I don't drink caffeine. I'll tell you why.
On my mission I got into a conversation with a companion about caffeine. She had never had caffeinated soda. I had never had water. I grew up strictly on Diet Coke, or Coke Coke when my sweet tooth requested an upgrade.
We discussed the church's view on the subject. I was positive that the church had never taken an official stand on Coke. She was positive that they had. She insisted that she heard President Hinckley say in an interview that we did not drink soda with caffeine. I told her she was hearing things, or making them up. Just so you know, this companion was one of my favorite people of all time so no contention was involved, just friendly discussion.
Anyhow, we finally decided on a way to resolve the discrepancy. President Hinckley was scheduled to appear on Larry King Live. We were given instruction to find a members home and watch the show. I told her that if he mentioned caffeinated soda negatively I would NEVER drink it again. It was a bet. Soda...bad, bad, BAD! Gambling on your mission, super righteous!
We watched the interview and President Hinckley was a rock star, because that's what he ALWAYS was. Then the questions about our health code came out. Larry King started listing the no-no's. Cigarettes, no. Alcohol, no. Coffee, no. Tea, no. Coke, no, no, NO WAY...he did not just say that. But he did! Since I am stubbornly good for my word I have never had caffeinated soda again*. Yes, I eat chocolate like a fiend but he did not mention chocolate and I would not make that bet, EVER!
Seth drinks Coke. No big deal. Most of the Mormons I know drink Coke. The kids are not allowed to drink Coke. They know that they can always have a sip of my soda but before sipping Daddy's they ask, Does it have caffeine? They know what caffeine is and that it is not healthy and it is not for kids. That is the way we have always explained it. Good enough, until they are older.
Well guess what? As of yesterday, they are older. Alyssa poured through the front door after school and collapsed into my arms, SOBBING. I know, she sobs a lot! When she got words to come forth they were this, "I know why you don't drink caffeine. Caffeine is a drug. Daddy drinks caffeine. Daddy is drugging." First of all, is drugging what they are calling it these days? And secondly, OH CRAP! Now what?
I held her for a few minutes so that I could try to figure out what to say. I am usually quick to find words but they were nowhere. I finally tried to explain the difference between drugs, and DRUGS. Even good drugs (not that caffeine is GOOD)can be dangerous if you abuse them. Yeah, my explanation sucked. I said something about real drugs being sold illegally and not at the grocery store, but I don't want her to think I endorse alcohol or cigarettes. She told me that she understood and asked if I was saying that it was okay to use the little drugs. No, that is not what I was saying. I really botched my big parenting moment.
In my flustered state, I told her we would talk more when daddy came home and then she went on to worry about Halloween candy and tell me she is NOT trick or treating this year in case someone tries to drug her candy. I wonder where she gets this extreme paranoia? Hmmm?
When Seth came home he explained how candy is bad for you, and caffeine is bad for you. He explained that you have to be very careful about consuming unhealthy things and that is why we are counseled to choose wisely what we put in to our bodies. Better than my explanation but I am still not totally satisfied. I am so afraid that we opened the "it's okay, as long as I am careful" door. Drugs are not okay and caffeine is technically a drug.
What is the best way to deal with this? I already told you I am not giving up chocolate and even though Seth gives up caffeine periodically I don't think it is fair to tell him he can't ever have a Coke again. So how do we fight this battle?
What do you think about caffeine? How would you explain the difference between drugs and DRUGS to your kids?
Go ahead, weigh in.
*In the interest of full disclosure, I did once drink a Sunkist and later noticed that the can said it had caffeine. I have also recently learned that some places are putting caffeine in root beer now and that you have to ask for caffeine free root beer so I am sure I have unintentionally ingested caffeine via root beer as well. Why are we putting caffeine in orange soda and root beer? Those are kiddie drinks.
Second Week of School
3 years ago
13 comments:
Oh boy, I am not the best person to ask about that. I have to have my diet pepsi at least once a day. I have to say I have narrowed it down to just one 12oz can a day. My sister refuses to drink Caffeine for the same reason you stated.
This is the same line as birth control...yikes. A taboo topic for sure. If it is important for your kids to grow up not consumming caffeine, then unfortunatly Seth might have to give it up for the non-caffeinated counterparts. That way they don't get the mixed messages. Good luck with that though.
I flopped this one as well. I like to blame Kjel for this load though. I also DO NOT drink caffeine. I remember this interview you referenced and I remember sitting and thinking, wow we don't drink caffeine? I better figure out how to stop.
Kjel believes soda should only come in the "leaded" variety. For a long time I would not purchase drinks of this nature because I didn't know how to explain it to the kids. Dad can drink it but you can't. I know there are situations where mom and dad can do things that kids can't (driving) but I like to limit the number of things that are only for adults. I still don't purchase "leaded" drinks.
SO long story short Kjel drinks the junk and now my kids drink the junk, when someone else makes the purchase. I usually don't buy soda so most of the time it's not an issue but whenever it's an option my kids side with dad and go "leaded"
Maybe one day i'll convince the clan to skip it. Then I can also throw the TV in the garbage too!!
Oh, I can't wait!!
