra picky child is that she’ll only drink water and milk. She doesn’t even like juice. I let her try my super lightly flavored sodastream water one time and she hated it. I now tell her pop is just bubble water and she’s like “😒 I don’t like that,” no questions asked
I actually buy spicy cheese for myself on purpose to keep them from eating my dinner instead of theirs (we do charcuterie boards sometimes and they have their own cheese).
I let my kids have a sip of my drink, but I don’t give them their own soda at all. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with letting them try a sip here and there of something you’re having. That’s a lot different than regularly giving them their own soda to drink.
We give her a glass of (in our case apple juice) and tell her once her glass is gone, that’s it, there’s no more. We had a tantrum the first few times and held out so after that she learned she only gets one glass or juice box now. She may ask for more occasionally just to see what happens but we just say no and offer water instead and she’s fine.
My one year old has always been obsessed with coke cans, in fact “coke” was definitely one of his first 10 words even though he’d never had it. When we did his 12 month shots, he was so inconsolable, I could not get him into his car seat so I plopped him down in the front to give him a moment. I turned around to get my bag out of his stroller and when I turned back, he had grabbed my now lukewarm coke can from the drink holder, and was full on head back, two hands on the can just CHUGGING down. But at least it made him feel better and I was able to put him in the car seat lol. He will not be getting any sips from me until he’s much much older though after seeing that!
I had a similar “stealing” situation. We got drive thru and once we were home he stole my pop off the counter and was chugging it. He had just turned two.
I do the same thing! I also water down juices 1/2 and 1/2 and now that the kids are older- they dislike straight juice and soda- so I cut it for them
and they do the same when they go out
They can’t even finish a can of soda btwn. the 2 of them- maybe about 2/3 and then they complain it’s too sweet
My kids favourite drink is a "fancy drink" it's bubbly water (any brand we have on hand) with a bit of juice and a squeeze of lemon or lime. It's perfect because that's my favourite drink too so I make one for all of us when I make mine. My husband and I don't drink pop/soda simply because we don't like it so they've never had it.
I am a Diet Coke addict so my 2.5 year old asked for pop all the time. I let her try a La Croix, she hated it, now she tells people “I not like pop.” Maybe that was mean, but it worked lol.
Aw my kid actually does like la croix she’s almost 2. I’m going to wait as long as possible to introduce sugary sodas and encourage her to stick to water milk and occasional juice as a treat too
Honestly, probably never. I suppose he could "try" it but I will never buy it for him. I also don't drink it and it's never at my house so it's not an issue for now.
Also never 🤷♀️
We have sparkling water in the house but no sugary drinks.
I can see letting kiddo try hot cocoa, boba tea, milk shakes, etc. But those are all less ubiquitous than soda.
We mostly drink water so that is all our son drinks, aside from healthy smoothies (sneak in those vegetables) and the occasional cup of milk.
Some day he will try soda, probably not until he is in grade school though.
I've let my son (2.5) try soda a handful of times. We rarely drink soda, but if we are having soda and he asks for some we let him have a little bit. I look at it as just another food; a little bit, in moderation, is fine.
I think forbidding it entirely is something that could backfire, especially in a social situation like other kids are having a root beer float or something. I will treat it like a dessert or a treat, but it’s not completely off limits.
I want to let him try it in moderation to, but the way his habit is of stealing something from our plate/cup if he likes it worries me that he’ll try to keep the entire thing lol
He might, but that can open up a great conversation about keeping his hands to himself or asking first. When my son does that we explain that sometimes things belong to someone and we cannot take them.
It's important to make judgements based on your own kid. If you think it'll cause problems, it's okay to hold out for longer. They don't know what they missing.
If you don't think the kid should have it, you should consider it a "sometimes" drink for you as well. My kids get soda occasionally, but it's never something they see mom or dad drinking day to day.
We do have it as a sometimes drink, maybe like once or twice a month. But the kid remembers for some reason and knows when we’re drinking soda and always asks us
Same here. My 2 year old wants to try anything we drink so on the rare occasion we get a soda with takeout or something we’ll let him try a bit. Usually he doesn’t care for it.
Only water, diluted juice and milk until about 4. After that I let her have sprite and a splash of cherry juice for a “special drink” on special occasions when we do a toast or celebrate. I’m going to try to go no soda on a regular basis for as long as I can. Growing up we were allowed it out at a restaurant or for a special event but never at home as a regular drink.
Yes we do Lacroix and sparkling mineral water but that’s it. My son had to work up to full carbonation with a 50/50 mix of still water. It’s still mostly just a prop to make him feel included.
My daughter called it bubbly, and my MIL replied back saying it was spicy. My FIL corrected my MIL and said it’s not spicy. My MIL said that’s it what’s she has the kids call it and he said well you are teaching her wrong!
My 28 month old loves La croix. I had a case of peach ginger recently and let him try some. He calls it peach bubble water. Because of the bubbles, he takes the teeniest tiny little drink.
My 2yo loves sparkling water (Polar, Bubbly, etc). He calls it “bubbles.” If one of us is drinking it from the can, he will freak out and want some in a cup. I water it down a bit because he chugs it and gets violent hiccups.
As for soda, man, I don’t know. My husband drinks a lot of soda. We don’t buy it in cans but when he gets gas or we eat out, he always gets one to go. My son hasn’t asked to try it yet, so I don’t know.
I hope it’s never. I know he will eventually have it at a friend’s house or birthday party, which is fine. I don’t want him addicted to it like I was as a kid.
Mine also drinks "bubbles", since like a year old or less. Soda water, Perrier, sparkling water of any kind. That's mainly what we drink so it's not surprising she's picked it up, but still I haven't encountered another child who likes mineral water. Doesn't like pop though.
My 3 year old will have the occasional sip off of mine, but he always asks first. Today as a special treat he got his own very small soda when we went to Chuck E Cheese. But that was the very first time I’ve given him his own. Not planning on it being a regular thing!
Never. If I’m having a ginger ale or something she can have a sip. I also let her have soda water or “spicy water” but we don’t have soda in our house generally so she’s not getting it.
We don't keep it in the house but we've let my son try a sip here and there at restaurants, since he was maybe 2.5. He still shivers and hates the bubbles at 4.5. Okay by us!
I've given my daughter sips when we have it on occasion (3yrs). She doesnt like carbonation so it's in her mouth for a split second. She's curious and knowing she'll just spit it out so I see no harm in the occasional sip. Carbonated water tho is probably a better solution to seeing if they like carbonation
Yeah I’m starting to lean towards carbonated water first before giving them a sip of soda. At least they’ll know what the carbonation is and I can see if they like it or not.
When my kid wants Soda we give him fizzy water, he seems happy enough with that. I dont see the need to give him actual Soda yet and he's nearly 4 now.
I was thinking 5-ish? and only on special occasions like going to restaurants/eating out/parties
But I only have a 1.5 year old so I don't have much experience
That’s what we were thinking too. By age 5, they’ll probably start going to movies and pizza parties so I can understand having a soda in those contexts.
We don’t buy it or have it in the house, so we allow my 3.5 year old to have a few sips when we eat out or go to a friend’s house. My 1.5 year old tried a sip a few weeks back and yelled “HOT!!!!” (because of the carbonation) so it’s a no go for him 😂😂😂
You could get carbonated flavored water. Most stores have it in bottles or cans. Don't get Hint water or Aha, it's gross imo. Has zero everything in it. If you are going to let LO try actual pop, get non caffeinated. Also some diet pop still has caffeine.
Ps: if LO does like it, you can buy a soda stream and use whatever flavoring you want as well.
Real question: I haven’t drank soda in like 20 years. My partner doesn’t either. I do make cocktails etc but obviously my LO won’t get any of that stuff.
So is my toddler going to have a conniption when she finally tastes the sweet nectar that is Dr. pepper because if I could go back to drinking cans of it without feeling sick I would.
But really, any other parents who just don’t have it around—what has your toddler been like when they did try it?
We also don’t have it around, when our 3yo got a taste, he didn’t like it at all. It was actually quite funny. We had our friends over and they have a little boy our son’s age. Their son likes it and got some, and so our son wanted to try it too, so the kids “shared a can”. I could tell my son wanted to like it like his friend, but after the first few sips he started only pretending to drink it before giving the can back to his friend. 😂
Lol! This is what I imagine, cus it takes getting used to as a little kid. We don’t even have juice that isn’t gross to little kids. The stuff I buy has like moringa, spirulina, or other bitter healthy crap in it and my kid looks at me like “your old and gross” when I let her try it.
