One thing I have learned about being a dad is to expect the unexpected. A while ago my two year old seeing me drinking my decaf asked for a sip. Thinking a minute I wondered if I should give him some or not. After a minute I decided to give him a quick sip. Shortly afterwards my five year old wanted some too! This got me wondering if kids can drink decaf safely.
Can kids drink decaf? Currently the FDA does not have a recommended level of caffeine intake for children. Canada Health has issued a guideline that children 4-6 years old consume less than 45 mg per day, ages 7-9 less than 62.5 mg/day and ages 10-12 <85 mg/day. The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages caffeine consumption in children completely.
National health organizations aside, can kids have some decaf? After researching this and talking with my kids pediatrician, I am not personally worried about a little caffeine from decaf. After doing research I was surprised to learn how much hidden caffeine your kids might be getting aside from a little coffee! See my handy table below of some hidden caffeine sources to learn more.
| Item | Caffeine, mg | Serving Size, gm | Normalized, 100gm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decaf Coffee | 10 | 226 | 4.4 |
| Soda, Regular | 29 | 368 | 7.9 |
| Chocolate Milk | 5 | 250 | 2.0 |
| Energy Drink | 86 | 240 | 35.8 |
| Peanut M&Ms | 5 | 54 | 9.3 |
| Dark Chocolate | 70 | 162 | 43.2 |
| Coco Puffs | 2 | 113 | 1.8 |
| Hot Chocolate | 10 | 163 | 6.1 |
| Snapple | 37 | 400 | 9.3 |
| Orange Soda | 43 | 368 | 11.7 |
What’s the big deal really?
I was really surprised how controversial this topic was on the internet. Some people will call you a bad parent for giving your children decaf coffee and others make grandiose claims like its a mind altering drug to be avoided at all costs. This reminds me of a book I’m reading on the history of coffee. (expand) Cereal pioneer CW Post invented his cereal beverage Postum and made large and unsupported claims about the detriment of coffee and the health of his beverage. It amounted to a smear campaign to sell Postum instead of coffee. Post held many beliefs about the detrimental health effects of caffeine and created Postum for a caffeine free beverage. For more of this interesting coffee history read Mark Pendergrast’s book “Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World” . I read (affiliate link ahead) this book recently and was fascinated by the history of coffee especially figures like CW Post!
And let’s be honest, caffeine is not a mind altering drug, as some parents fear monger! A mind altering drug is defined as a drug that produces mood changes or distorted perception. No matter how much caffeine I drink I never forgot who I was or thought I could fly. Maybe I thought I could break dance but that’s it 😉 It is listed as a drug according to the FDA, though! There goes my logic argument anyway.
That said really my point is caffeine in decaf is not going to turn your sweet little child into Rosemary’s baby! A small child drinking a full adult cup of strong coffee and you might have a bad day with a child running all over the house.
But do you know how much caffeine your child currently is getting? Not surprising but something like chocolate milk or hot chocolate has caffeine in it. One cup of hot chocolate has approximately 5 mg of caffeine in it which is approximately the same amount as a cup of decaf (depending on type/size etc.). DId you know that? We won’t talk about those other extreme caffeine drinks either other then a small sip of one of those may have more caffeine than an entire cup of decaf!
What about dental issues from drinking decaf?
The biggest issue that I see with kids drinking coffee is staining of their teeth. How does coffee stain your teeth? According to the Colgate website here,
Although the enamel of your teeth is the hardest substance in the human body, it is not flat and smooth. On the contrary, your tooth enamel contains microscopic pits and ridges that can hold particles of food and drink.Pigments from dark-colored drinks such as coffee, tea, and soda can become embedded in those cracks and ridges and, if the proper steps are not taken, can cause permanent, yellowing stains on your teeth.
Colgate Website (see hyperlink above)
How can you minimize yellowing of teeth? Unsurprisingly Colgate recommends brushing your teeth! They also say rinsing your mouth with water can help with yellowing. If your child is going to drink decaf coffee make sure they brush there teeth afterwards!
