Teenagers and the beverages they want to drink..

[momof2boys]

I have two teenage boys and it is a constant battle with my husband on what they drink. They like to drink soda and I usually let them have 2 cans of soda a day and then they drink tea and sometimes lemonade. I know that soda is not healthy for you but personally I do not think that drinking 2 cans of soda a day is going to necessarily hurt them. They do drink bottle water also. My husband thinks they should never drink soda and everyday fussies about it. So I was wondering what you guys let your teenagers drink during the day. I myself drink 1 can of soda almost everyday but I do drink a ton of water during the day also and my husband even fussies about my one soda a day. But he will drink soda on the weekends and even buys it at work occasionally. When I question him about drinking soda on the weekend he always says that if it were not in the house he would not drink it, which is probably true. So what do you guys think?

Gloria

[Happy]

Our long standing rule with teenagers was one soda a day. Soft drinks are pretty darn hard on tooth enamel. Plus, my guys would drink soft drinks ALL day long.

 

I pretty much used to live on Dr Pepper, but I can't any more. It bothers my stomach and the creeping weight gain was no fun. So I cut it out of my life except as an occasional treat, usually on the weekends.

 

I don't keep soft drinks in the house much any more. We have water, milk, juice, and tea available. So far everyone has survived going to Sonic for their daily (or weekly) fix.

[Scarlett]

I only have a 9 year old, so no teenagers here yet. I do not keep it in the house. I think the caffeine is really hard on kids, so even when I do allow a soda it has to be sprite or some such non caffeine. My parents let him have a Pepsi once in a while when he is with them..but basically I agree with your dh. Get it out of the house. :)

[Melinda in VT]

We almost never have soda in the house. We get it maybe 3 times a year with pizza. And we'll sometimes get it for the kids' birthday parties.

 

Our kids (even our teenager) drink milk with meals, or maybe a glass of orange juice with breakfast, and water the rest of the time. In the fall, we usually get a gallon or two of local apple cider.

 

When it's cold, the kids like herbal tea or decaf green tea. Hot chocolate is dispensed judiciously, usually after a particularly nasty snow-shoveling session.

 

Two of my kids love soda. Ordering soda on the airplane is a highlight of traveling.

[lllll]

We all drink water most of the time. When there's (unsweetened only) juice in the house, some of us drink that. And I occassionally make sweetened tea to go with specific things like tomato sandwiches; but water is about it.

 

Kathy

[sadiegirl]

My boys(ages 12 and 14) are allowed 1 soda a day as a general rule. If we are on vacation or out of our normal routine, they may have more on those occasions. I like soda but get tired of the sweetness so I don't crave it as one of my sons does. That being said, I don't really like the taste of water all that well either. I love tea---flavored or black tea but like it lightly sweetened. My husband's family drinks ONLY sweet tea and I call them the hummingbirds because they can suck down pitchers of tea way too fast.

I agree that sodas are terrible on teeth and I have read somewhere that they contribute to belly fat! Moderation is the key and for those who find fault with it, I find the individuals usually have a food weakness that may not be the best for their health as well.

[Rose in BC]

Water and milk are the two main drinks served in our home. Occasionally they drink pop . . . usually on a special occasion. (Oh and my boys love chocolate milk and hot chocolate which, during the winter, they might have once or twice a week).

 

I do limit pop because I am of the opinion that it has the potential to compromise health (i.e. a contributor to obesity, bad teeth, etc.).

[MIch elle]

We eliminated soda years ago. My dh would drink soda and my boys wanted it too so we banned soda from the house. They have soda when we go out to eat. Now that my oldest attends high school, he has soda at lunch everyday (w/o caffeine) as does my dh.

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

It's served with pizza or for special occasions. It's empty calories and not that thurst-quenching. We drink mainly water, milk with dinner and some juice with breakfast. Neither of them care for iced-tea.

 

I don't think that is going to change when they are teenagers. The only thing they might add is coffee - cause it's always ON around here.

[Haiku]

I do not think that drinking 2 cans of soda a day is going to necessarily hurt them.

 

Would you let them eat 20 teaspoons of sugar straight from the sugarbowl? Because that's what they are getting if they drink two cans of soda per day. They are also getting about 300 empty calories.