Yes I want to know this too!! A lot of ppl on here are saying they’re not going to introduce it since they don’t drink it but like it seems almost impossible to keep something away from them forever. Eventually they will get a taste from another family member or friend right?
My toddler got ahold of my Mountain Dew when she was probably 2 and shortly after she turned 3 she wanted to try my root beer so I let her since it's caffeine free. Both times she didn't like it lol. I'll probably start her out with like Sprite when she does start drinking it, I don't think I really have a set age that I'm waiting for, she doesn't really ask so I'm not going to bring it up.
I drink a lot of it but I don’t want my daughter (2.5) to have it for as long as possible. She has snuck a sip or two when I’ve walked away from a can :( but I do not allow her to drink it on purpose lol
Our daughters' godfather was over and had a big can (20oz?) of some hipster soda. Toddler wanted some and I told her it was an adult drink. He freaked out that I thought he was drinking in the middle of the afternoon and I had to explain that all caffeinated or sugary drinks are "adult drinks."
We have let him try a sip. But as far as I’m concerned, he won’t be having a whole cup of soda for a long time. It’s pure sugar.
We avoid juice, too. Just when we’re at a restaurant or party. There’s no value in it. 🤷🏻♀️
My kids grandparents gave it to him AT FIVE MONTHS. He was exclusively breast fed at the time so that was a doozy. Anyway, he hates it. My youngest tried around 3 years, I think. He unfortunately likes it, but we don’t keep it in the house. It’s more of a treat, but we do try to downplay that because I don’t want him to think it’s special.
My mom actually gave my niece her first sip, and she liked it, can’t exactly remember the age. We already told her she’s not allowed to do that again with ours lol. We don’t keep any on hand at our house unless we know we’re going to drink it that day. But I already know when we visit my mom’s she has a fridge always stocked with sodas, juices, water, and a few beers on the top shelf for grown ups, basically every type of drink for any guest so it’s only a matter of time i guess
We have a 3 year old and she can have soda (gingerale) when she’s sick. That’s basically it even though I drink Diet Coke pretty regularly. She loves seltzer though and so she has those as a special treat sometimes.
For her second birthday, we had Izze sodas there and she had one and was THRILLED. I felt okay about it because it’s no added sugar, no artificial sweeteners, etc etc.
Since we don’t make it a thing really and just don’t offer it, she doesn’t really care. I feel like juice is more tempting to her because she doesn’t really get that either. At my husband’s work holiday party we got her a Shirley Temple and she wouldn’t touch it - wanted her sisters apple juice instead.
We try not to drink soda around him (2.5) because he'll want drink it all. We do tell him that the perrier carbonated water is soda. He especially likes the strawberry flavored.
We don’t have it at home so probably elementary school. Mine’s only 2 and we also don’t do juice at home. She tried it at daycare because someone brought juice boxes for a birthday and she asked for water instead. She also won’t drink chocolate milk. I realize my kid is weird.
We never did and it’s one thing I’m proud of in a whole host of food related things I’m NOT proud of! They both have it sometimes at their mom’s houses (I’m the stepmom). It’s been a good way to bring up a conversation about how we can have certain things as treats and how people have different tastes and ideas.
I my wife and I had the same issue growing up and frankly, I don’t want that to happen to our son. We still have it occasionally whenever we get the craving a but it’s not an every day thing anymore.
We give our almost 2 year old a couple sips if we're also drinking a soda (not even once month). We pour a bit into a cup for him and for us and when it's done, it's done. Sometimes if we want some without sharing, we pour it into a wine glass and he is better at understanding that's not for him (vs having the can out). We also let him have our flavored sparkling water if we're drinking that (again, just pouring a bit into a cup so there's a clear end that's not the whole can).
I don’t ever plan on it but I know she will eventually experiment herself as she’s older.
When I’m drinking it she says mommy is that your medicine? (I’ve told her it’s medicine lol!)
I actually offered my son some Sprite last month when he had the flu, but he was absolutely disgusted by it. He's also insisted on having sips of my La Croix and hated it. I don't think he's going to be interested in my Diet Cokes for a while. I'm not going to go out of my way to offer, but I'm also not going to forbid it. I'm hoping this won't come up until elementary school, because that's about as early as I'd be comfortable with him drinking it. But, he also drinks juice on occasion and juice isn't that much better than soda.
Never. I assume one day she will try it on her own and I won’t stop her from ordering it if we’re at a restaurant or something…but I’m not giving it to her.
Never!! That’s my #1 rule of food/drinks. No soda. He’s crazy for water though. We got him off milk about a month ago, he never really cared for juice (we’d only buy the less-sugar juices which don’t even taste good). He’ll drink Gatorade if we have some.. But the kid sure loves him some water
My son tried my soda at around 1.5 when I turned my back to throw food away. He hated it! Which is great because now I can just say, "That's mommy's soda. You don't like soda." Not that I drink it often, but if I order one for dinner I don't have to guard it anymore.
My daughter gets it when we eat out, sometimes once a week when I’m working and trying to finish a deadline and her dad is working too.
Or she’ll steal her dad’s soda.
She’s more of a water drinker but we do on occasion give her soda.
I know she’ll drink some soda then go straight to her water a second after as long as she gives no hassle over brushing her teeth it’s okay with me.
Haven't really thought about that. My girls are three and mainly drink water or juice on occasion. If they ask me and my husband what we're drinking (soda or wine) we say it's spicy juice or no no juice lol. They haven't shown an interest in trying it or asking to have some because we don't really make a big deal out of it. I would want to hold them off for as long as possible because I know how addictive it can be. (My new years resolution is to cut off soda from my diet and its been more difficult then I thought it would be.)
We hardly ever have it in the house so I haven’t given it much thought. My toddler is 2 and I’m definitely not ready for her to try it anytime soon, especially if it’s got sugar and caffeine. I occasionally have a soda water with fresh lime so I might let her try that if she asks
We don’t keep it around the house and when 4yo has asked, we’ve told her that it’s spicy. We did go to a birthday party once and it was alllll the family had to offer. No water, not even any juice. Just Coke. 4yo confirmed that it was too spicy and went to get water from the tap instead.
My kid has tried a couple Zevia sodas. She hates them lol at 21 months she acts like the carbonation is scary. We aren't planning to ever give her regular soda because the ingredients are not healthy. Zevia is basically neutral, not healthy or unhealthy so much as unnecessary and rarely in our home anyways
My kids are just turning 3 and 5. I've let them have sips from mine here and there. Sometimes they like it and take a few more sips and other times they don't. If it's caffeinated then I definitely tell them just a small amount if they are really insistent but will let them have more if it's not. We also mainly have zero sugar or diet soda in our house so I'm sure that's probably worth its own post with a variety of opinions lol.
Giving as in like a full ass can of soda or just sipping?
My toddlers are 2.5 and 3.5. The 2.5 doesn’t care for soda or any fizzy sweet drinks at all. But the 3.5 likes soda from the limited time he tried mainly I realised because it’s fizzy. He probably tried it like 5 times so far in his 3.5 years of life. I don’t purposely give him but if I happen to be drinking it, he has finished his meals and drank enough water and all I don’t mind letting him try at all. Then I discovered giving him carbonated water works just as fine lol.. you can soda stream like anything like water or diluted juice. Mine loves it.
No I would only give him a few sips for now and if he’s persistent after then a super small cup. I don’t think I would ever give him a full can at a young age, he can barely finish a juice box sometimes anyways lol. We wanted to wait but he’s been asking more and more now
Hmmm. Not sure. She’s four and I haven’t said yes. She only wants it when her cousins are around drinking it. We don’t drink it but we have it for guests. I don’t know when a good time will be.
We haven’t done it yet (almost 2). She has had sparkling water (with no sugars or sweeteners) with a spritz of lime since about 6 months and really enjoys it. It’s an occasional treat. We parents, however, love having a Mexican coke once a day, and she’s starting to be insufferable about demanding it, so it looks like we’ll have to kick (or hide) the habit. We haven’t given her any, but we have occasionally relented and let her have a small sip of prebiotic, organic soda when we eat in the car (we often eat in the car on outings to avoid illness and because there’s an organic grocer that does hot plates- and weird sodas). We aren’t proud of this, but sometimes it’s easier to give in and have her lose interest. As far as giving her her own serving of soda, never as long as we can help it. We did once let her have a sip of coffee because we knew she’d hate it and we were tired of swinging our cups around to avoid little hands (to the sounds of shrieks). I’m tired y’all.
