Kids diet - soda?

boyohboyohboy wrote: I have a friend who constantly allows her child to have soda....
I dont allow my children to have soda or juice because of all the added sugar and no real nutritional value..my friend thinks I am over the top..
What do you think?
Soda or no Soda?

ediep replied: I guess it depends on their age. Jason doesn't like juice or soda so I don't have to worry about it just yet. When I was a kid, my parents didn't really keep soda in the house.

mom21kid2dogs replied: We never buy either because we rarely drink it~we just don't like it that much.

luvmykids replied: I don't drink soda, so they just don't get the chance. I'll let them at a party or sometimes at McD's. I water juice down too, I add an extra can or two of water to the concentrate.

luvbug00 replied: It's one of the 4 main food groups!

*healthy foods ( insert cheese bread and stuff)
*junk foods ( pizza hut and taco bell)
*veggies & fruits ( self explaintory)
*sodas

mammag replied: I say you stick with your plan of not letting them have it. I grew up drinking it and had it around the house all the time. I actually posted this in my diary journal. I think my kids were getting addicted to the stuff so I recently (a couple of weeks ago) said we are not buying it any more. They freaked out! I will let them have some if we eat out but I'm not buying it to keep in the hose any more.

mckayleesmom replied:
See....my house was the opposite......We weren't allowed to have it and when we became of age to get it ourselves...we went crazy. I let Mckaylee have it every once in a blue moon because I think that when you withhold something from a child...it makes them want it more.......At least that is why Im addicted to Dr. Pepper. I try to only let her have clear sodas though...so her teeth don't turn yellow.

gregory04210 replied: i DONT ALLOW MY SON ALEX TO DRINK SODA CAUSE HE IS HIPER ENOUGH AS IT IS!!

My3LilMonkeys replied: Yes, in small amounts. I don't ban my kids from having anything (other than the standard age-related allergy/choking issues) to avoid a binge when they are old enough to get it.

"Small amount" in our house means Brooke gets maybe 1 small cup of soda every 2 weeks plus whatever sips she steals when Daddy's not paying attention. Madison gets a few sips only.

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: No on soda, but I give Wil dilluted apple juice at least once a day. I try and buy the kind with no-added sugar too.

CantWait replied: Anthony only gets soda as a treat, or if he's drank lots of water, juice and all his milk for the day. Robbie gets it a bit more, but in general I don't like to give them to much.

Brias3 replied: While I don't completely ban them from pop, my kids only get it once in awhile, usually when we're out to eat or with pizza. If so, its one glass of Sprite then they move onto water or something. They are really big juice and milk fans anyway so luckily, its rarely an issue here.

AlexsPajamaMama replied: I dilute DS's juice too. He does get soda on occasion at Nana's house or if my step mom has soda he will ask her for some. Never his very own cup though, just little sips from theirs.

I agree with Brianne, if you make it like a taboo thing they will want it even more.

3_call_me_mama replied: We dont' do soda for them. I dont' drink it adn Dh sometimes ahs some in teh house. Caffeine free pepsi is what i buy if i get him any. We explain it to the kids in teh same way we explain wine, liquor etc. They are drinks for grown ups and when they are a grown up they can choose to drink them if they want. We do buy sparkling water or sparkling grape juice for a treat (liek picnics bbq's etc) We never really drank soda growning up and still none of the 3 of us do. (My brothers might occasionally but not that often)
As far as juice, we buy 100% juice no sugar added and that is limited. If they want more than one serving teh second is heavily watered down. They do drink a lot of lemonade though.. (But we do homemade with just lemon juice and water ~ they like it really tart! usually no sugar ! )

Ashlynn's Mommy replied: I think soda is fine as long as it is diet, and CAFFEINE FREE. I wouldn't give it all the time though. I let my daughter have a cup at dinner time, and thats it. Water, milk, and natural juices with no added sugar is best.

Kaitlin'smom replied: on occasion, but givine the choise Kait will almost alwasy chose milk over pop/soda. It must be caffee free when she does drink it. She has had a couple sips of pop with caffee. She is not a big juice fan either, still will pick milk over juice.

JP&KJMOM replied: Mine have it on occasion. Mostly weekends eating out or something to that effect. We have either decaf tea, koolaid or juice at our house. Karlee drinks milk in the am but JP is a water drinker like me.

lisar replied: Lexi might get a glass of Soda once a week. Normally she drink 100% real juice or water. She loves water. And she really like cranberry juice.

TheOaf66 replied: we gave my son 7-up when he had an upset stomach and he will have a drink if that is all we have (like in the car or something) but no we don't allow soda. We do give juice if it is 100% juice. But he usually drinks water

mummy2girls replied: its ok but not a every day thing...once in a while as a trweat is ok.

PrairieMom replied: No soda here either. My MIL gave The Boy some coke on his first birthday and I about came unglued on her. It didn't help that she gave it to him 3 more times after i asked her not to, then laughed becuase it was funny that I "caught " her doing it.
Benjamin does get a glass of OJ in the morning tho. the rest is milk or water.

~~*Missi*~~ replied: sabrina has "tried" soda but only because i let her.... otherwise she never gets it.. I mean the amount of soda she has had in her 20m can fill a medicine dropper (and she had nothing but boob juice and milk til 12m, yes I had to switch early cause she didn't take formula and I had to quit nursing due to pregnancy)...
I can see if she was older like 7 or older having one occassionally... but not a constant drink NO WAY... juice i allow sabrina along with water and milk. Juice is watered down and 100% natural.... otherwise...... soda heck no...

I push water cause I HATE water and its so hard for me to drink it and i dont want her to be like me. LOL


I wouldn't say over the top or her over the top. I would say different parenting ideas and differenct decisions. While I agree kids don't need soda... Who am i to tell her she is right or wrong or her to tell you that your over the top.. its different parenting ideas, techniques etc...

~~*Missi*~~ replied:
OMg i so agree with that.. that is the number one complaint i have about these "diets" these days for adults WHOM EVER they tell you don't eat this don't eat that and well when you take something from yourself what do you want most >>>>

ashtonsmama replied: NO SODA-when he could drink it, in a couple years, it AIN'T HAPPENING IN MY HOUSE. I'm sure he'll be hyper enough as it is.

~Roo'sMama~ replied: I give Andrew 100% juice, most of the time diluted but sometimes not. I'm sure that I will let him have soda once in awhile, but probably only 7-up or Sprite, and never ever diet - I'd rather him have the sugar than aspartame or Splenda!

holley79 replied: My mom was broke when I was growing up so soda was a treat when we got it. As for when Annika is old enough to have any, I'm not sure.