Bad parenting?

[asscherisme]

I was at Starbucks today and the woman in front of me had what appeared to be a 5 or 6 year old with her. I''m pretty good at judging ages since I have so many of my own kids LOL.

Anyway, she ordered her drink and asked her son what he wanted. He ordered a triple shot grande mocha. Umm, she ordered her child a drink with 3 shots of expresso in it.

When did parents start thinking its ok to be caffinating their kids like that?

I of course did not say a word but I''m thinking, is this a normal thing to do? If I have my kids with me at starbucks they get either milk or chocolate milk or juice.

Am I wrong for feeling judgemental?

What do other parents think of this?

It is the big thing where I live to buy kids regualr coffee drinks at starbucks and I refuse to buy them for my kids! I just don''t think its right.

 

[:)]

 

[sumbride]

I don''t have kids but I certainly wouldn''t do it... that''s WAY too young to be drinking coffee. Of course considering all the sodas some kids drink, maybe it''s about the same, but still... they shouldn''t be drinking those either. But hey, maybe the kid has been drinking them for so long that he''s actually 16, just got his growth stunted?

(kidding, of course)

I had to laugh though, the other day, when I was in line at Starbucks. A group of teenage girls were in line behind me deciding what they were going to order. One of the younger ones asked if she could get something and the older ones said "no, you''re too young for coffee!" then they all ordered Vanilla Creme frappucinos... which have NO coffee in them... they''re like milkshakes basically. I was really really trying to stifle my giggles as they did that.

Keep ordering chocolate milk for your kids... they''ll thank you when they are taller!

 

[SoonIHope]

Yikes!

My parents would DEFINITELY not have let me do that!! When I was in middle school and started having to wake up super early it was like a years long debate as to when I could upgrade from 1/4 cup of coffee in milk to 1/3 of a cup, 1/2 cup etc. Just sounds to me like she gave up on arguing with him when he wanted espresso so she''ll buy him whatever he wants!

Disclaimer: I''m not a parent (yet

) , but I would definitely not let my kids have any significant amount of coffee until MUCH older than that!!

 

[MINE!!]

BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD

UNFRGIGGIN beleivable, some people can be real morons.

 

[Mara]

yikes a TRIPLE shot? that is a ton of caffeine. doesn''t too much caffeine stunt growth or something in kids?

i got to drink a little 1/3 cup of coffee with a ton of milk on weekends with my dad SOMETIMES as a treat but never would my mom have allowed a shot of espresso much less THREE. even now one shot of espresso makes me kind of giddy. hehee.

my boss drinks a quad daily, she has been drinking coffee since she was like 15.

 

[Efe]

What is the matter with some people? The caffeine in a triple shot is hard enough for an adult to metabolize. Can you image what it is doing to a child''s system?

 

[KimberlyH]

YOu aren''t being judgemental and you aren''t wrong. I am not a parent, but I still think there is something seriously wrong with anyone who would give a kid a triple shot of espresso.

 

[Kaleigh]

Ok that''s just wrong!!! And isn''t that dangerous for a child that age?? What was she thinking??? Oh that''s right she wasn''t thinking. UGHHH

 

[Fancy605]

Cafine can interfere with developement. Not to mention it is rather addictive. What if the kid can't get his coffee someday b/c he is spending the weekend with someone else. He might get migrains or something. Yikes.

I hear so much about bad parenting, that when I actually see someone doing a good job with kids in public, I want to give him/her a medal or something.

 

[CaptAubrey]

That mother is nuts. No other way to put it.

Mrs. Aubrey thinks I''m living large just ordering a double cappuccino.

 

[divergrrl]

Absolutely insane. I''d never caffienate my kid. My dad let me have warm milk with sugar and a splash of coffee in it when I was a highschool freshman. I thought that was swell. My true coffee consumption didn''t begin until I was in college...now I''m hardcore.

Although I drank coffee daily when I was pregnant, but my doc said it was ok, (latest studies say 3 cups or less a day is ok, I had two a day) and I guess that''s the same thing as giving it to your kid. But I gave birth to the most laid back child. Ever seen a calm two year old? I can show you mine. LOL.

Jeannine

 

[mtrb]

I will go even farther and say that is child abuse. How about giving a 6 year old kid a cigarette too or a beer?.. its on the same level in my mind.. Good job parent's.. caffienate your kids. Stunt their growth as well as their future health. Way to go.

 

[IrishAngel7982]

Date: 11/17/2006 5:53:31 PM
Author: Fancy605
Cafine can interfere with developement. Not to mention it is rather addictive. What if the kid can't get his coffee someday b/c he is spending the weekend with someone else. He might get migrains or something. Yikes.

I hear so much about bad parenting, that when I actually see someone doing a good job with kids in public, I want to give him/her a medal or something.

I went to see Scary Movie (2 or 3 I don't remember) with some friends, and behind us was a c

Me too! That's just ridiculous, and no you're not being judgemental or rude. That much caffeine is absolutely harmful to a child...especially a 5-6 year old. I work with 1st graders right now...I can't imagine those kids consuming triple shot coffee drinks!!! Wow.

 

[gailrmv]

I can''t drink that much caffeine myself. I can''t imagine how a kid can handle it?!

 

[monarch64]

Date: 11/17/2006 5:06:31 PM
Author: Mara
yikes a TRIPLE shot? that is a ton of caffeine. doesn''t too much caffeine stunt growth or something in kids?

i got to drink a little 1/3 cup of coffee with a ton of milk on weekends with my dad SOMETIMES as a treat but never would my mom have allowed a shot of espresso much less THREE. even now one shot of espresso makes me kind of giddy. hehee.

my boss drinks a quad daily, she has been drinking coffee since she was like 15.

Precisely what I was thinking...