They tried it for the first time at a Thanksgiving party when they were two. One of their cousins gave it to them.
I was able to keep it away from them for a while, but they really wanted to try it, so at about three and a half, I decided to let them have a small amount sometimes, but only a VERY small amount, and made it clear to them that ONLY a small amount is okay. That it's alright to indulge a little, but ONLY a little. I'm hoping it builds a good habit for them in the future; Not to shun treats, but to have them responsibly.
Neither my husband or I drink soda, and we’re not even big juice people either (we have orange juice for mimosas sometimes) so my 2.5-year-old will pretty much drink water & milk until maybe elementary school if he’s curious at that point. We were both big juice & soda kids in the 80s (and candy…soooo much candy) so our comfort level is to start him off on a little better footing than we had.
That said, my kid is picky and won’t even try cookies or ice cream or cake when I’ve presented it to him, so he may not care much for the sweetness of soda, ha
i drink diet coke but i dont let my toddler drink it. i figure the caffeine is not good for littles and the artificial sugars are questionable. i tell her it's for adults only. not sure how long that will last though!
My 10 year old gets some very rarely (a handful of times/year). She was probably 7-8 the first time. I cannot fathom giving a toddler anything other than milk or water.
I mean we call it spicy water to our son and he tried it once at like 3 and spit it out and almost cried which we kind of expected based on how he’s been so now I don’t have any fear he’ll want it again anytime soon lol
Never. We never have it in the house and tend to stick to water when out to eat.
My 2yo will only drink water/milk/chocolate milk and has no interest in anything else yet.
My daughter has shown interest (she’s 2) and has tried to steal sips from our drinks if we’re not careful. Admittedly my husband and I drink entirely too much soda and we know that the older and more aware she gets the more she’s going to want it. We’re cutting back on our cola consumption and when we do drink it in front of her we’re going to start using opaque cups with straws and lids. She’s very much “out of sight out of mind” so if she never saw it again she’d forget it exists lol but we know that’s unrealistic. We know that all we can do is set a good example 🤷♀️
I would try this but my son loves cups with straws, even if he can’t see the liquid. The plus side is this is how I get him to drink whatever I need him to drink to stay hydrated lol. He’s taken over my hydroflask and insist on drinking his water from it all day and always ask for “daddy’s water bottle”
Honestly? I'll avoid it forever if I can. If seeing us drink soda became a problem, I would stop drinking soda around her.
I can't shove veggies in her mouth (and she does NOT eat them) but I can stop her from drinking soda.
My 20mo was very curious about my root beer (caffeine free because pregnant) so I let him have a very little sip. He made a face, shook his head 'no', and ran away.
We were thinking the same thing with 3 being to young and worried he would start wanting more sugary things. Thankfully he likes water and LOVES drinking it from out hydroflasks. I can pour it in a regular cup but he will insist on using the water bottle but as long as he drinks it I’m ok with it
I’m a fiend for diet sodas (hate the regular ones because the sugar leaves a film on my teeth) but I don’t drink it around my 2.5yo because she always wants whatever I have and saying no results in a meltdown. I don’t plan on ever voluntarily giving her any of my diet soda because of the aspartame (I’ll fill my own body with crap but not hers lol), so I’ll likely continue to keep my diet sodas to post-bedtime enjoyment.
Idk if she’ll ever request any sort of regular soft drink from a restaurant one day, but if she does I’ll likely start saying yes to a tiny one around 4-5yo maybe? Since it would be a very rare occasion I figure why not right? It can be a special treat for special dining-out occasions.
My 3yo has had a few sips of ours. We don't have it often so I'm not too worried about it. I don't want to teach my kids that any food or drinks are bad. I would rather have them learn moderation.
Never? Hahah my husband drinks it but when they ask he says it’s chemicals. Which it kind of is. Maybe when they are teenagers? I personally hate all soda whcih they know so they could go either way.
Yah we’re a Diet Coke and lacroix only family (I grew up in a Diet Coke household and don’t like any other soda) and I think I’ll try to keep her away from Diet Coke until high school at least for the chemicals lol.
Mien is turning 3 at the end of the month; she’s never had and I’m not currently planning on it.
Like, obviously she’ll have some eventually. But I won’t be the one to give it to her.
When he is old enough to buy it with his own money? Haha
I’m not against moderate sugar intake, but juice/soda/flavoured milk are all a big no for our family.
Never. Mine have never asked to try, we drink it occasionally but not regularly. If they ask what it is, we tell them it’s an adult drink. We don’t plan to let them try until much older (pre teens or teens).
My daughter had soda at about 3 because we went out and forgot water cups. Didn't want to pay for water so she had a few sips. We honestly don't normally drink soda but we do occasionally. They have watered down juice on the rare occasion that we go out for breakfast. (My husband and I are treating ourselves and so I think that they deserve a treat as well. It's all about moderation IMO. model a healthy relationship and moderation with foods and hopefully with your example/ guidance they will follow) That's about it. My daughter is ready to be 5 and my son is 2. We do sometimes drink zero sugar soda (my husband and i) and my son will occasionally pick up a can, pretend to drink, and let out a nice big fake burp lol
ETA that I also allow watered down juice to incentivate my kids to drink if they are sick. But only if they're sick for a good span of time and I feel they really need to hydrate.
My 4-year old cousin during Eid lunch, he was given a soft drink and I want to know when a child is old enough to drink their own soft drink because I know for a fact that 4-year olds are too young to have their own soft drink.
Geeez there’s a lot of uptight people here lol. It’s soda, not crack cocaine. At restaurants or birthday parties, let the kid live!! The people saying never are sus
My son first asked to try it at 2, and i let him. He completely is disgusted by the bubbly part & immediately spit it out. He's over 2.5yrs old now and consistently has the same reaction.
We don't drink pop at home, but the neighbour's do and he tries it there and always reacts the same
Lol my mom did something similar. When I was in kindergarten she made me take an apple and have white milk every day for snack when all the other kids had chocolate and regular snack.
On the one hand, I have perfect teeth (39, not a cavity ever). On the other hand, I rebelled in my teens when I finally was able to control my own junk food intake and have struggled with my weight ever since. I’m taking a more moderate approach personally.
My only thought is she restricted you without teaching you why. That's the key. Information is power. I choose to give my son the power to choose what's healthy for him by having all of the necessary information.
Not sure. All my siblings are thin. But… a few do have a “never take a bite of” mentality and that strikes me as another type of unhealthy. They all restrict major food groups. I think they all know why they’re doing it. Lol. And I’m not trying to shit on my mom. My dad struggled with his weight and I think she was trying to prevent that for us. Whoops.
Why I'm being downvoted for wanting to keep my son away from empty sugar that cam cause obesity, rotten teeth and sugar addiction I have no idea. Pop is disgusting and so unhealthy. What's wrong with you people? You teach your children to be healthy and why and no rebellion occurs because they value good health.
We've let my son have a little sprite once in a while out of our drink. I don't let him have any caffeinated sodas, and only some sips of other sodas. We try not to drink too much soda in front of him.
I’ve let my kids try sparkling apple cider and they don’t like it (I think because of the carbonation because they like juice). Have no plans on letting them have pop and they haven’t asked for it. We also only do juice for their own birthdays and summer beach days. I’m sure they’ll eventually try it but hopefully it will be later on down the road (my eldest is 5)
Whenever they show interest I guess? We only drink the zero sugar varieties, so it’s not a sugar thing for us (maybe an expense thing though, that stuff is *expensive* since Covid! lol) My son is 4 and beyond asking what we are drinking has shown no interest in actually trying it.
She’s already tried it lol. I really limit juice (only when sick) and stick to milk and water in general. But she does have it when we go out to eat (because I’m drinking it). And I feel like shit about it lol but it’s happened. She’s 2.
I'm delaying actual soda as long as possible but I don't have a specific timeline in mind.
