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17 month old drinking tea?

Hi ladies,



i have had an battle with lo trying to get him to drink water, iv been persevering for a year now and he just doesnt like it, he will have the odd sip with meals but thats it, he is still having two bottles of milk a day. but i was wondering if it would be ok for him to drink tea, as i have found out that he likes it! so far i have only gave him it a few time, i make it in his beaker and its very weak. but i was just happy to see him drink something! i was thinking of offering him one cup of tea a day.anyone else's lo drink tea? oh and he is 17 months.



thanks



ashy x

Replies

  • Personally I wouldn't give my LO a caffeinated drink as the last thing I want is for him to be MORE awake! The only tea I would give is herbal, or something like Redbush (South African) as it is naturally not caffeinated.



  • Hi hun, My daughter loves tea too (bit older, she's 3) but it has an ingrediant called tannin (sp?) which makes littlies less able to absorb iron (dunno how exactly it works though) and obviously it also has caffine in. However redbush tea is free from these two things and is widely available, also tetley do a "tea for kids" in a packet which is very similar to redbush, i believe there are different flavours available in this too! So if you opt for one of these options then it's fine image



    XX
  • Hiya, just seen this on the front page, my son is 18 months & has a cuppa tea every morning with his breakfast!! Obviously I make it very weak though! But he loves it and if it means he's hydrated that's all that matters!! It's not like we're giving them Espresso coffee's is it :-P xx
  • Ooo didn't know retorts did tea 4 kids, thanks 4 that!!
  • I actually quite like Redbush - I love tea, but i think it tastes quite similar when i add milk and is great for me when i don't want a caffeinated drink like in the evening. So maybe he'll like Redbush too?
  • Just seen this on the front page and it made me laugh, my mother in law delights in telling me that my husband used to have weak tea in his bottle as a child!



    He turned out rather well- so I shouldn't worry!

    image
  • How about decaffinated tea? I drink it and can't tell the difference other than i'm not wired all the time!



    I think i'd be avoiding caffine as I know it makes me go a bit loopy and the caffine dehydrates you and also makes it harder for your body to absorb iron so he'll get the taste of tea with decaff without the bad bit of caffine xx
  • LO loves tea and has a beaker of it at breakfast, its 3/4 milk topped up with brewed tea just to warm it x
  • It only stops you from absorbing iron at the time so for everyone is it best if yo suffer from low iron not to drink tea at meals but otherwise would be fine.



    Mooomin x
  • My ds has tea, not everyday, but not for any reason other than he wants to go off playing so it tends to be weekends when we're having a lazy brekkie that he'll have tea. It's like PP says, about 3/4 milk topped up with freshly brewed tea so it's warm but not too hot to drink straight away image
  • My hubby is South African and all his families LO's have had Rooi Bos (red Bush) and LO has tried it and likes it.......I dont think to give it to him but I am sure he would love it in the morning with brekkie on a weekend
  • I give Abby milky, de-caf tea every now and then as a treat (she loves it!) and have done since she was about 16-17 months old. I (not sure if anyone else has mentioned this) don't give it with meals (as I think it has some sort of effect on the way they absorb the nutrients from food) and don't add any sugar, so I don't see the harm. It's got to be better than giving her sugary juices and things - hasn't it!?



    Also - as far as I know, milk is mainly made up of water, so giving your LO milky drinks will still keep him hydrated - it's just that water (obviously) has a lot higher water content, so he wouldn't need as much of it (IYSWIM). There are loads of foods that have a high water content too (jacket potato is 80% water, also fruits are very good) so you might be able to up his water intake that way too.



    Oh and another tip I learnt, is if he wont drink water, but you don't want to give him juice - you can make your own fruit flavoured water - by stewing apples/pears/etc and mixing the cooking water with boiling water and letting it cool (you can freeze it, or keep it in the fridge for a few days) this is fabby, as it just gives the water a hint of sweetness, and it's packed with all the vit C that leeches out of the fruit during cooking.



    hope that helps.

    Nx
  • thanks for all the replies. i think i will give ds tea in the morning before breakfast so that he isnt having it with a meal. but is getting the liquid he needs. then i will continue offering water throughout the day.



    nikkiandneil thanks for the tip about making my own fruit juice i will also give that a go.



    ashy xx
  • my twin boys are the same with water, dont like it much, and are the same age, 17 months. They love tea and also hot choccie and ovaltine! Dont worry hun, go with what you feel is right for your little one xxx
  • my LOL is 12 months old and he has never liked water as my mum would always give him juice and he dosnt much like milk either! he has no formula and was just on juice, and my nan said I should try tea so I did half water half milk and a dip of the tea bag and he loves it! 

    I wouldn't worry too much about what others think x in my opinion it is a good alternative to squash for my bubba and means he is getting some calcium xx

  • My moms used to make sort of cold tea from Anise and coriander seeds since my 18 months is very notorious and didn't drink until some flavors...its good for digestion and keeps him hydrated 

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