Kids and Caffeine

[tadamsmar]

My 12 yo DSS is staying with us this week. DW bought him a Coke slushsy at the movies when I was not around. It was around 6 PM, and he was not getting any other caffeinated drinks so I was a bit concerned that he might not sleep well and that his parents probably did not give him caffeine.

The next day when I picked him up from day camp, he did seem to be tired, but he claimed he slept well. I ask him if he drank caffeinated drinks and he said he never drinks caffeinated drinks. I pointed out that he had a Coke at the movie the night before and that Coke contains caffeine. As the conversation proceeded a bit from there he said a number of contradictory things and started getting upset, so I dropped the matter. It seemed odd to me at first, but I concluded that he was just trying to throw up a smoke screen as a mechanism to get the freedom to consume some caffeine when he cared to.

I told my wife that I figured his parents did not want him to drink caffeinated drinks given the way he reacted when I ask him about it. I have never seen him consume any when he was at home or around his parents.

Probably pretty typical.

I think it would be better if kids got some guidance on caffeine, what it does, how to manage it's use and all that. But this denial game I encountered is probably pretty typical.

[cybele]

Or he could have been getting his back up because he was being quizzed on something that he consumed yesterday that was given to him by a relative.

If I quiz my 12yr old on the banana she ate yesterday, I am sure she would get defensive and say a number of contradictory things too.

I may be wrong, but I don't think he's playing the 'denial game' he could have no clue what is in cola, do many 12yr olds know the chemical make up on every single food item they consume? Do many adults know? I'd say not. I would say that, if anything, he was tired because he just spent the entire day doing activities at day camp, is 12, therefore doesn't like being quizzed, and got upset because that's generally what tired 12yr olds who are being quizzed on something that they did that wasn't wrong do.

[AmynKayla]

I agree with cybele that most kids dont understand what has caffine and what doesn't and that he most likely was taken aback by the questions.

I am very careful about caffine with Kayla, as a general rule, but she does get it on occation. She has asked me though for things like an iced cap from Timmy's or a Red Bull. I shake my head (and question if she hit hers). She then tells me about all the other kids having them and how good they are (I'm not a coffee fan so have never had an iced cap myself and am not an energy drink fan). She's 7, but I doubt if the 12 yr old has much more foresight when it comes to that than she does.

Amy

[Mom2all]

I'm not a caffeine fan for children myself... although I drink coffee like its going out of style. I would bet like you that if his parents don't allow him to drink it, he knows what it is. When mine asked for it, we talked about why I didn't want them to drink it. If he's asked, they probably told him too.
I'd simply clear it up with Mom and Dad. Then you'll know.

[tadamsmar]

Asking Mom and Dad seems like a straightforward solution.

But I did not do it because it might amount to tattling on him. Also, my wife had agreed to not buy him any more caffeinated drinks. Also, he said that he does not drink caffeinated drinks, so we can treat it as his rule.

Bottom line. I did not want to risk harming my relationship with my grandkid by asking the parents. But I will ask them later if this proves to be a ongoing problem.

Parents should probably learn a bit about caffeine. "How stuff works" has a good article:

http://science.howstuffworks.com/caffeine4.htm

caffeine blocks adenosine receptors in the brain. Adenosine is a byproduct of energy production process in the body, so its buildup indicates the level of recent energy expenditure. The receptors detect adenosine and cause you to feel tired. But with the receptors blocked, this normal route to feeling tired is blocked.

The body creates more adensine receptors within days to compensate for the blocked ones. With all these new receptors, you will feel very fatigued if you cut back quicky on caffeine consumption. It takes days for the level of receptors to return to normal.

This typically makes it desirable to keep caffeine consumption steadyu and only ramp caffeine consumption up or down a slow rate over days.

There are other less well understood effects of caffeine.

[Cartter]

well use of caffeine is not good for the health of kids so better try to keep[ them away from cold drinks ,tea and coffee it would be better for their health .if they will get addicted then they will surely be wine addicted

[cybele]

Wine addicted?