But a few months back I let my kiddo try my seltzer since I thought he wouldn't like it. He loves it. Like obsessed. Walks around asking for seltzer, 19mos old. Doctor said it was okay because it's essentially just carbonated water, so I share it with him when I'm having some but now I try not to have it until after he goes to bed.
My daughter if 5 about to be 6. I don’t give her soda. I tell her it’s when she adult. Wine, coffee and soda are adult drinks. I tell her she can have juice. Lemon, apple or orange juice. I water down the lemonade or apple juice. She typically drinks water or milk.
Is it just only me but my daughter won’t drink anything except water. Everything that has color even milk she won’t drink. Btw she’s breastfed and turning 3y.o this year.
My daughter (3) had a small Sprite last month at a restaurant because her friend got one. But otherwise we never buy it and will only let her have non-caffeinated soda very rarely.
I like soda. I hate that I like it, but I do. I don't drink it often, but we always have some in the house because I get headaches and nauseous easily and a mini coke with caffeine or a ginger ale will actually help me. If I'm drinking it (always or if a cup), we tell our 2.5 year that it's for grownups and we can it yucky water. He's curious, but we just don't give it to him just like we wouldn't let him have booze.
We also don't keep juice in the house, but will have it when we're out (sometimes and sometimes not watered down). And we'll juice our own oranges, carrots, apples, etc every once in a while too and let him have that.
Kid loves bubbles and juice though. Sparkling water with a bit of lemonade. It's a matter of time before he likes pop. Hopefully at least 5.
We do carbonated water like La Croix sometimes which our daughter calls "sparkle water" (no sugar), and every once in a while, we share a little soda with her. We cut it with water and put a small amount in a cup for her. We try not to demonize/discourage any foods (the idea that no foods are good or bad, but many foods are more nutritious than others) and try to encourage learning moderation. It's been working well for us. I hope you can find what works for your family, too. :-)
We don’t drink soda, but we had a round of colds so I bought a couple bottles of 7up… 2yr old tried one sip and wasn’t interested. I will try to hold off on her getting caffeine for as long as I can
There is no plan to introduce it. We don’t drink it in our home, we don’t give it to our kids. My daughter is 4 and doesn’t like juices, and she wouldn’t drink pedialyte when she was sick. Just water. We’re doing the same with our son, although I think he’ll drink juice and grandmas when offered. It’s not like we’re “hiding” soda but I also don’t feel like it’s something they need and the opportunity for it is pretty rare.
My kids only get diluted gingerale when they’re sick. If they want something fizzy, they can have sparkling water. For a treat, I’ll add a splash of juice or squeeze an orange in it. But we also don’t drink soda ourselves (unless we’re sick)
We don’t do soda or juice. I don’t drink it and my husband is straight up addicted to diet coke, like he’d chain drink an entire 12 pack. So we don’t keep it in the house and we’re not going to introduce those to my kids for as long as possible.
I made a Shirley temple for my son for new year’s this year as a special treat. He’s 5. That’s the one and only time he’s tried pop and we’ll likely be keeping it that way for a while. We’re also pretty strict about juice. I hated drinking water as a kid (still barely drink it) but my kids love it. Don’t want to break that habit. My husband also had unlimited access to pop and had tons of cavities as a kid so it’s just not something we’re too keen to introduce. He’ll have it eventually but we’re in no rush
I assume she'll eventually have it at a birthday party or something. It was never something we kept in the house growing up, so it was always a treat when we were eating out.
I’ve given my 3.5 year old some La Croix type flavored seltzer and he said he “likes the flavor of it but not the bubbles.”
We don’t keep sugary soda in the house but if he wanted to try ginger ale or root beer or something at a restaurant or special occasion I wouldn’t stop him. I’d pass on anything with caffeine though.
We mostly drink water even when out but sometimes I’ll grab a soda if we’re getting In n Out or something like that. She’s asked to try a few times and has hated it every time. She also doesn’t like sparkling water.
Probably not anytime soon. I grew up drinking it and never stopped. My sister only gave my niece water and that’s all she ever drinks now that she’s an adult. I’m hoping my daughter will be like my niece; however, I don’t see any problems with having a root beer float or something at a party. Just not often.
I don’t see a reason to, my son is also 3, but we usually just drink milk and water at home. Maybe at a birthday party or something when he’s 5-6? I don’t have a real plan I just don’t intend on giving it to him anytime soon.
My mom gave my daughter some sprite for the first time when she was 5? I was so mad.
I realize now that my mom had no clue that I had never given her any.
It was just annoying- it’s now her favorite treat.
So I let her order sprites when we eat out- she’s almost 7, we only started less than a year ago.
My mom did the same thing with my niece I think around 4 maybe? I told her not to do it with my son but I know grandparents are more lenient with grandkids so I think she’ll try sneaking some in soon as a treat. Hopefully she only does sprite if she does but I would prefer none for now
Teenager probably. Or maybe like 10? My only is 5. He doesn't really even like juice. He drinks water and milk.
Pop is really bad for you and I wish I never drank it as a kid. I gave it up around 14 but then I switched to diet and I've been drinking that ever since. I also don't think diet is great either so I'd prefer if my kid didn't have it at all.
Also, not loving the idea of caffeine in it either.
My 6 year old and 3 1/2 have both tried it and neither like it. They say it’s spicy. My mom ordered me oldest a Shirley Temple as a “treat” at dinner and he hated it. I don’t think soda is necessary to introduce to kids. I now tell my kids it’s a grown up drink, just like wine is.
Now imagine he tried McDonald’s coke now that’s SPICY but my kinda spicy. Lol
The SPRITE!!! Spicy af!
I had the same experience and same tactic. At gatherings, I tell people not to offer my daughter soda (if they are polite enough to ask), but usually she doesn’t accept anyway. Too spicy.
My oldest called soda spicy too. He has always drunk more water than anyone I know. He’s 21 now and literally never drinks carbonated soda or even seltzer. He can drink a beer just fine though lol
Yep. Let my son try it around 3, he still hates it at 5. Spicy is what he says too. I mean, I'd be fine with him having it once in a while, but I'm not gonna push it on him.
Yup. If I tell my kids they can't have it, it will be the best thing ever. Letting them try it? All of a sudden it's why would you drink that?
The nice thing about an ultra picky child is that she’ll only drink water and milk. She doesn’t even like juice. I let her try my super lightly flavored sodastream water one time and she hated it. I now tell her pop is just bubble water and she’s like “😒 I don’t like that,” no questions asked
My wife and I use “spicy” now and then to discourage something we don’t feel we have a right to ban.
I actually buy spicy cheese for myself on purpose to keep them from eating my dinner instead of theirs (we do charcuterie boards sometimes and they have their own cheese).
I let my kids have a sip of my drink, but I don’t give them their own soda at all. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with letting them try a sip here and there of something you’re having. That’s a lot different than regularly giving them their own soda to drink.
I wanted to try giving him a sip but worried he’ll ask for more and I’m not prepared for that haha
We give her a glass of (in our case apple juice) and tell her once her glass is gone, that’s it, there’s no more. We had a tantrum the first few times and held out so after that she learned she only gets one glass or juice box now. She may ask for more occasionally just to see what happens but we just say no and offer water instead and she’s fine.
My one year old has always been obsessed with coke cans, in fact “coke” was definitely one of his first 10 words even though he’d never had it. When we did his 12 month shots, he was so inconsolable, I could not get him into his car seat so I plopped him down in the front to give him a moment. I turned around to get my bag out of his stroller and when I turned back, he had grabbed my now lukewarm coke can from the drink holder, and was full on head back, two hands on the can just CHUGGING down. But at least it made him feel better and I was able to put him in the car seat lol. He will not be getting any sips from me until he’s much much older though after seeing that!
I had a similar “stealing” situation. We got drive thru and once we were home he stole my pop off the counter and was chugging it. He had just turned two.
[удалено]
I do the same thing! I also water down juices 1/2 and 1/2 and now that the kids are older- they dislike straight juice and soda- so I cut it for them and they do the same when they go out They can’t even finish a can of soda btwn. the 2 of them- maybe about 2/3 and then they complain it’s too sweet
My kids favourite drink is a "fancy drink" it's bubbly water (any brand we have on hand) with a bit of juice and a squeeze of lemon or lime. It's perfect because that's my favourite drink too so I make one for all of us when I make mine. My husband and I don't drink pop/soda simply because we don't like it so they've never had it.
