Coffee?

[Anonymous]

What age do kids drink caffeinated coffee? My DS is 14 and just exhausted all of the time. Lots of activities he doesn't want to stop. Not on screens late at night. Wants to start having coffee in the morning to wake him up, but I'm hesitant.

[Anonymous]

I let my oldest drink coffee around that age - one cup a day with milk. He still drinks a cup a day now as a young adult.

[Anonymous]

He needs to go to bed earlier or cut some activities. You don’t start coffee at 14 to help you cope. JFC.

[Anonymous]

I think it’s fine if he likes it. You still want to get to the bottom of the tiredness. I probably started drinking coffee at that age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He needs to go to bed earlier or cut some activities. You don’t start coffee at 14 to help you cope. JFC.

+1000

[Anonymous]

My son had a half a cup every now and then around that age because he liked it. I let him because he stopped taking his ADHD meds and it helped him focus. It wasn’t a daily thing. He’s in high school now and does the same. I would be okay if he wanted a cup daily in the morning to start his day.

[Anonymous]

I agree with trying other ways to address the tiredness. But if he isn't staying up late with screens, it's probably just being a teen and having to get up at an ungodly hour. They really aren't meant to do that. https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/features/schools-start-too-early.html

Coffee is very healthy. The sugar part is not. I'd defintely let him try a cup in the morning. Home brewed is best because you can control what goes in it. Cold brew is gentler on the stomach, if that's a problem.

For more convenience: my son drinks those Starbucks cans of vanilla sweet cream cold brew (80 calories). Still has sugar, but nowhere near those bottled frappacino drinks, and nowhere near most flavored coffees at Starbucks or Dunkin.

You can also make the vanilla sweet cream cold brew at home. Not that I'm a coffee addict or anything.
https://fitfoodiefinds.com/vanilla-sweet-cream-cold-brew/

[Anonymous]

My DS started drinking coffee earlier than that and he’s fine. I think a cup a day of black coffee or coffee with milk (avoid sugar if you can) is fine. I’d make it at home versus a Starbucks drink. I would also stay away from energy drinks, not that you asked that, but they are popular with some teens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He needs to go to bed earlier or cut some activities. You don’t start coffee at 14 to help you cope. JFC.

+1000

+1 Being tired means he needs more sleep, not a drug to keep him awake. Coffee stunts growth. At 14, your DC is still growing. Caffeine is a drug. Coffee is an addiction. It stains your teeth and gives you bad breath, and means you need to have it every day until you decide to go through the difficult process of quitting.Why would you set your DC up for that instead of just making sure they go to bed at a decent hour?

Signed,

Lifelong coffee addict

[Anonymous]

My 14 year old also wants to drink coffee or energy drinks. I don’t allow it. He hasn’t hit is big growth spurt and just starting puberty, so I say no. He swears caffeine doesn’t stunt your growth and I am being old fashioned. Any definitive word on whether it stunts your growth?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He needs to go to bed earlier or cut some activities. You don’t start coffee at 14 to help you cope. JFC.

+1000

+1 Being tired means he needs more sleep, not a drug to keep him awake. Coffee stunts growth. At 14, your DC is still growing. Caffeine is a drug. Coffee is an addiction. It stains your teeth and gives you bad breath, and means you need to have it every day until you decide to go through the difficult process of quitting.Why would you set your DC up for that instead of just making sure they go to bed at a decent hour?

Signed,

Lifelong coffee addict

+1

Another coffee addict! I drink twice a day.

I also find sex very stress relieving and relaxing. Would not suggest this for teens though!

[Anonymous]

JFC people. Coffee does NOT “stunt your growth.” Think. Does this sound like an old wives tale? It probably is. Then try googling it before you sound like a moron.

Anyway, I let my kids drink coffee occasionally because they like it, but not because they’re tired. Your kid needs more sleep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:JFC people. Coffee does NOT “stunt your growth.” Think. Does this sound like an old wives tale? It probably is. Then try googling it before you sound like a moron.

Anyway, I let my kids drink coffee occasionally because they like it, but not because they’re tired. Your kid needs more sleep.

Neither does cigarettes. Old wives' tail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He needs to go to bed earlier or cut some activities. You don’t start coffee at 14 to help you cope. JFC.

+1000

+1 Being tired means he needs more sleep, not a drug to keep him awake. Coffee stunts growth. At 14, your DC is still growing. Caffeine is a drug. Coffee is an addiction. It stains your teeth and gives you bad breath, and means you need to have it every day until you decide to go through the difficult process of quitting.Why would you set your DC up for that instead of just making sure they go to bed at a decent hour?

Signed,

Lifelong misinformed coffee addict

Fixed that for you. Also, he wouldn't be drinking it to keep himself awake, but to help wake up and be alert in the morning. Do your teens jump out of bed full of energy on a school day? Mine don't. And not everyone develops an addiction to caffeine, especially if it's one cup a day in the morning. You don't know what time the OP's kid is going to bed either.

[Anonymous]

Feeling exhausted all the time is not normal. If the activities are preventing a healthy amount of sleep, you really need to sit down with him and and talk about priorities. Sleep is important for brain development at this age. I would not compromise sleep for activities.