My parents used to tell me coffee would stunt my growth and alcohol would rot my brain...managed to stay away from the alc until college, and coffee until age 28...then again, we didn''t have a Starbucks on every corner, and they weren''t drinkers so I guess I just wasn''t around either to be tempted. Not to say that proximity of coffee shops and booze in the house is a bad thing, but I don''t have children yet so I can''t really have an experience-related opinion on this topic, just an opinion in general.

 

[diamondfan]

Caffeine is a stimulant and no way should a kid that age be drinking it. There is NO excuse to me giving that to a child especially that age. Even a bit of hot cocoa is better and I am not sure how much caffeine is in that, but they have juice and milk so why on earth do that?

I have three kids, 5-14, and my oldest does not drink it all excpet in a coke now and then, and I try to steer the older two toward non caffeinated sodas (youngest does not drink soda).

A ton of my son''s friends hang out at the local Starbucks after school and I know a lot of them drink coffee there, and have for a few years.

My son is an athlete and wants to be tall so I told him caffeine stunts your growth! Now he only will drink their natural sodas or non coffee drinks.

My niece has ADD and is now in college but has used coffee to help her study since she was 11 or so...and is addicted to it now.

Caffeine withdrawal is often really tough for people, I am prone to migraines and get terrible ones if I do not have my one or two cups a day
.

 

[kcoursolle]

Some herbal tea would have been a healthier alternative for a kid who likes a jump start. Another pet peave of mine is parents who let their kids have unlimited soda. They should be drinking milk or water!

 

[tanuki]

I don''t approve of what this mom did but I can''t help but wonder if she was about to drop him off with the ex- husband or something.

 

[sumbride]

Date: 11/18/2006 8:23:24 AM
Author: tanuki
I don''t approve of what this mom did but I can''t help but wonder if she was about to drop him off with the ex- husband or something.

ROFLOL!!! Probably.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 11/18/2006 8:23:24 AM
Author: tanuki
I don't approve of what this mom did but I can't help but wonder if she was about to drop him off with the ex- husband or something.

It makes you wonder... Coffee vendors are not the thing so much here in the UK, you do find some Starbucks in cities however. I am not a parent, but even I know the adverse effect too much caffeine can have on children

 

[Eva17]

CRAZY!!!!

 

[Julian]

Wonder what''s next? Starbucks sippy cups of espresso?

It''s like feeding your child major stimulants...or letting them chew Nicorette gum. The poor tyke. He probably suffers from caffeine withdrawal.

 

[VegasAngel]

I wouldnt have given my daughter that. A vanilla or strawberry cream every now & then why not?

I dont know she obviously wasnt thinking about the health concerns. She probably drinks coffee everyday & never even gave it a second thought. These days so many kids are drinking coffee. All you see in the Starbucks around here are kids. We have 5 Starbucks near our home with the farthest away being a 2 minute drive maybe?

 

[Cehrabehra]

I don't feel particularly judgmental about it but I wouldn't do it either mostly because Im' too cheap LOL Seriously, I wouldn't do it and the kids wouldn't want it - except the youngest (he's 5).... he does like coffee flavor and has asked for stuff before and I've turned him down. I don't think there is anything *wrong* with coffee though or caffeine in general. It may hype up most kids but some adhd kids actually calm and focus with caffeine. My daughter has taken to wanting a cup of coffee with us (she's 12) occasionally and I don't mind. She still vastly prefers tea. I think some cultures are more lax about it (europe?) and subcultures within this country vary. It's very easy to assume that if others don't make the same *best* choices for their kids that we have with ours, that they're making a mistake.... after all, we put thought into our choices and came up with XYZ as being best so why would someone else ignore that logic????

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 11/17/2006 5:06:31 PM
Author: Mara
yikes a TRIPLE shot? that is a ton of caffeine. doesn''t too much caffeine stunt growth or something in kids?

i got to drink a little 1/3 cup of coffee with a ton of milk on weekends with my dad SOMETIMES as a treat but never would my mom have allowed a shot of espresso much less THREE. even now one shot of espresso makes me kind of giddy. hehee.

my boss drinks a quad daily, she has been drinking coffee since she was like 15.

I drink a quad venti breve latte but I don''t even have one a week... I don''t drink coffee every day. I tend to *use* it as a proper drug when I need the kick. When I drink it daily it quits working well LOL

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 11/18/2006 1:57:03 AM
Author: kcoursolle
Some herbal tea would have been a healthier alternative for a kid who likes a jump start. Another pet peave of mine is parents who let their kids have unlimited soda. They should be drinking milk or water!

I will let my kids have soda if we''re at someone''s house and the other kids are drinking it and occasionally when we go out - I''m not *opposed* to it, I just would rather their home choices be milk and water. We don''t even do juice and they might get soda about 1x a year at home - usually in like a rootbeer float or something.... it''s just very infrequent. I also tell them if they''re thirsty, water.... milk is food and good for if you''re a bit hungry also, but for thirst its water.

 

[Dee*Jay]

That's beyond ridiculous!

If *I* had a tripple shot mocha I'd be hanging from the ceiling by my fingernails, I can't even imagine what it would do to that kid.

There should be some sort of test or something you have to pass before you can bring children into this world.

 

[mrssalvo]

that''s just plain WRONG..my kids get milk or juice, they normally choose the organic milk boxes. I can''t even imagine giving my kids coffee. I have a 16 year step son who drinks coffee in the morning (mostly milk) but he''s 16. Quite a bit different than 6.

 

[mtrb]

Honestly, I would have said something to the mother LOUDLY to make sure I embarrass the heck out of her in front of everyone. Perhaps, she would think twice later. I am rude when it is deserved and I want the reaction..lol. The "I'm ok, You’re ok" mentality really PO's me sometimes.