Coffee and Beer....for Toddlers?

So I mentioned last week seeing a parent on the Lifetime TV show “the Week the Women Went” giving their 3 year old coffee. The father said she loves it and drinks it all the time. I was appalled that a parent would give their toddler a cup of coffee.

Not only is caffeine a stimulant and addictive but it can have side effects like jitters, stomach problems, heart palpitations and irritability. Young children are still growing and developing and caffeine affects the receptors in the brain. Granted, so does chocolate (however, not as much) but there are plenty of things better for your child to drink rather than coffee and/or soda. Any pediatrician will tell you not to give a child coffee. Most coffee has quite a bit more caffeine than even regular soda. (check out caffeine levels in your favorite drink):  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeine/AN01211/


Are we really back to “…but I don’t want to tell my child NO”? I checked out the topic online and found there are quite a few people who don’t think this is a bad thing. There are also some who think that a sip of their beer, wine or alcohol can’t hurt either. I completely disagree and think it’s ridiculous to even introduce these things into a child’s life. They’ll have plenty of time to find their own vices on their own when they become an adult, they don’t need a jump start. What purpose does this serve anyway? People ask, why shouldn’t you give your kids these things (and don’t see reason not to)? I think the question is, why should you? Give me a good reason TO give your kids adult drinks. Which side are you on?

Men in Distress, Crisis TV

A new TV show series on Lifetime aired their first episode yesterday, called “The Week the Women Went”. Did you watch this? It’s a reality type show where TV cameras descend on a whole town in South Carolina and tape what happens when they remove all the women over 18 yrs old and leave the men to fend for themselves and their children for 1 week.

Now, I’m not a huge reality fan and I don’t believe for a second that none of this program’s pandemonium is pre-planned but it is VERY entertaining none the less.

The men have to take care of everything from the toddlers beauty pageant and running their wives businesses to the everyday get-the-kids-fed-bathed-and-to-sleep that every mom deals with all the time. Some have babies, some are dealing with school aged children and some have teenagers giving them problems.

It’s funny to see expressions on the husband’s faces that can only come from dealing with unreasonable children and toddlers. They are fish out of water and many have the glazed over eyes already and we’re only into the first day! It promises to be a rollercoaster series indeed.

To see Lifetime’s official “The Week the Women Went” page;

http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/the-week-the-women-went

On a side note: I was appalled to see one dad giving his 3 year old daughter coffee (simply because she asked) and mentions that they (parents) do this all the time and that she loves It! Stay tuned to the post, “Should I be giving my child coffee (or any other adult beverages)?”