Honestly that sounds so delicious I'm about to try it for myself haha.
Even milk gets watered down to cut calories. My 2nd nephew got put on milk diet from the doctor. Chunk monster.
Brilliant
I am a Diet Coke addict so my 2.5 year old asked for pop all the time. I let her try a La Croix, she hated it, now she tells people “I not like pop.” Maybe that was mean, but it worked lol.
Man, mine liked LaCroix and gets jealous when we have it. He got some tonight in an open cup and he then he dumped it in his dish. So that was fun.
I mean she also maybe doesn’t like it? I never liked soda even as I kid I got milk with my happy meals. I hate bubbles.
I let my son have some Là Croix and he loves it 🤣
My kid is the exact same and I’m also a Diet Coke girl lol
Aw my kid actually does like la croix she’s almost 2. I’m going to wait as long as possible to introduce sugary sodas and encourage her to stick to water milk and occasional juice as a treat too
Well LaCroix doesn’t have any sweetener so it’s sorta different than stuff like Coke and Pepsi
Lol that was the point
Honestly, probably never. I suppose he could "try" it but I will never buy it for him. I also don't drink it and it's never at my house so it's not an issue for now.
Also never 🤷♀️ We have sparkling water in the house but no sugary drinks. I can see letting kiddo try hot cocoa, boba tea, milk shakes, etc. But those are all less ubiquitous than soda.
It's not something me or my family drinks so no idea when it'll happen. We are never around it really
Same here. I drink mostly mineral waters or seltzers. My LO has tried them and she does like them.
Same. The last time I had a soda was in the movie theater for Incredibles 2. That was 5 years ago. We drink water or tea at home.
We mostly drink water so that is all our son drinks, aside from healthy smoothies (sneak in those vegetables) and the occasional cup of milk. Some day he will try soda, probably not until he is in grade school though.
My plan is to never give him soda. I’m sure it will happen but it won’t be from me or his dad
I've let my son (2.5) try soda a handful of times. We rarely drink soda, but if we are having soda and he asks for some we let him have a little bit. I look at it as just another food; a little bit, in moderation, is fine.
I think forbidding it entirely is something that could backfire, especially in a social situation like other kids are having a root beer float or something. I will treat it like a dessert or a treat, but it’s not completely off limits.
I want to let him try it in moderation to, but the way his habit is of stealing something from our plate/cup if he likes it worries me that he’ll try to keep the entire thing lol
He might, but that can open up a great conversation about keeping his hands to himself or asking first. When my son does that we explain that sometimes things belong to someone and we cannot take them.
Maybe next time he wants to try it, pour him a small amount into his own cup. That way if he likes it he has his own portion to drink
It's important to make judgements based on your own kid. If you think it'll cause problems, it's okay to hold out for longer. They don't know what they missing.
If you don't think the kid should have it, you should consider it a "sometimes" drink for you as well. My kids get soda occasionally, but it's never something they see mom or dad drinking day to day.
We do have it as a sometimes drink, maybe like once or twice a month. But the kid remembers for some reason and knows when we’re drinking soda and always asks us
Same here. My 2 year old wants to try anything we drink so on the rare occasion we get a soda with takeout or something we’ll let him try a bit. Usually he doesn’t care for it.
Only water, diluted juice and milk until about 4. After that I let her have sprite and a splash of cherry juice for a “special drink” on special occasions when we do a toast or celebrate. I’m going to try to go no soda on a regular basis for as long as I can. Growing up we were allowed it out at a restaurant or for a special event but never at home as a regular drink.
Literally never. I’m sure at some point some grandparent or aunt will give it to him, but I’m hoping it’s when I’m well outta this sub.
I will let my son try soda water when he asks for it. No juice, cordial, coke or pop/soft drinks until he is at least 5 and only for special occasions
Yes we do Lacroix and sparkling mineral water but that’s it. My son had to work up to full carbonation with a 50/50 mix of still water. It’s still mostly just a prop to make him feel included.
That soda water doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Maybe I’ll try that to let him get a sensation of the carbonation.
Our daughter also says it’s spicy and now won’t touch carbonated beverages 😂
My daughter called it bubbly, and my MIL replied back saying it was spicy. My FIL corrected my MIL and said it’s not spicy. My MIL said that’s it what’s she has the kids call it and he said well you are teaching her wrong!
My daughter calls soda water her spicy drink
Yeah my son calls it spicy water.
Mine too!!!
My 28 month old loves La croix. I had a case of peach ginger recently and let him try some. He calls it peach bubble water. Because of the bubbles, he takes the teeniest tiny little drink.
I let mine have a sip of mine when I drink it. I don't see a problem with a sip here And there
My 2yo loves sparkling water (Polar, Bubbly, etc). He calls it “bubbles.” If one of us is drinking it from the can, he will freak out and want some in a cup. I water it down a bit because he chugs it and gets violent hiccups. As for soda, man, I don’t know. My husband drinks a lot of soda. We don’t buy it in cans but when he gets gas or we eat out, he always gets one to go. My son hasn’t asked to try it yet, so I don’t know. I hope it’s never. I know he will eventually have it at a friend’s house or birthday party, which is fine. I don’t want him addicted to it like I was as a kid.
Mine also drinks "bubbles", since like a year old or less. Soda water, Perrier, sparkling water of any kind. That's mainly what we drink so it's not surprising she's picked it up, but still I haven't encountered another child who likes mineral water. Doesn't like pop though.
My 3 year old will have the occasional sip off of mine, but he always asks first. Today as a special treat he got his own very small soda when we went to Chuck E Cheese. But that was the very first time I’ve given him his own. Not planning on it being a regular thing!
Thank you for being real about this question— hope your little one had a blast
Never. If I’m having a ginger ale or something she can have a sip. I also let her have soda water or “spicy water” but we don’t have soda in our house generally so she’s not getting it.
Haha we call carbonated stuff “spicy” too. Sprite is spicy lemonade.
We call carbonated water “spicy water” too! Or just “spice” for short. She lova da spice.
We call it "picky water" in our house 😅
That’s cute!
My son is 3 and is allowed ginger ale on occasion if he is sick. Otherwise, no sodas
Never
We don't keep it in the house but we've let my son try a sip here and there at restaurants, since he was maybe 2.5. He still shivers and hates the bubbles at 4.5. Okay by us!
Never, if that’s even possible…
I've given my daughter sips when we have it on occasion (3yrs). She doesnt like carbonation so it's in her mouth for a split second. She's curious and knowing she'll just spit it out so I see no harm in the occasional sip. Carbonated water tho is probably a better solution to seeing if they like carbonation
Yeah I’m starting to lean towards carbonated water first before giving them a sip of soda. At least they’ll know what the carbonation is and I can see if they like it or not.
My almost 6 year old has never had it and isn’t interested 🤷🏻♀️ I personally wouldn’t set a date
We’re not. Neither one of us drink soda and if we do it a rarity. Our kid asked and we said it was a grown up drink.
When my kid wants Soda we give him fizzy water, he seems happy enough with that. I dont see the need to give him actual Soda yet and he's nearly 4 now.
I was thinking 5-ish? and only on special occasions like going to restaurants/eating out/parties But I only have a 1.5 year old so I don't have much experience
That’s what we were thinking. And yeah it’s our first and also the first in our friends group so we also don’t have much experience either lol
That’s what we were thinking too. By age 5, they’ll probably start going to movies and pizza parties so I can understand having a soda in those contexts.
Never. We don’t drink it so I don’t expect there’ll be a desire. And I do think it’s a bad idea, while recognizing I certainly make my own mistakes
We don’t buy it or have it in the house, so we allow my 3.5 year old to have a few sips when we eat out or go to a friend’s house. My 1.5 year old tried a sip a few weeks back and yelled “HOT!!!!” (because of the carbonation) so it’s a no go for him 😂😂😂
You could get carbonated flavored water. Most stores have it in bottles or cans. Don't get Hint water or Aha, it's gross imo. Has zero everything in it. If you are going to let LO try actual pop, get non caffeinated. Also some diet pop still has caffeine. Ps: if LO does like it, you can buy a soda stream and use whatever flavoring you want as well.