Yikes. We drink caffeine. Sometimes I wonder about it but I figure if I'm not drinking a gallon a day I'm all right. Do you remember Brother Ellis' talk a while back where he said that he asked his bishop about drinking Mt. Dew and the bishop said it was up to his discretion but that it became a problem when he felt 'addicted' to it and couldn't begin his day without it.
So that's what I try to monitor... am I drinking it because I like it or because I need it. Sometimes it's both but usually it's just a treat.
Doug drinks mostly Root beer but he does down the occasional Mt. Dew and has been known to drink the Monster drinks which I actually don't like him doing. Recently he has given those up though.
I like Diet Pepsi and I Love Mt Dew although I don't drink it as much because of the calories.
I don't know if we will ever stop drinking it but we try not to let Abi have any (except maybe a sip here and there) and let her have Sprite if she wants a soda but that is mostly for hyperactive reasons not religious.
I think caffeine is definately one of those things that everyone has a different viewpoint on.
I don't think soda is bad. I hope I didn't give that impression. I have always assumed that at some point my kids would drink Coke and I would not lose any sleep over it. I just don't think it is for kids.
Only I am torn now because I never thought that they would link it to drugs and drugs being okay in moderation. That is why I am freaking out. I do not want to make allowance for some drug use. As long as you are just using it for a laugh and not because you are dependant. Not the message I want to send. I guess that is probably why we are best off to just stay away from anything that can cause a physical dependancy.
But then again, we Mormons have so few allowable vices that I am not about to sweat it over a can of Coke or a bar of chocolate.
See, I'm torn!
Hmmm...I never really liked sodas in general, but I've never thought too much about the caffeine issue per se. I'm not sure what to tell you to ease Alyssa's mind about Daddy drugging, and is that what they call it? Weird. Uh, we don't let the kids drink it either, though, and I think I'd just try to explain that it's not "that" kind of drug and leave it at that. But at the same time, if Pres. Hinckley said it, then we have an answer.
I use to drink a lot of caffiene and then i started drinking diet caffiene free dr. pepper which i use to be able to only find in Utah (now it is most places)
I still only drink diet caffiene free dr pepper which I think taste the same, or maybe I am just so use to it that I no longer like straight dr. pepper.
Anyway, my thing I wanted to say is that when I had menengitis and was in the hospital with my broken back the pain was so bad and they gave me two powerful drugs to help with the pain and they didn't work. Finally they gave me straight caffiene (in a bag through an iv) and that was the only thing that helped my pain. Caffiene not codiene.<--- I actually don't remember the two thing they gave me first. Caffiene is a drug and it helped my pain.
I have had the flu this week and I have had straight caffeine. I quess I have been self medicating myself this week.
I don't know what to say though. It does suck your situation that I am NOT looking forward to facing! Let me know what happens!
I'm a Coke drinker, and I readily admit it. (Mike likes to drink Diet Coke.) However, I NEVER buy it for the home. I will only get it when we go out to dinner/lunch. My girls haven't questioned why I get to drink and they don't. But they also don't seem interested in drinking either. Sorry you've had to face this problem so early in your children's lives. I'm hoping it won't happen to us until they are moving out because I love me some Coke.
Wow! Good luck with that one. We're not big into soda and neither of us like cola, so we have just explained to the kids that we choose not to drink it.
I agree with that silly caffeine in root beer and orange soda. I had bought some Crystal light without realizing that it had caffeine in it. One day I had 2 16 oz in a row. I haven't knowingly had caffeine in about 20 years, and those two drinks made me so sick. I couldn't figure out what was wrong until I went to get another one and and noticed the label. They are hiding it all over the place.
Did you know that oxygen is a drug? You need a prescription for it. And tylenol is a drug, but bet you give it to the kids for fevers. I guess the explanation is about the "legal" drugs that must be used either as directed by your physician and the "illegal" drugs. The Coke thing is tough--it's Tony's fave! But I guess we do have an answer--I don't recall the interview. But I do recall a bishop's wife who, in a talk, told of how her husband's call went--something like "I'll accept but only if you don't make me give up my Pepsi". He was a bishop for several years.
Good luck!!
Hmm, I wouldn't tell her it is a "drug." I would save that word for the big stuff (like coffee). Haha, just kidding. I don't give Luke any caffeinated or diet soda and I just tell him it's not for kids.
Val, I didn't tell her it was a drug. She brought that little tidbit home from school with her. I think that is what threw me off. I can't believe they called caffeine a drug at a school assembly. Where is she going to school? BYU?
And Sarah, they put caffeine in Crystal Light? Now that is just silly! I had no idea. I have given my kids Crystal Light lemonade. Surely they don't put caffeine in lemonade?
Brent was totally addicted to Dr. Pepper and stopped cold turkey following the referenced interview. Only problem is we already had children who loved the drink, and they are now adults who love it, too. Caffeine is used to boost sales, because it really is addictive, regardless of what it's added to. Interesting, but I just heard a report that carbonated drinks block the body's absorption of calcium. Yep, there are a lot of things we need to be cautious about using too much of. Help her know that Seth is NOT a druggie. That there are many things that are not as healthy as other things (sugar and, yes, chocolate in excess included), and that it's important to take care of these wonderful body temples we've been given. Good luck.
Only certain kinds of Crystal light have caffeine. The ones that say "energy" on them. Lemonaid is clean, for now. I checked.
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