Do you ever give your kids a can of soft drink?

Mum shared, “We were in a fast food cafe and there was a family with young children drinking cans of soft drink.

“My kids asked if they could also have one. My hubby and I do drink Sprite No Sugar but try and do it surreptitiously without drawing the kids attention to it.

“But am I being hypocritical by not allowing my kids to have fizzy drink? Is it really that bad?”

Mums respond

I think as with anything moderation is the key. Lots of mums said it was OK as a treat and on special occasions. While others disagreed that it really shouldn’t be given to young children at all.

Tash said, “Very very rare…they’re not good for you or the kids…you can be mean mum …when they’re adults they’ll either thank you or binge …either way you’ve done all you can.”

Hala made a good point, “Some occasional food and drinks don’t harm. They should learn to consume some at occasions only! That teaches them to self control.”

Nikki shared, “Personally, i have never allowed nor will i allow my children to drink soft drink. But everyone is different.. totally your choice!”

Elisha said, “Everything in moderation. My kids are 9 and 10 and most definitely don’t have it regularly but if we go out for a meal or get takeaway they are allowed a fizzy drink. I believe everything in moderation is perfectly fine.”

Alicia wrote, “Everything in moderation. My 2.5yr & 4yr old are allowed to share a can of lemonade etc every so often.
I’ve found in social situations my kids will have a sip or 2 of their fizzy drink & walk away from it to play etc, while the kids who never get it tend to drink the whole lot in one go & ask for more. Same goes for potato chips, sugary treats etc etc.”

Penny said, “Very very rarely and mostly only at parties. Definitely no coke! It shocks me when i see kids younger than 9 drinking coke with their parents letting them!”

Courtney admitted, “I don’t see a issue every now then as a treat it’s the same as lollies and chocolate etc everything is ok in moderation.”

While Chrissy disagreed, “I won’t be allowing soft drink till they’re mid teens… don’t feel bad. It’s your job to look after those little bodies until they can make informed decisions for them selves.”

What the experts say

The Australian Dietary Guidelines do not recommend the consumption of sugar sweetened drinks such as soft drinks, cordials, fruit drinks, vitamin-style waters, flavoured mineral waters, energy and sports drinks.

Fruit and vegetable juices contain sugars that are found naturally in fresh fruits and vegetables, but become very concentrated when made into juice.

Children do not need any fruit or vegetable juice to have a balanced and healthy diet. Encouraging children to eat the whole fruit or vegetable, and drink plain tap water or milk rather than juice is the best way to establish good eating habits early.

Limit artificially sweetened soft drinks

Some soft drinks contain artificial sweeteners instead of added sugar. Artificially sweetened drinks add very little energy (kilojoules) to the diet and therefore, do not contribute directly to weight gain. However, artificially sweetened drinks still maintain the ‘habit’ of drinking sweet drinks and do not add nutritional value to a healthy diet.

The acidity of drinks, whether sweetened with sugar or artificial sweeteners, and the frequent consumption of them, may contribute to tooth erosion and decay. For good oral health encourage children to drink plain tap water throughout the day.

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