 

I have a 15 year old. We don't keep soda in the house. Occasionally (less than 1x per month) we will buy some soda ... usually one two-liter. It's a treat in our house, not a daily occurrence. I would never buy my teen soda to drink every day. Every other Friday we get together with a group of friends, and there is soda. The kids can have soda then. That's about their limit of soda consumption.

 

We use almond milk on cereal, but other than that, we drink water or tea.

 

Tara

[Aunty Social]

We don't let the kids have caffeine - soda, tea, or other - until they stop growing. My dd15 is now allowed to have tea when she wants, coffee if she wanted it, and caffeinated soda. Uncaffeinated soda is not banned here, but it is a "treat". They get it when we go out to eat, get McD's, and when we have company/parties......which still amounts to about once or twice a week. We mostly drink juice mixed with seltzer, water, and milk - plain and chocolate.

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

I don't keep soda in the house at all. We do allow our kids to have soda on special occasions such as eating out (rarely) or at church functions and parties. The only other time we have soda is when we take a case of gingerale on picnics in the summer.

 

My kids have no problem drinking water, milk, or 100% juices.

 

If it was up to me, I would cut out the restaurant sodas too, but dh wants it to be a treat.

[LibraryLover]

Since they are used to soda you will need to offer alternatives. However, I do think it would benefit children to get a taste for something else asap. I wonder of they wouldn't mind something like So Be Life Water mixed with sparking water for now? I do love the bubbly sensation and I have a terrible Pellegrino habit. lol If they all had Kleen Kanteens or the like, you could fill them with bubbly water , a little 100% juice for now, or So Be (I am not sure if So Be is actually healthy, but it says no sugar or artifical sugar on it....I am not sure how they make it....so if it's bad, someone here will tell us.

 

There is enough soda out in the world, so I would really try to get it out of the house. Water is great once you get used to it, and bubbly water gives the kick that soda does.

 

ETA- I did a fast search, and Sobe Water does have sugar. Not as much as soda, but ykwim.

Edited October 27, 2009 by LibraryLover

[amy g.]

My 15 year old drinks only water...no ice....must be well water....won't drink bottled water....prefers to drink only fropm a specific cup. It is struggle to keep her hydrated. She does drink a big glass of goat milk in the morning.

 

My 13 year old drinks 1/2 a cup of coffee each morning. Otherwise, he drinks tap water with lemon or Perrier. Sometimes he will have a hot tea.

 

My 11 year old likes milk and juice. She is only supposed to have juice when she is taking her vitamins, otherwise, she will drink too much.

 

My 3 year old drinks milk or water, and sips of anything I'm drinking. We order her a sprite at restaurants, but she won't drink it. She LOVES coffee milk shakes (espresso, goat milk, cocoa powder, sugar and ice) bit Dh does not like his baby drinking coffee, so we save it for very special occasions.

[Laura Corin]

My boys drink fizzy drinks at lunch on Saturday and Sunday and orange juice for breakfast. Otherwise they drink water or milk.

 

Laura

[PineFarmMom]

We just do not keep it in the house, period. My 11yo would love to drink them every day. His focus and learning abilities would be negatively affected in a big way were I to allow this. He just cannot handle it. Also, it is just cheaper. We keep water & milk in the house, and everyone is just used to drinking that. We do hot chocolate right now though because it's fall and it just seems necessary. ;) We haven't really dealt with cavities much, and I attribute it to the fact that we just don't allow a bunch of sugar drinks. I have a family member who had to have all of her dd's teeth capped. The dh told me that the girls drink pitchers of kool-aid each day and the enamel was gone from their teeth because of it. That was enough of a sign for me. ;)

 

I do allow my children to have soft drinks but it is more of a treat from Sonic while we are out doing things here and there. I'd say they have one or two per week maybe.

[Ferdie]

Sodas are a treat in our home. My kids would love to have soda everyday, but I limit it for two reasons. Two of my children have weight issues and drinking soda daily would only compound that. The second is issue is for their health. I keep reading that what kids eat in their youth effects their health as an adult. There are no health benefits of soda and it is a hard habit to break. Interestingly, whenever I meet someone who has lost alot of weight,

(50+ pounds) one of the first changes they had to make was to give up drinking soda.

