What age did your kids start drinking soda?

[MinnieM3]

DD20 and DS16 were older than 6 I think, but not much. Neither drinks too much soda now. DD very little. DS likes Coke.

Now when DSnow 6 came along, he was probably 2. Poor third child......bad mommy

 

[tiggerlover]

My son had his first soda at his 5th birthday party. He drank half of a rootbeer. Soda was never a really big thing for him as he loved milk. It has been just in the last year or two that DS has asked for soda more often, but I still don't let him have too much of the stuff. The rule is he has to have at least 2-3 glasses of milk during the day before he can opt to have a soda unless it is a special ocassion.

 

[tiggerlover]

My son had his first soda at his 5th birthday party. He drank half of a rootbeer. Soda was never a really big thing for him as he loved milk. It has been just in the last year or two that DS has asked for soda more often, but I still don't let him have too much of the stuff. The rule is he has to have at least 2-3 glasses of milk during the day before he can opt to have a soda unless it is a special ocassion.

Edited to say my son is almost 10 now.

 

[paigevz]

My first didn't have it until there was a popcorn party with soda at school in Kindergarten, before it was "outlawed".

My second had his first taste before 2, but no more than a couple sips until recently........he's 3 and we'll let him have a Happy Meal soda when we go to McDonald's, but that's not often.......it's entirely because big brother, who's now 10, gets soda. I find there are quite a few things little brother does earlier than my first did, just because he's heard/seen/been there when big brother does.

 

[2sweetangels]

My 22 month old DD gets pop when she sneaks it out of my glass but when she goes to my MIL house, she always gets a sippy cup full of sprite which I hate, I told MIL not to give it to her and I even bring my own juicy juice over when DD goes there, but when I pick DD up I check her juice and not a drop will be missing out of it, so MIL still gives her pop

 

[Disney Ella]

I think they were about seven and occasionally had it if we were out somewhere and that's all there was. They really didn't like it much until they were about 9.

 

[solferino]

The first and last time for DD was shortly after she turned 5. We were at the Coral Reef and the server accidentally brought her a sprite. She was horrified by the carbonation and abhors the thought of having it again, ever. Fine by me

 

[Steffi]

DH and I never made a fuss over whether or not to allow DD to drink soda; we just made sure that there were plenty of healthier beverages available to her. I don't know when DD tried her first soda, but it's never been her drink of choice. DD is 11 now, and almost always prefers to drink water or milk, only very occasionally opting to have soda.

 

[Kermit]

Mine have never had soft drinks, but they're only 1 and 2, so that's no surprise. I don't know when I'll let them taste them. Not for a few years, at least, and they'll never have diet drinks. DH and I don't drink soft drinks and don't have them in the house, and we won't allow them to ever become a "regular" beverage for our children. However, I think that once they find out about them, we won't make a big deal if they want a little bit every now and then. We eat a very healthy diet at home, but my list of things that aren't allowed when we're out or on special occasions is much smaller.

 

[Barb D]

DD6 occasionally has a sip of mine. She prefers milk or lemonade at restaurants, and usually drinks milk at home.

DD12 drinks soda. I honestly can't remember how old she was when she started. Maybe 8 or so? She likes Gatorade/Flavored water type drinks just as well.

DD14 occasionally drinks some, but he exercises a lot and it bothers him to drink soda and then exercise. He prefers Gatorade.

 

[Nancy]

They all got little sips of it when they were pretty young, maybe around 18 months to 2 years old? Whenever we would eat out they would have little teeny sips of mine or Dh's. As they got older and could tell what they wanted they sometimes chose pop, sometimes milk or juice. They are teens now and none of them really like pop all that much. Unually they will get lemonade, or ice tea. Once in awhile oldest will drink Sprite, middle will drink pepsi, youngest never drinks pop. We always have Pepsi in the house, along with Crystal Light decaf tea, lemonade, milk, 3 different juices, Powerade, and bottled water. Very rarely do they ever drink a Pepsi...that is DH's addiction. I try hard to stick to water and icetea, but I love my Pepsi!

 

[Feralpeg]

Oh, boy. I guess I'm a bad parent. I gave it to DD once in awhile in her bottle when she was about two. She seems fine. Good teeth.

 

[Buckalew11]

Good grief, I don't even remember! How do you all remember this stuff?!I know DD had it by 6yo because I remember getting a refillable mug on her first WDW trip and she drank HI-C and soda in it the whole trip (bad mommy!)

 

[r3ngels]

I guess I get mother of the year... my 3 girls (8,6,3) can have sprite, orange, grape or fruit punch when we go to restaurants but it is usually only once a week...

my youngest got hooked on the "stuff" when she was a little younger than 2 she was in the hospital with a really bad case of rota virus and was really dehydrated and she wouldn't drink the pedilite (sp?) and the nurses wanted her to drink so when they gave her sprite she downed it and then she was hooked... it took a 12 step program to get her down to once a week after 3 days in the hospital.

 

[Hillbeans]

Thanks for the replies....

I don't think giving soda *in moderation* to kids is a bad thing, nor makes anyone a bad parent. I was just curious because it's the first time i've ever heard anyone ask my son "What kind of soda would you like". I don't even think he'd know what soda is. As for mother of the year awards, my son is pretty addicted to juice, but I do water it down 50/50 and try to cut out the sippy cups so he's not walking around with it all day.

Now that I think about it, my first soda was probably flat ginger ale for a bellyache when I was in grade school.

 

[Buckalew11]

I just took 2 of my nieces to WDW and on the way down there we stopped to eat. The waitress asked DN, 11, what she wanted to drink. After announcing to the table, "I do not drink carbonated beverages" she told the waitress, "I'll have a Sprite."


My sister doesn't allow soda unless it is a very special event. However, the kids really liked soda at WDW. Her oldest (16) will not touch soda. Her DS (13) will drink it if his sister swear not to tell on him. I get a kick out of watching them!

 

[mommaU4]

I guess my kids all first tried it at about age 2 or maybe a little before. A few sips here and there.
They love it but we don't let them drink it at home unless there's a party or some other special occasion. Other than that, they can have it when we're out either in a fast food place, restaurant or on vacation.
At home they drink water, milk, or apple and orange juice.

I on the other hand can go through a 2 liter of Diet Pepsi all by myself in about 2 days.

 

[sha_lyn]

neither gets it often, maybe 1x a week or so. We don't buy it, but they can order soda when at a restaurant. I'd say by age 3 they would have it on occasion when we went out to eat. Both had usually rather have sweet tea, not that it is any better for them than soda, punch or lemoade.

 

[DMRick]

I remember 10 years ago when my granddaughter was about 3 (I hope my older daughter doesn't come on to read this..I never told her!) at my son's college graduation, at a campground, my younger daughter and I noticed her under the picnic table with a can of soda and a bag of chips. Her mom didn't allow her to have soda or chips, (but her other grandma confessed to me she gave her a little here and there), and my younger daughter and I just looked at each other and pretended we saw nothing. When she was full, she came out, and my daughter caught sight of her, and said, "oh Ashley, you have been so good, you can a little chips and soda". And Ashley said, no thanks mom. My daughter turned and said to me..she is so good, she knows it's not good for her and turned it down. My other daughter and I both went into the RV saying we had to get something, but really we just had to laught ourselves silly. Bad grandma!

 

[disneychrista]

I guess my kids have almost always drank sodas. But it was only in the last year or so that I allowed them to be caffinated. My kids are 12 & 14.