Ah-doi

Please forgive the less than sophisticated title of this blog. It is simply the first response I could give to "news" released recently (even by our own paper) that energy drinks are not good for children.

Perhaps I could rephrase it this way: Duh.

Obviously I am not the only one who sees that simultaneously caffeinating and sugaring children — many who have spent their life labeled attention defective and hyperactive — is smart in any way.

But, conversely, others obviously disagree if this is even worthy of a study.

In fact I am barely over the horror of something I witnessed about four years ago. Not long after moving here, I went to visit a mom of a young child and watched her pour a full can of Mountain Dew into a sippy cup for a two year old, who was clamoring for it.

I don't want to be judgmental, but seriously people. What could possibly be a good reason for this behavior?

I am not claiming to be perfect. I drink coffee. My kids eat junk food. And drink soda (non-caffeinated, of course). Altering my child's mood through beverages would (and often has) come in the form of hot tea. I guess I don't know if it is better or worse to try to calm a child down through tea than it is to jack them up into possible seizure activity through energy drinks. But if your child is so harried and tired that he or she needs energy drinks, I beg you to resist and teach him or her to balance time and energy in a more natural, healthful manner.

Post Script: The kids drink herbal tea, which is naturally decaffeinated.