 

My kids drink water or milk during the day and have soda as a treat a few times a week.

[Kathleen in VA]

Soda is a treat here - we have it with pizza about 6x a year. We drink mostly water and milk. During the summer we have iced tea on hand but limit that as well.

[Daisy]

The kids don't get soda unless it is a birthday party or some special event where it is offered.

 

I imagine once they are teenagers it is a big harder, but I wouldn't keep it in the house.

[Amy in NH]

Soda is like candy. We only have it occasionally for a treat. My little kids only have a sip now and then when we're someplace special (parties, etc). Even though my big kids are allowed to have a cup of soda on those special occasions, they don't really care for the fizzy.

 

I have to agree with your husband. Children (and even adults) shouldn't be drinking soda everyday. In my opinion, its not just the sugar and empty calories, or the caffeine, as other posters have pointed out, but also the sodium.

 

I think that now that your children are in the habit of having soda, and because of their ages, you may have a hard time when you cut them off. But I do think that part of teaching children is modeling the behaviors ourselves. If you don't drink soda, because you don't keep it in the house, they won't drink it either.

 

Finally: I'm wondering, when you wrote that they drink tea and lemonade in addition to the soda, if you mean from a can that you bought at the store? That is the same as soda, in my opinion.

[Pam L in Mid Tenn]

Personally, I think that daily soda is too much. We usually each get a soda while running errands about once a week and sometimes get some 2 liter bottles at home. Last night I brought home pizza and picked up a few 2 liter bottles of diet soda.

 

One problem with regular soda is the calorie count. Too many calories with no nutritional value. Another problem is the sugar level. One can of soda can have the equivalent of 9 teaspoons of sugar. Imagine eating 9 spoons of sugar straight from the sugar bowl! That is what happens when one drinks a can of soda pop.

 

And you run into those same problems when you drink lemonade, kool aide, and juice.

 

Then there are other problems with the sweeteners in diet drinks.

 

We do keep juice in the house which can be diluted to a flavored water. And we do drink Crystal light lemonade. The rule is one glass of juice per day and one glas of lemonade per day, but we don't always follow the rule!

[OhM]

We don't keep soda (actually, it's called pop around these parts ;)) as a rule, but we'll buy it for special occasions (guests over, etc.) When it's in the house, the rule is one per day. They're allowed to order pop in restaurants, too. We've only recently begun allowing them to drink caffeinated (Pepsi, mostly).

 

I would think one a day is plenty. I'd probably handle it like I handle beer for dh & I - I buy *this* quantity *this* often, and when it's gone, too bad!

 

OTOH - my brother *lived* on the stuff when he was a teenager - he'd grab a Pepsi with 2 pop tarts on the way to school each morning, another from the machine at lunch, and grab at least one more after school (usually more than one.) He was a pretty hyper kid (hmm - wonder why) who had trouble putting on weight when he was young. Not so much now that he's hit 40. :lol:

[Tap]

I am a Coke drinker, having about a glass or so a day. Dh will have one a week or so. I am not anti-soda but I wish I didn't drink it at all. It is a habit I break about once a year, going months at a time with out it, and then slip back into.

 

I have never encouraged our kids to drink soda. They get it for a treat, but I don't usually keep it in the house for them. I have a NO carbonated caffeine rule for them, so I have to buy them something other than what I drink. I agree with your dh, two sodas a day is A lot in my book for kids, even adults.

 

I keep a pitcher of 100% juice almost all the time. There is also cow milk, rice milk, almond milk and water and a huge variety of tea if they wanted it. There is hot cocoa (we make it with milk so it has a little to it other than sugar/water). During summer sports season or when they are playing heavily outside I will buy a few 32oz sports drinks for a change.

 

There are so many choices that are not soda, so they don't really notice.

[KidsHappen]

I buy orange juice, apple juice, and other juices. I make lemonade and iced tea. We also have tons of bottled water. I buy two cases of soda per month so 48 cans for 6 people. Once it is gone for the month, it is gone. We also drink a lot of coffee in our house. The kids are allowed to buy whatever they want with their own money. We live less than a block from Starbucks so sometimes even my 13 years old will walk to Starbucks with her own money and buy a drink. As long as everyone is drinking plenty of water and no more than one or two (at most) sodas per day, I'm happy.

