What age do you give them soda?

PrairieMom wrote: I found out last night at work that I am the only mom that has never let their child have soda. Ben is only 3 1/2, and I don't feel that he needs to be drinking soda at this age. He has had a few sips but has never had his own soda.
They all looked at me like I was crazy! one lady I work with said that her 18 month old can drink a whole can of coke. Am I out of line? Ben is lucky if he gets chocolate milk! What age do kids typically start drinking soda?

gr33n3y3z replied: I said 2 years but were talking a sip here and there not a whole can
that is way to much even for a 6 year old.

mom21kid2dogs replied: We only drink soda if we go out so O rarely has it. She tasted it at 3 for the first time but it's not a staple in our house. Pays to be the shopper,. I don't like it so I don't buy it!

redplaydoh replied: Around 2 was when they started stealing sips out of my drink. A whole can is a bit much. My kids like Sprite and Lucas loves a Swiss drink here that is carbonated called Rivella, it's made from cheese curd. Sounds disgusting to me but it's suppossed to be quite healthy for you to drink.

Hillbilly Housewife replied: Uh, my 16 month old steals a sip or two from my pop if it has a straw, and my 4 1/2 and 3 year olds don't like it, so they don't steal sips. They will though, if they know it's Mug's root beer.

I never order it for them, and they've never requested me to order it for them.

amymom replied: I put 4 years. My son was about 4 when he first had soda of any significant amount. Although my brother tried to feed him potato chips, dip and Coca-cola when he was 6 mos old

My dd was about 7 or 8, and still drinks very little soda, but mostly because of her reflux that is a no-no, for her.

jcc64 replied: After 5, as an occasional "treat" in a restaurant, but I would vote not at all on a regular basis.

Our Lil' Family replied: After seeing my friend just laugh at her 2 year old being addicted to Diet Coke I have vowed to not give it to Thomas until about 5 years old. And even then it will be a special treat. He did get sprite this weekend, but that is because he is sick and I needed him to drink something!

Boys r us replied: When they're old enough to eat McDonald's..lol!
No seriously...I put 2. If we were out to eat, I have no problem whatsoever letting my 2 yr old and up have a sprite. My kids never have been big drinkers though, so maybe I just never thought much about it..both of the boys always have and still do have like 3 sips of their drink and that's it..usually when we leave a restaurant, they're cup is still practically full.

I'm not a big milk person, okay better wording would that I hate milk..detest it! so I refuse to make my kids drink milk if they don't want it at every meal. Luckily, they do enjoy it..but there are some things milk doesn't go too well with..like milk and pizza..ewww.. and I don't want to overload them on strictly juice either..so we have always just tried to find a balance between soda/milk/juice/water in our house with our kids. UNfortunately Rick and I are big soda drinkers, so they don't have good role models!

Crystalina replied: DH is a pepsiholic. Evan has been sipping off of his drinks since the age of 1. It is a constant argument in our house. DH sees nothing wrong with it. DH is on the road alot also so I do win. But the minute dh comes and opens a Pepsi Evan is right there.
I have the ocassional urge for a Pepsi but I never finish one. Izabella is like me. We would rather drink iced tea. I'm sure that isn't any healthier but I don't like the carbon so much. If I shop I don't buy it. DH shops alot ( ) so when he does that's when the Pepsi gets brought into the house.

ediep replied: jason is 4 and he's never had soda, although I don't think he'd like it

MommyToAshley replied: I never gave it to Ashley. My MIL gave her a sip of Sprite when she babysat and Ashley spit it out. Now, whenever we go to a restaurant and the server asks for the drink order, Ashley always asks "What do you have that isn't carbonated?" LOL!

Kaitlin'smom replied: I put 3 but thats only cause she got a coke from the sitter, well she shared one so really it was a few sips, but I told her NO pop/soda. Unless its sprite and only on occasion. Even now when given the option she prefers milk to pop/soda. I dont think she has ever dank a whole can of anything.

boyohboyohboy replied: I dont let caleb have soda, and choc milk is a treat......
I also dont let him have candy only on rare occasions.....

lesliesmom replied: My kids think getting soda is a treat (they're 5 and 3). IF they get some, it's usually sprite (or the occassional rootbeer). They will split a can but usually never finish it. If they are sick, I do give them Vernor's for their stomach, it's just a staple in our house when you're sick (it's a ginger ale). Other than that, they generally get milk (kids don't care for chocolate milk) or juice.

