Anonymous
Post 07/18/2025 15:42     Subject: 10 year old drinking soda
Anonymous wrote:My kid is at a sleepaway camp that has a tradition called Root Beer Float. They give them a can of root beer and an inner tube and they float on the lake drinking root beer.

I love this!
Anonymous
Post 07/18/2025 15:38     Subject: 10 year old drinking soda
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It likely isn’t daily. They probably have soda Fridays or something and they each get one can. I guarantee it isn’t a daily free for all with soda.

It is likely daily and it's perfectly fine. When my kids went to camp, they were allowed to use their own money to buy snacks at the canteen and they had the freedom to buy whatever they wanted. (There may have been a maximum on how much they could spend per day.) The kids would then consume their treats in the evenings during free time. It was like a party every night with their friends. My kids said they liked the lemonade and drank a can of it every night. They also bought candy bars, chips, pretzels, etc. Nobody came home unhealthy or with rotting teeth. I am mostly shocked that people didn't have similar camp experiences when they were kids. FWIW, I had all the soda I could drink as a kid. It was completely normal back in my day but I never kept it at home for my kids.


My kids go to two different sleepaway camps and I am familiar with several others. None have a canteen where kids can freely buy candy and soda. They only things they can “buy” (put on their camp account and their parents are billed) is shampoo, soap, toothpaste, stationary, batteries…stuff like that. Perhaps some camps allow this, but it is hardly most.
Anonymous
Post 07/18/2025 14:46     Subject: 10 year old drinking soda
We are a water or fresh squeezed juices family and I will not let me 9yo drink soda and because I never gave it to my kids, my 18yo does not like it. So, at camp, I would just send extra water bottles. Pretty simple.
Anonymous
Post 07/17/2025 11:38     Subject: 10 year old drinking soda
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It's a special occasion drink in our house. It's really not a big deal and severely restricting causes more issues in the long run.


No it doesn’t. My mom did not keep soda in the house when I was a kid but allowed it at birthday parties, restaurants etc. as an adult I hate soda and never drink it. It’s disgusting and full of disgusting ingredient.



That's not severely restricting it though. That's allowing it as an occasional treat, which is exactly what you should be doing with all junky treats that you don't want them to go crazy and binge on when they finally get access. The only thing that would concern me is getting enough fluids to stay hydrated because it's HOT outside and kids need extra fluids and calories at camp - sprite or ginger ale isn't caffeinated, so better than Coke, but not as good as milk or water at hydrating. But assuming they're not serving pitchers of Mountain Dew or regular Coke, better to keep them drinking something sweet and appealing than have to be monitoring water intake constantly.
Anonymous
Post 07/17/2025 09:58     Subject: 10 year old drinking soda
Anonymous wrote:It's a special occasion drink in our house. It's really not a big deal and severely restricting causes more issues in the long run.


No it doesn’t. My mom did not keep soda in the house when I was a kid but allowed it at birthday parties, restaurants etc. as an adult I hate soda and never drink it. It’s disgusting and full of disgusting ingredient.

Anonymous
Post 07/17/2025 07:59     Subject: 10 year old drinking soda
I think soda at that age is entirely a parents choice. I work in elementary schools and I can tell you that some kids drink soda and others do not. I wouldn’t make a big deal of it, just remind him when he gets home of your expectations at home.
Anonymous
Post 07/17/2025 05:00     Subject: 10 year old drinking soda
Anonymous wrote:The absolute best part of sleepaway camp is having the freedom to buy and consume your own snacks without some adult policing every morsel you put in your mouth. He will come home simply beaming about getting to have soda every night. Do not burst his bubble by complaining or scolding him about it. Simply notice how happy he is.


💯

We don't have soda in the house, but sleep away camp is awesome for kids to have this exact experience. Not just the freedom to decide what goes in your mouth, but to pick activities and to learn to take care of yourself without mom nagging. Leave your bathing suit and towel in a wet heap on the floor? Tomorrow at swimming you're putting on a wet smelly bathing suit (probably won't do that twice)
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2025 23:54     Subject: 10 year old drinking soda
Anonymous wrote:It's a special occasion drink in our house. It's really not a big deal and severely restricting causes more issues in the long run.


Same. We let our kids order an occasional soda at age 10/11. They loved it for a while, but then they stopped.They will get a ginger ale on the plane, but otherwise they don’t ask for soda. We don’t keep it at home, but it’s not forbidden.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2025 22:55     Subject: Re:10 year old drinking soda
Anonymous wrote:Fairly normal IME.

My kids are allowed to order it at restaurants etc starting around that age but we don’t have it at home. One of them likes some types of soda, the other hates soda.

Not a hill to die on in terms of camp IMO, unless maybe it is unlimited access all day or something.


Same. A little younger but mine order Sprite at family restaurants but I never bought it for home. Occasional bad for you food items are not a big deal. Moderation.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2025 22:51     Subject: 10 year old drinking soda
Anonymous wrote:Is it Cheerwine? My DS went to camp in NC and they would let the boys drink that on Saturdays for a special thing.

Why would it necessarily be some random soft drink only offered in the deep south? You have no idea where this camp is.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2025 22:49     Subject: 10 year old drinking soda
Anonymous wrote:It likely isn’t daily. They probably have soda Fridays or something and they each get one can. I guarantee it isn’t a daily free for all with soda.

It is likely daily and it's perfectly fine. When my kids went to camp, they were allowed to use their own money to buy snacks at the canteen and they had the freedom to buy whatever they wanted. (There may have been a maximum on how much they could spend per day.) The kids would then consume their treats in the evenings during free time. It was like a party every night with their friends. My kids said they liked the lemonade and drank a can of it every night. They also bought candy bars, chips, pretzels, etc. Nobody came home unhealthy or with rotting teeth. I am mostly shocked that people didn't have similar camp experiences when they were kids. FWIW, I had all the soda I could drink as a kid. It was completely normal back in my day but I never kept it at home for my kids.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2025 22:47     Subject: 10 year old drinking soda
Is it Cheerwine? My DS went to camp in NC and they would let the boys drink that on Saturdays for a special thing.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2025 21:12     Subject: 10 year old drinking soda
Anonymous wrote:My son is away at sleepaway camp and I notice in the pictures the kids are drinking soda. He doesn’t at home. Is this normal for kids to be drinking soda at this age?

It’s common, not normal or healthy. Schedule a dental check up for cavities.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2025 21:09     Subject: 10 year old drinking soda
I drank soda for my whole childhood that I can remember and everyone else did too. I do limit my kids to restaurants , we don’t eat out that often. We don’t drink them at home but their friends do ask when they come over if we have soda because they drink it at home so I think that’s pretty normal, too.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2025 20:41     Subject: 10 year old drinking soda
It is commonplace at camps.

My overnight camp back in the day had milk available, but most of us drank lemonade. This was for the summer before 4th grade.