[MommyX8]

My kids don't drink soda. Period.

 

Our rule from the start: No soda and no gum.

 

Eight kids later and we've had one cavity (where enamel didn't form from birth.)

 

My 14 year old boy drinks raw milk, and a lot of it. We go through a gallon a day, my son being the biggest consumer. We switched when he hit 12 and his voice dropped and he started shooting up. He has grown about a foot in two years. Teenagers don't get enough calcium as it is. Add those growth spurts in and you've got a problem.

 

We did give kids permission at age 16 to drink soda at youth group activities, but that has since been rescinded. Between high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners, we'll just stick to water and milk.

[Spy Car]

I keep reading that what kids eat in their youth effects their health as an adult. There are no health benefits of soda and it is a hard habit to break. Interestingly, whenever I meet someone who has lost alot of weight,

(50+ pounds) one of the first changes they had to make was to give up drinking soda.

 

My kids drink water or milk during the day and have soda as a treat a few times a week.

 

I watched a lecture on-line last night that Kathleen re-posted here on WTM in which a Medical Doctor Robert H. Lustig, a UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology methodically explains the biochemistry of how our bodies metabolize fructose and compares and contrasts the biochemistry to metabolizing alcohol and glucose.

 

The science that show why soda and fruit drinks are so dangerous to heath is compelling. This lecture is a hour-and-a-half long, but it might be the best 90 minutes a person could spend if they currently think drinking two sodas a day is an acceptable intake of sweet drinks.

 

It's called "Sugar:The Bitter Truth". Thanks to whoever it was who first posted this here, very eye-opening.

 

 

 

Bill

Edited October 27, 2009 by Spy Car

[Kathleen in VA]

I found out that it was Snickerdoodle who first posted it. Thanks, Snickerdoodle!! It is an absolutely life-changing video.

[Impish]

My kids get 100% juice, (none of that 'drink' or 'punch' crap), milk, and water. That's it. I'm in the process of trying to get them to turn to water first. Princess still uses a sippy cup, so she gets 2/3 water, 1/3 juice.

 

If we go out to eat, then Diva will get a pop, the Littles still get apple juice or chocolate milk.

 

Only time there's caffeinated pop in the house is if I'm going to have a rye and coke. Wolf likes 7Up. Before I was married, I almost never had pop in the house, maybe 3x a year, if that.

[Spy Car]

I found out that it was Snickerdoodle who first posted it. Thanks, Snickerdoodle!! It is an absolutely life-changing video.

 

I thank both of you!

 

It is one thing to "know" from a position of common-sense and life-experience that soda is no good, but to have the biochemistry explained, so you really understand WHY refined fructose is such a big problem in our diets, that is EMPOWERING!

 

Bill

Edited October 27, 2009 by Spy Car

[3byzaz]

My husband had a very bad soda habit (and food) - spending a ton of money on it and causing much troubles...he has since been healed from it. He credits it to his mom allowing him to drink TONS during his entire youth - had all his baby teeth pulled by age 6 (all the candy probably was mostly to blame for this). He drank diet and he thinks that it had something to do with him getting cancer by 24. Probably didn't, but he has always thought it might have--the aspartame. Has been soda free completely for a year or so - maybe 2- not sure--and very little for 5 years now. It's a long story, but God has helped him a lot!!

 

I enjoy the occasional (rare) Dr. Pepper--but can't drink much cuz of the sweetness. We allow Sprite or Root Beer when out to eat sometimes and maybe at a b-day party. Our boys like it too, but we just won't give in to this one.

 

They drink water all day - huge water drinkers and that's about it. They use a small amount of fruit juice to do their nutritional powder shakes in in the am also. My hubby does like Powerade Zero now - a very small amount - hopefully that is ok for him!!

 

I, however, LOVE my iced tea--hopefully, there won't be bad news about that ever!!! :001_smile:

 

Just our story...:D

[Jennifer in MI]

Thank you Spy Car! I'm going to have my kids watch this with me.