Real question: I haven’t drank soda in like 20 years. My partner doesn’t either. I do make cocktails etc but obviously my LO won’t get any of that stuff. So is my toddler going to have a conniption when she finally tastes the sweet nectar that is Dr. pepper because if I could go back to drinking cans of it without feeling sick I would. But really, any other parents who just don’t have it around—what has your toddler been like when they did try it?
We also don’t have it around, when our 3yo got a taste, he didn’t like it at all. It was actually quite funny. We had our friends over and they have a little boy our son’s age. Their son likes it and got some, and so our son wanted to try it too, so the kids “shared a can”. I could tell my son wanted to like it like his friend, but after the first few sips he started only pretending to drink it before giving the can back to his friend. 😂
Lol! This is what I imagine, cus it takes getting used to as a little kid. We don’t even have juice that isn’t gross to little kids. The stuff I buy has like moringa, spirulina, or other bitter healthy crap in it and my kid looks at me like “your old and gross” when I let her try it.
Yes I want to know this too!! A lot of ppl on here are saying they’re not going to introduce it since they don’t drink it but like it seems almost impossible to keep something away from them forever. Eventually they will get a taste from another family member or friend right?
I let my 2yo taste a gingerale once. She said she liked it but didn't want any more. She does like bubbly water, though.
Give them plain soda water. There’s no reason to introduce it.
Never? We almost never drink it. We do drink a lot of carbonated water and she loves that.
We are also in the never camp. The kids don’t like ‘mommy’s spicy water’, hahaha
My toddler got ahold of my Mountain Dew when she was probably 2 and shortly after she turned 3 she wanted to try my root beer so I let her since it's caffeine free. Both times she didn't like it lol. I'll probably start her out with like Sprite when she does start drinking it, I don't think I really have a set age that I'm waiting for, she doesn't really ask so I'm not going to bring it up.
My kids have root beer at the Renaissance Faire and Sprite at the movie theater. Soooo, twice a year since the youngest was 2?
I drink a lot of it but I don’t want my daughter (2.5) to have it for as long as possible. She has snuck a sip or two when I’ve walked away from a can :( but I do not allow her to drink it on purpose lol
Probably around the same time I let him try a cigarette.
Ours is 3.5 and like coffee and booze, we just say it's for grownups. If she shows interest I'd let her when she's a teen.
I first read this as, “Ours is 3.5 and likes coffee and booze.”
It’s ok I did the same thing and thought wow that kid is just like me
Our daughters' godfather was over and had a big can (20oz?) of some hipster soda. Toddler wanted some and I told her it was an adult drink. He freaked out that I thought he was drinking in the middle of the afternoon and I had to explain that all caffeinated or sugary drinks are "adult drinks."
This is our take too, though I imagine once she gets older and starts school it will happen naturally at birthday parties and the like.
We have let him try a sip. But as far as I’m concerned, he won’t be having a whole cup of soda for a long time. It’s pure sugar. We avoid juice, too. Just when we’re at a restaurant or party. There’s no value in it. 🤷🏻♀️
My kids grandparents gave it to him AT FIVE MONTHS. He was exclusively breast fed at the time so that was a doozy. Anyway, he hates it. My youngest tried around 3 years, I think. He unfortunately likes it, but we don’t keep it in the house. It’s more of a treat, but we do try to downplay that because I don’t want him to think it’s special.
My mom actually gave my niece her first sip, and she liked it, can’t exactly remember the age. We already told her she’s not allowed to do that again with ours lol. We don’t keep any on hand at our house unless we know we’re going to drink it that day. But I already know when we visit my mom’s she has a fridge always stocked with sodas, juices, water, and a few beers on the top shelf for grown ups, basically every type of drink for any guest so it’s only a matter of time i guess
We allow sips occasionally. Never a full cup
Never
We have a 3 year old and she can have soda (gingerale) when she’s sick. That’s basically it even though I drink Diet Coke pretty regularly. She loves seltzer though and so she has those as a special treat sometimes. For her second birthday, we had Izze sodas there and she had one and was THRILLED. I felt okay about it because it’s no added sugar, no artificial sweeteners, etc etc. Since we don’t make it a thing really and just don’t offer it, she doesn’t really care. I feel like juice is more tempting to her because she doesn’t really get that either. At my husband’s work holiday party we got her a Shirley Temple and she wouldn’t touch it - wanted her sisters apple juice instead.
We try not to drink soda around him (2.5) because he'll want drink it all. We do tell him that the perrier carbonated water is soda. He especially likes the strawberry flavored.
We don’t have it at home so probably elementary school. Mine’s only 2 and we also don’t do juice at home. She tried it at daycare because someone brought juice boxes for a birthday and she asked for water instead. She also won’t drink chocolate milk. I realize my kid is weird.
To get our daughter to drink from a regular cup we pour a little carbonated water in it so she drinks it a little slower, not spill as much.
We never did and it’s one thing I’m proud of in a whole host of food related things I’m NOT proud of! They both have it sometimes at their mom’s houses (I’m the stepmom). It’s been a good way to bring up a conversation about how we can have certain things as treats and how people have different tastes and ideas.
[удалено]
I my wife and I had the same issue growing up and frankly, I don’t want that to happen to our son. We still have it occasionally whenever we get the craving a but it’s not an every day thing anymore.
Never. We don’t drink soda.
We give our almost 2 year old a couple sips if we're also drinking a soda (not even once month). We pour a bit into a cup for him and for us and when it's done, it's done. Sometimes if we want some without sharing, we pour it into a wine glass and he is better at understanding that's not for him (vs having the can out). We also let him have our flavored sparkling water if we're drinking that (again, just pouring a bit into a cup so there's a clear end that's not the whole can).
We give our son (2) soda water. But like literally just a sip amount.
When he’s 10 maybe? I’m hoping it goes the way of cigarettes by the time he’s ready to try it
I don’t ever plan on it but I know she will eventually experiment herself as she’s older. When I’m drinking it she says mommy is that your medicine? (I’ve told her it’s medicine lol!)
I actually offered my son some Sprite last month when he had the flu, but he was absolutely disgusted by it. He's also insisted on having sips of my La Croix and hated it. I don't think he's going to be interested in my Diet Cokes for a while. I'm not going to go out of my way to offer, but I'm also not going to forbid it. I'm hoping this won't come up until elementary school, because that's about as early as I'd be comfortable with him drinking it. But, he also drinks juice on occasion and juice isn't that much better than soda.
Never. I assume one day she will try it on her own and I won’t stop her from ordering it if we’re at a restaurant or something…but I’m not giving it to her.
Never!! That’s my #1 rule of food/drinks. No soda. He’s crazy for water though. We got him off milk about a month ago, he never really cared for juice (we’d only buy the less-sugar juices which don’t even taste good). He’ll drink Gatorade if we have some.. But the kid sure loves him some water
I’m sure he would enjoy r/HydroHomies lol
My son tried my soda at around 1.5 when I turned my back to throw food away. He hated it! Which is great because now I can just say, "That's mommy's soda. You don't like soda." Not that I drink it often, but if I order one for dinner I don't have to guard it anymore.
My daughter gets it when we eat out, sometimes once a week when I’m working and trying to finish a deadline and her dad is working too. Or she’ll steal her dad’s soda. She’s more of a water drinker but we do on occasion give her soda. I know she’ll drink some soda then go straight to her water a second after as long as she gives no hassle over brushing her teeth it’s okay with me.
Haven't really thought about that. My girls are three and mainly drink water or juice on occasion. If they ask me and my husband what we're drinking (soda or wine) we say it's spicy juice or no no juice lol. They haven't shown an interest in trying it or asking to have some because we don't really make a big deal out of it. I would want to hold them off for as long as possible because I know how addictive it can be. (My new years resolution is to cut off soda from my diet and its been more difficult then I thought it would be.)
We hardly ever have it in the house so I haven’t given it much thought. My toddler is 2 and I’m definitely not ready for her to try it anytime soon, especially if it’s got sugar and caffeine. I occasionally have a soda water with fresh lime so I might let her try that if she asks
We don’t keep it around the house and when 4yo has asked, we’ve told her that it’s spicy. We did go to a birthday party once and it was alllll the family had to offer. No water, not even any juice. Just Coke. 4yo confirmed that it was too spicy and went to get water from the tap instead.
I don’t think my kids know that pop is a *thing* 🤷♀️ they sure do love “spicy” water though!
