Dads Debate: Should Kids Be Allowed To Drink Coffee?

Who knew that coffee could be such a lightening rod topic. Maybe we should switch to decaf?

Jesse Lethbridge: Its terrible for him. It will stunt his growth and caffeine is bad for a brain that isn’t done maturing.

Who the hell lets him drink coffee?

Jo Souto: My youngest son has been drinking ground coffee in tea bags since he was 3, he’s almost 6, he usually has a small cup in the morning, he fixes it with creamer himself…he usually only takes a couple sips, but I don’t see anything wrong with it.

Niki St.Hilaire: Actually some boys it has been known to help with ADHD symptoms. So if he seems ok with it, I wouldn’t worry too much.

Phil Garcia: I’m Mexican and were pretty much given coffee at birth. There’s no denying the fact that it’s delicious, you can have it everywhere, you can even have fresh roasted coffee beans online if you search the web.

Jerry Smith: Your kid, no judgment from me but I try to keep my kids away from caffeine.No sodas, no coffee/tea and limit chocolate milk

Andy Northern: How about this: If he enjoys it and doesn’t have any bad reactions to it (hyperactivity, racing heart, etc) to hell with what everyone else thinks.

D.J. Kelly: Everyone gets so upset over a child drinking coffee, but soda is a norm for children in our society.

No doubt, caffeine should be reserved for adults, but there really isn’t much difference between a cup of coffee and a coca cola.

Joseph Schmitt: I drank coffee at about age 12-13 then stopped. until 21 or 22ish. I heard it can stunt your growth I’m 6’ 0” 250 lbs so…… there’s that.

Daniel Anthony Sanchez: My ADHD 10 year old drinks coffee, it’s our homeopathic treatment… Councilors and teacher noticed a difference from medicated to this method… Nothing medically wrong with a child drinking a moderate amount… Limiting sugar and additives is necessary but nothing wrong with it.

Mark Bourn: If you would give him a Pepsi and not worry about it then keep doing what you are doing. I started drinking coffee when I was ten or a little younger. My 8 year old drinks coffee sometimes but it is the second time brewing with a K Cup and what he gets is about half coffee and half milk… He just likes the way it tastes. At that strength, it would have far less caffeine than hot chocolate. If you are worried about the health affects then do a little research. You could drink about 7 or 8 cups of decaf for what you would get in one Coke.

Tyler Stanwick: I used to drink coffee ad a kid, but it was only on Sunday mornings after delivering my newspapers. My dad took me to Dunkin Donuts for a dozen donuts and I’d get a small coffee, light and sweet. But yeah, everyday is too much for a ten year old.

Robert Foster: My grandma gave me coffee as a remedy for asthma. I hated it, but it didn’t hurt me. Science says “it stunts your growth” is a myth. The sugar and creamer (if you use those) are more harmful.

I personally like soda is far worse than coffee but that water is the best for everyone. What do you think about coffee and kids?

Flickr photo by Richard Gillin.