Kids and Caffeine…
The kids and caffeine debate is a huge one for many. I get it. I’ll be honest, I get really bothered when I see young children drinking caffeinated sodas and with restaurants whose kids meals don’t come with a juice option. My kids have a pretty good understanding of the drinks they cannot consume:
They can’t drink my coffee…because it has caffeine.
They can’t drink my soda…because it has caffeine.
They can’t drink my green tea…because it has caffeine.
They can’t drink my “mommy juice”…because it has caffeine. hehe
Don’t judge me for that last one. It works for me and I’m sticking with it. Nonetheless, we all know about the usual suspects in terms of caffeinated beverages, but there are a few more that may come as a surprise to you that they contain as much caffeine as they do. In fact, I had a chat earlier with a fellow Chiro-wife who pointed out a few more to me that I was not even aware of.
Dark Chocolate – 18mg per 1.5 oz
Hot Cocoa: 3-13 mg per 8 oz 
Coffee Ice Cream: 48-68mg per 8 oz
Vitamin Water: 80mg per bottle
Source: Caffeine Informer
Why is this important?
For many adults (like myself), caffeine is that go-to stimulant that takes us to our happy place (that and “mommy-juice of course). However, for children, too much caffeine can lead to a myriad of health issues, from insomnia to heart problems, to ADHD-like symptoms. For that reason, you’ll want to make sure your children aren’t consuming over 100 mg a day. If you’re not sure, be sure to check labels just to be sure.
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