 

We don't have soda/pop in the house unless we are having company who drinks it. My problem? I LOVE soda!!! I would drink it all day every day if it were here.

 

My kids don't drink it. We have it maybe twice/year for special occasions. In addition to the HFCS, there's also the calories! Isn't one soda 180 calories? So, if you're having two a day, that's drinking 360 empty calories. That would be 20% of my daily intake! I know teenage boys eat more calories than I do, but still. I'd much rather my kids eat good food for those calories than the empty calories.

[Karen in CO]

Water, milk and juice are the only drinks I buy for the house. When / if we are out, I'll buy the kids a soda but that isn't even once a week. Talk to a dentist about soda - I pay the dental bills so I don't buy soda at home for anyone. Now, anyone in my house wants to buy soda for themselves, I don't really say anything - this includes my hubby who will go out and buy his own.

 

But I have found over the years that it is better to not bring controversial things into the house. Water, milk or juice. and repeat. My ds, who is now making his own choices for food and drink at college has fallen back to just drinking water because it is healthier and free which is what I have told him for years.

[angela in ohio]

I say good for your dh for caring about the health of your family, and I would get rid of all the soda. :001_smile:

 

My dc can drink all the water they like, but no juice (if they want fruit, they can eat a piece and get the fiber with it,) and one glass of whole fat organic milk per day. The younger two like the taste of pop, so they will have a small glass of clear pop once per month or so at a party or a restaurant.

 

We also have a 'no caffeine while you're growing' rule, like PP.

Edited October 27, 2009 by angela in ohio

[Kathleen in VA]

I thank both of you!

 

It is one think to "know" from a position of common-sense and life-experience that soda is no good, but to have the biochemistry explained, so you really understand WHY refined fructose is such a big problem in our diets, that is EMPOWERING!

 

Bill

 

That's the word I've been looking for, Bill. Empowering! I had ds13 and dd10 watch it with me last night and, although the science was obviously above their heads (a lot of it went over mine as well), they definitely understood that fructose (without the fiber it comes with naturally) is a chronic poison and want to eliminate it from their diets. I didn't have to beg or plead - they ran to the kitchen and started reading all the labels and saying, "We can't eat this!"

 

I was especially astonished when he showed how soda contributes to the "metabolic syndrome" (obesity, hypertension, heart disease, type II diabetes, etc.) in the exact same way that beer does (minus the buzz:)). AAcckk!! I really can't look at fruit juice and soda the same way any longer and I'm thankful for that.

[Spy Car]

Thank you Spy Car! I'm going to have my kids watch this with me.

 

We don't have soda/pop in the house unless we are having company who drinks it. My problem? I LOVE soda!!! I would drink it all day every day if it were here.

 

My kids don't drink it. We have it maybe twice/year for special occasions. In addition to the HFCS, there's also the calories! Isn't one soda 180 calories? So, if you're having two a day, that's drinking 360 empty calories. That would be 20% of my daily intake! I know teenage boys eat more calories than I do, but still. I'd much rather my kids eat good food for those calories than the empty calories.

 

When you watch the video you will see Dr Lustig show how the problems with fructose goes way beyond "empty calories". How unlike "glucose", that "fructose" is metabolized almost wholly by the liver and how this causes the body to convert this sugar rapidly into body fat as a protective mechanism for that organ.

 

Also fructose (unlike glucose) doesn't trigger the bodies biochemicals that tell us we have consumed "fuel" and therefore don't need to eat more (insulin response, etc.).

 

He explains it far better than I could attempt to. I'll just echo Kathleen's phrase (because it is spot-on) that watching this could be "life changing".

 

It's not often you get a presentation on nutrition "broken down" so it is comprehensible to a lay audience, but Dr Lustig does a great job explaining his case. And what he's saying can be appreciated by anyone who's had his or her eyes open and seen what's happened with diet and obesity in our life times.

