As parents, it can be tempting to offer your children coffee – it is a staple in many adult diets and associated with improved overall health – as part of their beverage consumption routine. But is this safe? And if it is safe, what dose of caffeine are they allowed to consume?

Answers to both these questions are somewhat complicated. While moderate caffeine consumption can be beneficial to adults, children should avoid excessive consumption due to its stimulant properties affecting young bodies negatively. Too much caffeine consumption could result in unwanted side effects including sleep difficulties, jitteriness, stomachaches and anxiety for kids as well as frequent trips to the bathroom as caffeine acts as a diuretic.

Coffee is frequently served with excessive amounts of sugar and unhealthy add-ons that make it high in calories with little nutritional value, potentially contributing to obesity and other health concerns in children. Furthermore, it may change a child’s diet by replacing healthy beverages like milk with soda, coffee, tea and energy drinks – potentially derail their diet for life!

In the United States, children typically begin drinking coffee around age 8. This may be due to cultural and family traditions or simply access to sweetened coffee drinks; in other parts of the world it can even happen earlier due to similar cultural and family practices.

Children are not designed to process large quantities of caffeine. Therefore, it’s essential for parents to closely monitor how much their children consume; children should consume no more than 100 mg a day (the equivalent of approximately one cup of coffee) while teenagers should limit their caffeine consumption even further.

No matter their age or development level, children should avoid drinking coffee because it contains caffeine which may have adverse side effects for them. Flavored varieties of coffee are particularly caffeinated and may include other unnatural substances that are unhealthy for kids.

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