To Pop or Not to Pop?

Is ok for kids to have pop? Is it even ok for adults to have soda? At what age is it acceptable?

I add this to my favorite things because I love pop as my special treat. I, of course, love an added caffeine boost mid-day but I happen to really love these two sodas as a treat (with and without caffeine). I rarely ever drink soda with a meal, rather as a treat. And I don’t allow myself the treat, unless I’ve had plenty of water that day.

My first fave, gives me a little caffeine boost and it unbelievably delicious…

My second, although marketed to provide anti-oxidants, is equally delicious but doesn’t have the same benefit of caffeine. I find it hard to believe that a soda can provide anti-oxidants but clearly I’m not drinking it for that benefit.

We have had a strictly milk and water household. And Drew, doesn’t have much an interest in juice or any other beverages as a result. Of course there’s the interest in what’s forbidden. He will sometimes ask for some of our beer or wine beverages and we keep soda in that same area of adult beverages/off limits to children.

Part of me feels like it’s one of the many benefits Gabby will get by being a second born child. Everything with Drew was much more textbook but then she comes around and we are far more lax because Drew’s already doing it.

For example, I was very strict about no tv until Drew was 2. Gabby has been exposed to more tv in her 14.5 months of life than Drew probably has been in his whole life. What was I supposed to do, put a blind fold on her? Or get away with Drew being the only three year old to never see Toy Story? And frankly I sometimes need a break!

So when Drew realizes that pop doesn’t actually fall into an adult beverage group and demands to participate in this special treat that I like to indulge in, what do I do? See as I say, not as I do (sadly goes to almost everything I try to reinforce)? Or do I kick the habit now? Well for the meantime, these two are my faves 🙂