 

Bill

Edited October 27, 2009 by Spy Car

[abreakfromlife]

oh my goodness....I'm only 15 minutes into the video and it's great! Wow. I try to stay on the Michael Pollan side of food, but lately we've been reverting to more processed food....what a kick in the pants this is! This guy is good. The only annoying thing is he says 'fruhc-tose' instead of 'frooc-tose'. :tongue_smilie:

[Kathleen in VA]

oh my goodness....I'm only 15 minutes into the video and it's great! Wow. I try to stay on the Michael Pollan side of food, but lately we've been reverting to more processed food....what a kick in the pants this is! This guy is good. The only annoying thing is he says 'fruhc-tose' instead of 'frooc-tose'. :tongue_smilie:

 

Yes, I noticed that too. And he says, "ok?" or just 'kay?" a lot. It's a little distracting but it gets easier to overlook as you go along.:)

[dirty ethel rackham]

We don't allow pop in the house - sort of. My kids have pop as a special treat - maybe a couple times a month. Definitely NOT on a daily basis. Dh has a can of diet soda as his "coffee" each day. I have tried to break him of this habit, but to no avail. I did make a "no pop in the house" rule. We do have a stash in the garage, but it is not used. Dh used to buy "Dad's Root Beer" and tell the kids they couldn't have it because it says "Dad's" on hit:).

 

My reasoning is that it is a ton of unnecessary sugar (most made with HFCS as well) that takes the place of more nutritious food, as well as the fact that I don't want my kids hyped up on caffeine. Caffeine is reserved for adults who need a boost to get through the day, just like dark chocolate is taken for medicinal purposes;). We discourage pop for the same reasons why we don't serve candy for dinner or super sugary cereals for breakfast - minimal nutrition and too much sugar.

 

My kids drink water, rice milk (one is allergic and the others never acquired a taste for cow's milk) and at most, a daily 6 oz serving of juice. On occasion, I will make lemonade (my recipe is a little tart and is made from lemon juice, real sugar (maybe some fruit juice) and water.) If they want fizzy drinks, I buy soda water and fruit juice. Again, this is for special occasions, not for daily consumption.

 

I treat it like candy - fun on occasion, not meant for a daily diet.

 

Here is a video to share with your kids.

[FeFe]

Since they are teens, maybe you could present them with the facts (bad on teeth, dangers in caffiene, weight gain, ect.) and tell them that it won't be in the house as much as it is now and just let them make the choice.

[eternalknot]

I know that soda is not healthy for you but personally I do not think that drinking 2 cans of soda a day is going to necessarily hurt them.

 

My husband thinks they should never drink soda and everyday fussies about it.

 

So what do you guys think?

 

I think there is some good middle ground between both of your POVs.

 

I grew up drinking water. That's what I drink. Water and (hot) tea. I don't drink milk or juice, nor do my children. I do drink a soda from time to time, always at work where it's *there* but I can't even make it through one can because it's just not part of my palate. My kids don't drink soda, but I'm not obsessively restricting it. At parties I have allowed them to try it, but they've never taken me up on it (I'd restrict it if they ended up liking it - never at home, only as a treat) because it's not really part of their palates either. They've both tasted some on accident, having grabbed someone else's Sprite thinking it was their water - dramatics ensued, spitting and coughing and sputtering ... it was disgusting to them.

 

My husband went from a six-pack-a-day soda habit to one soda every day or so habit. He doesn't keep any at home, but will order it when we're out. I think this is a good compromise for him, as someone who enjoys the taste and association (it's like his "cigarette" and he is very attached to his soda LOL) but who recognizes that it isn't the healthiest choice for him or for our kids. Perhaps that might be middle ground for your family - no soda in the home, but ordering one per day while out would be acceptable?

 

FWIW, my husband gives up soda every year for Lent. Once Lent ends, he has lost his taste for it (and he drinks that tasteless, gross diet stuff) - Easter he always has a soda to officially end his "deprivation" ::rolls eyes:: but he rarely finishs it, and always comments that it doesn't taste the same. But each day thereafter, he'll wean himself BACK ON TO it because it's just his little vice-thingy. Maybe a temporary break would help your kids lose their taste for it, but even if not - it would be one way to kickstart a new "not at home, only when out and one per day" compromise :)

 

I have teen-aged siblings, nieces, and nephews. None drink soda, though all have tried it. My sister likes fizz, so in the warmer months she buys club soda and will sometimes add juice to it for a soda-esque feel.