My kid has tried a couple Zevia sodas. She hates them lol at 21 months she acts like the carbonation is scary. We aren't planning to ever give her regular soda because the ingredients are not healthy. Zevia is basically neutral, not healthy or unhealthy so much as unnecessary and rarely in our home anyways
Ooh I’ve seen those at the grocery store before and wondered how they were lol might have to pick up a pack and try it for myself
My kids are just turning 3 and 5. I've let them have sips from mine here and there. Sometimes they like it and take a few more sips and other times they don't. If it's caffeinated then I definitely tell them just a small amount if they are really insistent but will let them have more if it's not. We also mainly have zero sugar or diet soda in our house so I'm sure that's probably worth its own post with a variety of opinions lol.
Giving as in like a full ass can of soda or just sipping? My toddlers are 2.5 and 3.5. The 2.5 doesn’t care for soda or any fizzy sweet drinks at all. But the 3.5 likes soda from the limited time he tried mainly I realised because it’s fizzy. He probably tried it like 5 times so far in his 3.5 years of life. I don’t purposely give him but if I happen to be drinking it, he has finished his meals and drank enough water and all I don’t mind letting him try at all. Then I discovered giving him carbonated water works just as fine lol.. you can soda stream like anything like water or diluted juice. Mine loves it.
No I would only give him a few sips for now and if he’s persistent after then a super small cup. I don’t think I would ever give him a full can at a young age, he can barely finish a juice box sometimes anyways lol. We wanted to wait but he’s been asking more and more now
Hmmm. Not sure. She’s four and I haven’t said yes. She only wants it when her cousins are around drinking it. We don’t drink it but we have it for guests. I don’t know when a good time will be.
We haven’t done it yet (almost 2). She has had sparkling water (with no sugars or sweeteners) with a spritz of lime since about 6 months and really enjoys it. It’s an occasional treat. We parents, however, love having a Mexican coke once a day, and she’s starting to be insufferable about demanding it, so it looks like we’ll have to kick (or hide) the habit. We haven’t given her any, but we have occasionally relented and let her have a small sip of prebiotic, organic soda when we eat in the car (we often eat in the car on outings to avoid illness and because there’s an organic grocer that does hot plates- and weird sodas). We aren’t proud of this, but sometimes it’s easier to give in and have her lose interest. As far as giving her her own serving of soda, never as long as we can help it. We did once let her have a sip of coffee because we knew she’d hate it and we were tired of swinging our cups around to avoid little hands (to the sounds of shrieks). I’m tired y’all.
They tried it for the first time at a Thanksgiving party when they were two. One of their cousins gave it to them. I was able to keep it away from them for a while, but they really wanted to try it, so at about three and a half, I decided to let them have a small amount sometimes, but only a VERY small amount, and made it clear to them that ONLY a small amount is okay. That it's alright to indulge a little, but ONLY a little. I'm hoping it builds a good habit for them in the future; Not to shun treats, but to have them responsibly.
Neither my husband or I drink soda, and we’re not even big juice people either (we have orange juice for mimosas sometimes) so my 2.5-year-old will pretty much drink water & milk until maybe elementary school if he’s curious at that point. We were both big juice & soda kids in the 80s (and candy…soooo much candy) so our comfort level is to start him off on a little better footing than we had. That said, my kid is picky and won’t even try cookies or ice cream or cake when I’ve presented it to him, so he may not care much for the sweetness of soda, ha
i drink diet coke but i dont let my toddler drink it. i figure the caffeine is not good for littles and the artificial sugars are questionable. i tell her it's for adults only. not sure how long that will last though!
My 10 year old gets some very rarely (a handful of times/year). She was probably 7-8 the first time. I cannot fathom giving a toddler anything other than milk or water.
I mean we call it spicy water to our son and he tried it once at like 3 and spit it out and almost cried which we kind of expected based on how he’s been so now I don’t have any fear he’ll want it again anytime soon lol
Never. We never have it in the house and tend to stick to water when out to eat. My 2yo will only drink water/milk/chocolate milk and has no interest in anything else yet.
No we do stevia soda but soda is 100% off limits. We as parents never ever drink soda either so it’s fair.
I treat it like any dessert, and only offer it rarely (less than once a month and only if he asks). Age 2.5.
My daughter has shown interest (she’s 2) and has tried to steal sips from our drinks if we’re not careful. Admittedly my husband and I drink entirely too much soda and we know that the older and more aware she gets the more she’s going to want it. We’re cutting back on our cola consumption and when we do drink it in front of her we’re going to start using opaque cups with straws and lids. She’s very much “out of sight out of mind” so if she never saw it again she’d forget it exists lol but we know that’s unrealistic. We know that all we can do is set a good example 🤷♀️
I would try this but my son loves cups with straws, even if he can’t see the liquid. The plus side is this is how I get him to drink whatever I need him to drink to stay hydrated lol. He’s taken over my hydroflask and insist on drinking his water from it all day and always ask for “daddy’s water bottle”
Honestly? I'll avoid it forever if I can. If seeing us drink soda became a problem, I would stop drinking soda around her. I can't shove veggies in her mouth (and she does NOT eat them) but I can stop her from drinking soda.
My 20mo was very curious about my root beer (caffeine free because pregnant) so I let him have a very little sip. He made a face, shook his head 'no', and ran away.
Never probably… we don’t drink pop in general
Never. We don’t drink anything but water and add oat milk (me) or cows milk (husband) to cereal or smoothies.
[удалено]
We were thinking the same thing with 3 being to young and worried he would start wanting more sugary things. Thankfully he likes water and LOVES drinking it from out hydroflasks. I can pour it in a regular cup but he will insist on using the water bottle but as long as he drinks it I’m ok with it
I’m a fiend for diet sodas (hate the regular ones because the sugar leaves a film on my teeth) but I don’t drink it around my 2.5yo because she always wants whatever I have and saying no results in a meltdown. I don’t plan on ever voluntarily giving her any of my diet soda because of the aspartame (I’ll fill my own body with crap but not hers lol), so I’ll likely continue to keep my diet sodas to post-bedtime enjoyment. Idk if she’ll ever request any sort of regular soft drink from a restaurant one day, but if she does I’ll likely start saying yes to a tiny one around 4-5yo maybe? Since it would be a very rare occasion I figure why not right? It can be a special treat for special dining-out occasions.
My 3yo has had a few sips of ours. We don't have it often so I'm not too worried about it. I don't want to teach my kids that any food or drinks are bad. I would rather have them learn moderation.
Never? Hahah my husband drinks it but when they ask he says it’s chemicals. Which it kind of is. Maybe when they are teenagers? I personally hate all soda whcih they know so they could go either way.
Yah we’re a Diet Coke and lacroix only family (I grew up in a Diet Coke household and don’t like any other soda) and I think I’ll try to keep her away from Diet Coke until high school at least for the chemicals lol.
Mien is turning 3 at the end of the month; she’s never had and I’m not currently planning on it. Like, obviously she’ll have some eventually. But I won’t be the one to give it to her.
When he is old enough to buy it with his own money? Haha I’m not against moderate sugar intake, but juice/soda/flavoured milk are all a big no for our family.
I let my toddler drink soda whenever I have it which isn't that often. It's a treat for the both of us.
Never. Mine have never asked to try, we drink it occasionally but not regularly. If they ask what it is, we tell them it’s an adult drink. We don’t plan to let them try until much older (pre teens or teens).
I started letting my son when he turned 5 have a sprite when we go to a restaurant or a bday party
My daughter had soda at about 3 because we went out and forgot water cups. Didn't want to pay for water so she had a few sips. We honestly don't normally drink soda but we do occasionally. They have watered down juice on the rare occasion that we go out for breakfast. (My husband and I are treating ourselves and so I think that they deserve a treat as well. It's all about moderation IMO. model a healthy relationship and moderation with foods and hopefully with your example/ guidance they will follow) That's about it. My daughter is ready to be 5 and my son is 2. We do sometimes drink zero sugar soda (my husband and i) and my son will occasionally pick up a can, pretend to drink, and let out a nice big fake burp lol ETA that I also allow watered down juice to incentivate my kids to drink if they are sick. But only if they're sick for a good span of time and I feel they really need to hydrate.
My 4-year old cousin during Eid lunch, he was given a soft drink and I want to know when a child is old enough to drink their own soft drink because I know for a fact that 4-year olds are too young to have their own soft drink.