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: You didn't have NEVER on the poll!! No, Wil has had a couple sips here and there, but never a glass all his own. I don't even think he's had chocolate milk yet. I just really hate the idea of soda. DH does too. But on the other hand, I don't want to restrict my kids so much that they crave it so bad and over-indulge when the time comes. So on occasion they can have it, but it probably won't be until 4 or 5.

flirtycuddle replied: My 2 yr old has had sips here and there of like sprite or she'll try to steal my coke if i have it with a straw. The only time she gets soda is if we are out and they don't have anything else to drink. Even then she doesn't ever finish it cuz she doesn't like the carbonation.

Boo&BugsMom replied: Tanner only gets soda that is non caffeinated, and even then it's only at restaurants every once in awhile, never at home. Usually it's juice then as well if we are out to eat, but he can have the occassional Sprite and Root Beer. I wont allow Mountain Dew, Pepsi, Coke, etc. He has had sips of things here and there, but never anything I would describe as him having a whole or partial drink of. We are not soda people at home. We drink juice (100%), lots of milk, and water. Hubby drinks beer too, but of course Tanner is not allowed that, although he has stolen sips without us seeing behind our backs. I voted 3, but that is also very limited. It will be limited as long as the kids are living in the home because we just don't buy that stuff.

ETA: Tanner actually doesn't really care for soda either. We did an experiment one time and let a hard boil egg sit in Coke over night. The next day we talked about how the acid and sugar in the soda eats away at your teeth and stains it like it did on the egg. We even tried to brush the eggs with paste and a brush, which didn't work. Since then he'd been afraid to get cavities from drinking soda. Of course he's overdramatic about it...."I'm getting a cavity"! He doesn't care for the carbonation much either. I guess it's not a bad thing though.

Cece00 replied: none of my kids have ever had a whole soda. i usually get them milk @ a fast food place and if they are out, I get water or they have to split a soda. I'd never just unleash my kid with an entire canful of a soft drink.

MoonMama replied: I didn't vote since we have not crossed this road...yet anyway. But we fully plan on not letting Brae have soda for as long as we can and even then just a sip here or there. A whole can?!? My best friend however had been giving her kids it in there bottles since they were under a year. We go at it over this one big time!

luvbug00 replied: i said 2 but that is ginger ale when sick soda.

she drank whole cans at 4 but it has to be ginger ale or root beer or sparkiling juice . she won't tuch coke or any of those "hard core" sodas

Boo&BugsMom replied:
Oh my, I think that is truly insane.

PrairieMom replied: I am so glad to know that I'm not the unreasonable one! My co-workers were making me feel like I was the worst mommy for being so strict with Ben's diet! I just don't see a point of even introducing it to him. I was mortified that my friend gives her 18 month daughter coke in her sippy cup. WHY? what is the point of THAT?!

Calimama replied: We plan to hold off on soda for as long as possible.

3xsthefun replied: They have a occasional sip of pop/soda but not a whole can and sometimes if we are eating out they will get a pop, but they hardly even drink it. Most of the time they will get a milk, water or juice when we eat out or at home.

amynicole21 replied: Sophia is 4.5 years old and has only had sprite when she had an upset tummy... never anything else.

A&A'smommy replied: I let alyssa have sips of sprite when she probably around 18months old or older... i was too keen on letting her have very much of those things... but now that she is 3 whenever we get a happy meal she is allowd to have a sprite of if we go out to eat which isn't very often. Alyssa drinks ONLY chocolate milk but thats only because I have NEVER been able to get her to drink regular milk.. its ovalteen so its much better for her than some sugary stuff.

Mommy2BAK replied: Well I voted 6, but I forgot that Sprite is a "soda", since it has no caffine I don't mind letting Blakely get a sprite when we go out to eat, but as far as a coke or dr. pepper, i think I'll wait until I'm really to chase down that cafinated hyper kid! lol

My3LilMonkeys replied: Sips/small drinks starting at 1 in our house (mainly because Madison saw Brooke getting it and wanted it to). Both girls do get one when we go out occasionally, or their own glass (more like 1/4 glass) once or twice a month. Other than that, they do steal sips from ours but we try to restrict it.

MyBrownEyedBoy replied: Logan gets a sprite when we go to McD's, but he never drinks the whole thing. And I can't imagine giving an 18 month old an entire can of Coke.

Brias3 replied: We try not to drink alot of soda in the house, therefore the kids don't either. They had sips here and there when they were younger but weren't actually allowed to have a full glass till around 3. Occasionally, I'll let Mason order a Sprite if we are out to eat or something but usually we'll stick to milk or juice.

All three of my kids are only allowed non-caffeine sodas when they do drink it.

BabyOwen427 replied: Oh... this is a big issue in my circle of friends. My friend Belle gave her first daughter coke in her bottles and sippy cups and she gave her chocolate cake when she was like 6 months old.

Owen has had a few sips from DH's drink but he usually spits it out and makes an awful face with it.