[Katiebug_1976]

We very rarely drink soda. Between the caffiene, carbonation and sugar, my kids are bouncing off the walls after 1. We only drink soda on special occasions every now and then.

[novagirl]

Would you let them eat 20 teaspoons of sugar straight from the sugarbowl? Because that's what they are getting if they drink two cans of soda per day. They are also getting about 300 empty calories.

 

I have a 15 year old. We don't keep soda in the house. Occasionally (less than 1x per month) we will buy some soda ... usually one two-liter. It's a treat in our house, not a daily occurrence. I would never buy my teen soda to drink every day. Every other Friday we get together with a group of friends, and there is soda. The kids can have soda then. That's about their limit of soda consumption.

 

We use almond milk on cereal, but other than that, we drink water or tea.

 

Tara

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

Right on Tara! Well, do you want their teeth full of holes? Ask me how "I" know. I'd have about two sodas a day and I spent MANY days at the dentist drilling and filling. Please do them a favor, at least slowly cut it down and then save it for special days or dinner out. That way they don't have to go cold turkey.

[Janet in Toronto]

The only annoying thing is he says 'fruhc-tose' instead of 'frooc-tose'. :tongue_smilie:

 

Er....I think both pronunciations are fine. I've always used the former.

[Starr]

Only occasional soda here. We only buy it for parties.

[JustGin]

I have two teenage boys and it is a constant battle with my husband on what they drink. They like to drink soda and I usually let them have 2 cans of soda a day and then they drink tea and sometimes lemonade. I know that soda is not healthy for you but personally I do not think that drinking 2 cans of soda a day is going to necessarily hurt them. They do drink bottle water also. My husband thinks they should never drink soda and everyday fussies about it. So I was wondering what you guys let your teenagers drink during the day. I myself drink 1 can of soda almost everyday but I do drink a ton of water during the day also and my husband even fussies about my one soda a day. But he will drink soda on the weekends and even buys it at work occasionally. When I question him about drinking soda on the weekend he always says that if it were not in the house he would not drink it, which is probably true. So what do you guys think?

Gloria

 

I can't drink soda because of my stomach issues, my dh drinks diet soda about 3-4 times a week, usually away from home, and my kids only get soda when we go out to eat once in a while, or sometimes when we host a sleepover, or party. We don't keep soda in the house. Personally, I would not let my children, teens or otherwise drink soda on a regular basis. Those growing bodies need calcium and nutrition, and don't need the sugar or additives in soda.

For what it's worth, I'm not against treats in moderation, so in our family when we have treats, including soda, it is always with a meal. I mean we don't just drink soda because we're thirsty or because it's there. (Helps that we don't stock it). I guess they got that from me because even when I used to drink it, I never could stand to consume it with no food to cut the sweet. We are the same way though with chips, cookies, etc. We don't keep them around as a rule, and when we do have them, they are always a side dish or dessert, never a snack. Snacks in our family are healthy.

My 2 cent's worth.

[Kathleen in VA]

Er....I think both pronunciations are fine. I've always used the former.

 

 

It's probably a regional thing. Still, if you're used to hearing one way, the other way can sound a bit odd. That goes for any word.:)

[Pretty in Pink]

I agree w/ your (the OP's) dh. I don't think you're doing your kids any favors by allowing them to drink two sodas a day in addition to (sweet?) tea and lemonade?

 

The best way to pretty much eliminate soda from your children's diets...just don't buy it.

[Mom-ninja.]

I do not buy soda. We only drink it when we go out to dinner. We drink water during the day. During meal times my kids can choose water, juice, almond milk, or ice tea if DH makes it.

 

I think two sodas a day is a lot.

[Mrs Mungo]

I drink soda, I am bad. I buy soda, there is always soda in the house. *However* I don't let the kids drink soda at home. I don't buy juice because my son is allergic to apples and pears. They drink milk and water for the most part. Sometimes we make lemonade but that is sort of rare. We usually drink tea at dinner time. They can drink soda when we're out but that is it.

[Krista in LA]

Soda is only a treat that they get when we go out to eat or the occasional special treat at home. The kids will drink water or milk. I do let them add chocolate to their milk or make hot chocolate pretty much whenever they want - they seem to go on streaks with it. My dd will make iced tea sometimes too.