Kids and Coffee – Yes or No?

by Marye Audet on January 11, 2013

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I swear to you, every time I go into Starbucks I see someone there with their little kid – and the kid is drinking a coffee drink.

Now, please understand, I have no issues with kids in areas like zoos, pizza parlors, and other places one might expect to find them.

I do tend to think of Starbucks more like an adults only kind of place – sort of a nonalcoholic bar or a strip club where everyone keeps their clothing on.  It just seems to me that children are a bit out of place.

What really creeps me out though is the idea that these kids are sucking down Italian roast with their animal crackers. It looks like one of those spot what doesn’t belong pictures I used to do as a kid.

Kids don’t need caffeine – this I know. Even decaffeinated coffee is a stretch – just a little too weird.

It’s like watching a child drinking a nonalcoholic beer. Technically there is nothing wrong with it but it makes you want to look the other way.

Obviously my kids do not get coffee until they are in their teens. Hot chocolate is fine, soda is fine, and juice is fine, water is better, but no coffee. There are some things that should just be left to adults.

What do you think? Is it weird for little kids to be swigging down copious amounts of Joe? Leave a comment and let me know – are you o.k. with your kid relaxing with a cup of coffee as they watch Sesame Street?

photo credit: ali edwards via photopin cc

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Tagged as: coffee, kids drinking coffee, starbucks

  • Jeff Rivera

    I agree with you , Marye. It is weird and for me it’s unacceptable for little kids to drink coffee. Even Adults should watch the amount of coffee they’re drinking so how can we allow children!. There are negative effects of drinking coffee, most of which are associated with drinking large amounts of it. For some people, especially kids, even 1 cup of coffee could have negative effects. It’s all-important to remember that coffee contains a lot of caffeine. And, as a kid, there’s a good chance you’re already consuming other products that have caffeine in them, like soft drinks and chocolate. If you add coffee to the mix, you could be consuming way too caffeine on a daily basis.

    Jeff Rivera
    Bestselling Author
    “UM … MOMMY I THINK I FLUSHED MY BROTHER DOWN THE TOILET”
    http://amzn.to/RUltKc

  • http://www.befreebies.com/ BeFreebies.com

    I have not seen this myself, and I can’t imagine anyone crazy enough to give their kids coffee. I think if the child was young enough, and I saw their parent giving them coffee, I might say express my concern to that parent. My kids have the cocoa when we go to Starbucks. I feel bad enough about that because of all the sugar.

  • http://tabihappy.blogspot.com/ Tabi Deneweth

    How can you be sure these kids are drinking ‘coffee’ at Starbucks? I bring my kids into Starbucks many many times (bc I’m an addict and we aren’t lucky enough to have a drive through close to home) and sometimes I order them a ‘coffee’. It’s not fair for Mommy to get a treat and leave the kids high and dry! BUT their version of ‘coffee’ is just chocolate soy milk (with 1/4 amt of the regular chocolate they usually use). And it comes in a coffee cup with a lid, just like a grown up regular coffee.
    I agree with you, kids shouldn’t drink coffee. Pfft. I’m not even okay with giving kids soda! But I do think it’s okay to bring a kid into a Starbucks and buy them a beverage.
    * my two cents
    ** lovely post. :)

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