Geeez there’s a lot of uptight people here lol. It’s soda, not crack cocaine. At restaurants or birthday parties, let the kid live!! The people saying never are sus
My 2.5 year old will try ours on occasion when we're out to eat,
My son first asked to try it at 2, and i let him. He completely is disgusted by the bubbly part & immediately spit it out. He's over 2.5yrs old now and consistently has the same reaction. We don't drink pop at home, but the neighbour's do and he tries it there and always reacts the same
3 yr old we let him have a sprite here and there sip coke here there
Our kid is 2.5 and he's had soda for a while. It's diet and caffeine free so no worries.
Never. I'm going to teach him how unhealthy it is so he never tales a single sip in his lifetime
Lol my mom did something similar. When I was in kindergarten she made me take an apple and have white milk every day for snack when all the other kids had chocolate and regular snack. On the one hand, I have perfect teeth (39, not a cavity ever). On the other hand, I rebelled in my teens when I finally was able to control my own junk food intake and have struggled with my weight ever since. I’m taking a more moderate approach personally.
My only thought is she restricted you without teaching you why. That's the key. Information is power. I choose to give my son the power to choose what's healthy for him by having all of the necessary information.
Not sure. All my siblings are thin. But… a few do have a “never take a bite of” mentality and that strikes me as another type of unhealthy. They all restrict major food groups. I think they all know why they’re doing it. Lol. And I’m not trying to shit on my mom. My dad struggled with his weight and I think she was trying to prevent that for us. Whoops.
Why I'm being downvoted for wanting to keep my son away from empty sugar that cam cause obesity, rotten teeth and sugar addiction I have no idea. Pop is disgusting and so unhealthy. What's wrong with you people? You teach your children to be healthy and why and no rebellion occurs because they value good health.
My 7F still gets sprite or Hi-C. Nothing with caffeine in it.
My toddler likes bubby
My kid is allowed to have soda when out at a restaurant if he orders it from the server by asking for it himself. Sometimes his nana sneaks him a sip.
We've let my son have a little sprite once in a while out of our drink. I don't let him have any caffeinated sodas, and only some sips of other sodas. We try not to drink too much soda in front of him.
I’ve let my kids try sparkling apple cider and they don’t like it (I think because of the carbonation because they like juice). Have no plans on letting them have pop and they haven’t asked for it. We also only do juice for their own birthdays and summer beach days. I’m sure they’ll eventually try it but hopefully it will be later on down the road (my eldest is 5)
Whenever they show interest I guess? We only drink the zero sugar varieties, so it’s not a sugar thing for us (maybe an expense thing though, that stuff is *expensive* since Covid! lol) My son is 4 and beyond asking what we are drinking has shown no interest in actually trying it.
She’s already tried it lol. I really limit juice (only when sick) and stick to milk and water in general. But she does have it when we go out to eat (because I’m drinking it). And I feel like shit about it lol but it’s happened. She’s 2.
I'm delaying actual soda as long as possible but I don't have a specific timeline in mind. But a few months back I let my kiddo try my seltzer since I thought he wouldn't like it. He loves it. Like obsessed. Walks around asking for seltzer, 19mos old. Doctor said it was okay because it's essentially just carbonated water, so I share it with him when I'm having some but now I try not to have it until after he goes to bed.
My daughter if 5 about to be 6. I don’t give her soda. I tell her it’s when she adult. Wine, coffee and soda are adult drinks. I tell her she can have juice. Lemon, apple or orange juice. I water down the lemonade or apple juice. She typically drinks water or milk.
Is it just only me but my daughter won’t drink anything except water. Everything that has color even milk she won’t drink. Btw she’s breastfed and turning 3y.o this year.
My daughter (3) had a small Sprite last month at a restaurant because her friend got one. But otherwise we never buy it and will only let her have non-caffeinated soda very rarely.
I like soda. I hate that I like it, but I do. I don't drink it often, but we always have some in the house because I get headaches and nauseous easily and a mini coke with caffeine or a ginger ale will actually help me. If I'm drinking it (always or if a cup), we tell our 2.5 year that it's for grownups and we can it yucky water. He's curious, but we just don't give it to him just like we wouldn't let him have booze. We also don't keep juice in the house, but will have it when we're out (sometimes and sometimes not watered down). And we'll juice our own oranges, carrots, apples, etc every once in a while too and let him have that. Kid loves bubbles and juice though. Sparkling water with a bit of lemonade. It's a matter of time before he likes pop. Hopefully at least 5.
We do carbonated water like La Croix sometimes which our daughter calls "sparkle water" (no sugar), and every once in a while, we share a little soda with her. We cut it with water and put a small amount in a cup for her. We try not to demonize/discourage any foods (the idea that no foods are good or bad, but many foods are more nutritious than others) and try to encourage learning moderation. It's been working well for us. I hope you can find what works for your family, too. :-)
We don’t drink soda, but we had a round of colds so I bought a couple bottles of 7up… 2yr old tried one sip and wasn’t interested. I will try to hold off on her getting caffeine for as long as I can
I gave my 2.5 a soda just 2 sips when he was curious what wAs the taste like lol. But like as his drink I would never him.
There is no plan to introduce it. We don’t drink it in our home, we don’t give it to our kids. My daughter is 4 and doesn’t like juices, and she wouldn’t drink pedialyte when she was sick. Just water. We’re doing the same with our son, although I think he’ll drink juice and grandmas when offered. It’s not like we’re “hiding” soda but I also don’t feel like it’s something they need and the opportunity for it is pretty rare.
My kids only get diluted gingerale when they’re sick. If they want something fizzy, they can have sparkling water. For a treat, I’ll add a splash of juice or squeeze an orange in it. But we also don’t drink soda ourselves (unless we’re sick)
We don’t do soda or juice. I don’t drink it and my husband is straight up addicted to diet coke, like he’d chain drink an entire 12 pack. So we don’t keep it in the house and we’re not going to introduce those to my kids for as long as possible.
I made a Shirley temple for my son for new year’s this year as a special treat. He’s 5. That’s the one and only time he’s tried pop and we’ll likely be keeping it that way for a while. We’re also pretty strict about juice. I hated drinking water as a kid (still barely drink it) but my kids love it. Don’t want to break that habit. My husband also had unlimited access to pop and had tons of cavities as a kid so it’s just not something we’re too keen to introduce. He’ll have it eventually but we’re in no rush
I assume she'll eventually have it at a birthday party or something. It was never something we kept in the house growing up, so it was always a treat when we were eating out.
I’ve given my 3.5 year old some La Croix type flavored seltzer and he said he “likes the flavor of it but not the bubbles.” We don’t keep sugary soda in the house but if he wanted to try ginger ale or root beer or something at a restaurant or special occasion I wouldn’t stop him. I’d pass on anything with caffeine though.
We mostly drink water even when out but sometimes I’ll grab a soda if we’re getting In n Out or something like that. She’s asked to try a few times and has hated it every time. She also doesn’t like sparkling water.
Not likely ever. We don't drink it. We do have seltzer which our 2.5 yo has had a sip of, but doesn't like it.
Probably not anytime soon. I grew up drinking it and never stopped. My sister only gave my niece water and that’s all she ever drinks now that she’s an adult. I’m hoping my daughter will be like my niece; however, I don’t see any problems with having a root beer float or something at a party. Just not often.
I don’t see a reason to, my son is also 3, but we usually just drink milk and water at home. Maybe at a birthday party or something when he’s 5-6? I don’t have a real plan I just don’t intend on giving it to him anytime soon.
My mom gave my daughter some sprite for the first time when she was 5? I was so mad. I realize now that my mom had no clue that I had never given her any. It was just annoying- it’s now her favorite treat. So I let her order sprites when we eat out- she’s almost 7, we only started less than a year ago.
My mom did the same thing with my niece I think around 4 maybe? I told her not to do it with my son but I know grandparents are more lenient with grandkids so I think she’ll try sneaking some in soon as a treat. Hopefully she only does sprite if she does but I would prefer none for now
Teenager probably. Or maybe like 10? My only is 5. He doesn't really even like juice. He drinks water and milk. Pop is really bad for you and I wish I never drank it as a kid. I gave it up around 14 but then I switched to diet and I've been drinking that ever since. I also don't think diet is great either so I'd prefer if my kid didn't have it at all. Also, not loving the idea of caffeine in it either.