Cavities are another worry from very sugary coffee drinks. If your child is interested in decaf I would recommend not using sugar or any flavor additive like french vanilla creamer. Additives often have huge amounts of sugar in them and this can definitely lead to cavities! When I make the kids decaf I often give them it black or with some milk. This also reduces the sugar rush that screws up nap times as well 😉
What to do if you started the habit already?
We have all been there. You unintentionally started a bad habit with your child. Maybe its giving them decaf coffee in milk with their breakfast. What started out as a cute moment now is a daily terror and fight. What do you do? I have some alternatives you might want to consider. One example I tried in the past when I thought I couldn’t drink coffee anymore was Roastorama tea. Now don’t get me wrong you won’t be fooled into thinking this is coffee. If you want to give a caffeine free herbal tea alternative this one might work for your child. It still allows them to have a hot drink just like mom or dad but doesn’t have any of the caffeine in it. Serve this with some little cookies and your kids wont mind at all!
Another option is to simply limit a small amount of decaf to the weekends for a special treat. Make it a fun weekend tradition to have some decaf coffee with your child and discuss something interesting. You might find this becomes a highlight of the week for you and your child. And connecting with your child is ever more important in today’s crazy cell phone, internet driven world.
You could also try Postum coffee alternative! I want to try this just based on reading thew Uncommon Grounds book I mentioned earlier. I was so fascinated reading about CW Post that I wanted to try this alternative just to see what it tasted like! A bonus is that it is truly caffeine free though not sugar free.
I don’t recommend hot chocolate as that has as much caffeine as decaf anyway and tons more sugar!
Caffeine and Side Effects
Ok maybe you’re fine with brushing your kids teeth extra after coffee and your not worried about sugar leading to cavities. But what about the effects of caffeine on children? Unsurprisingly caffeine has all the same side effects on children as it does adults. Most notably hyperactivity and dependence on caffeine. Is this really a problem in decaf? I’m not a doctor but I don’t think so if you practice moderation. One small cup of decaf occasionally is unlikely to have any effect on your child. Especially avoiding sugary additives and giving generous amounts of milk to dilute a tiny serving.
Final thought as children are smaller and having different bodies then adults I do find it wise to not over indulge your child with any coffee decaf or not. Why give them something that has no flavor and nutritional value as in the case of caffeine. Did you read my article on the 42 reasons to drink decaf by the way?
I asked my son’s pediatrician about this issue from a health point of view and he had no issue with children having decaf! GASP!! He is a pretty laid back guy and practical so I think if he didn’t bat an eye its not the devil some make it. He only cautioned against the kids getting too interested in it and then wanting it all the time. He felt its just another taste or flavor for kids to try.
Why do you kids want coffee?
One question to ask is why your kids might want coffee? Is it to be like mom or dad? Do they really enjoy it? Or is it cool because its on TV? For me I think the answer is because my wife and I drank it a lot and then the kids got curious. I think at this point they actually do like the taste, but that may change. Given how much energy I put into coffee like roasting my own decaf or grinding the perfect grind for each brewing type or even doing my coffee tastings to discover new flavors its not surprising they want to try some!
Finally my kids help me with the whole coffee brewing process. Every time I roast coffee my little guys help me pour it in the roaster, set the options, then grind it, and brew it in my Autodrip. For them it’s a fun process so naturally they get curious and then want some at the end 🙂
Its up to You!
Now you have more information to make your decision. Lets review decaf is not the devils brew, mind altering drug some parents claim. As you learn from my handy table there are a lot of source of caffeine you are probably already giving your child. I certainly never realized one pack of Peanut M&Ms had about twice the caffeine as a cup of decaf! Or that dark chocolate has 10 times the amount of caffeine as decaf!!! 10 times, that is crazy high!
If you do decide to go the decaf route, a small amount with a lot of milk is a great way to go. As well avoid those sugary, nap wrecking, teeth rotting coffee flavor additives! Brushing teeth after coffee is recommened by Colgate regardless.
Finally make it a special time with your child to have coffee with mom or dad. Connect with your child whether its discussing the weather, a sport or something silly. You could even read something together and discuss it. Really invoke the spirit of the coffee house in your own home!
Resources
If your curious where I got some of my information see the links below.
https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/spilling-beans-how-much-caffeine-too-much
Health Canada