I got this NASTY glare from this women as I was gaving a spoonful of my coffee to my 3 yr old.
I grew up “doobing and dunking” my cake rusk in my mom’s chai. No worries.
So enlighten me (with research) that even a hint of caffiene is bad for the children.
Do you let them have sips from your everyday chai/coffee?
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oh my 2 years old daugher loves chai...:p sips nahi she wants half cup from hubby cup
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there is a big difference btw coffee and chai .. coffee is much stronger. why would u give her spoonful of coffee like that, maybe ur method looked a bit strange ?
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I don't let them drink tea or coffee... and Coke and other carbonated drinks are limited also.
However, they dunk their biscuits in my tea... and there is always a biscuity sludge at the bottom of the cup when i get to the end of drinking it :@:
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I love the biscuity sludge..
there is a big difference btw coffee and chai .. coffee is much stronger. why would u give her spoonful of coffee like that, maybe ur method looked a bit strange ?
No reason Saadia. She has a flemy throat - seems to help her cough a bit. I don't make coffee for her but I didn't know it was a total NO NO.
so you are saying chai is okay but no coffee. What about decaf?
I don't let them drink tea or coffee... and Coke and other carbonated drinks are limited also.
However, they dunk their biscuits in my tea... and there is always a biscuity sludge at the bottom of the cup when i get to the end of drinking it :@:
me too Maroush - my children don't even like the taste of soda. But that's not true for chai and coffee.
Tea or coffee I don’t give any of it to my children.My daughter love tea sometimes but I give her like only 2 or 3 tablespoons when I am drinking. And about sodas I only give them Sprite as its not colored and it has no caffeine.
Chai and pappay well amma ka taste nahi to bachon ney kabhi dekhay hi nahi 
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UZ - chai and papay - you don't know what you are missing girl :)
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my son has been having chai pappay since he was a few months old. He throws a matum if he sees us having some and he can't have any. sigh
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Actually, chocolate has more caffeine than coffee. So its just the thought I guess of giving a child coffee that gets to people. It definitely has an impact on them nomatter what the source - be it chocolate, tea or coffee so best to limit it.
And for some reason, coffee actually is addictive. If you are a long-time coffee drinker, just try going one day without. By early afternoon, you'll have the most raging painful headache of your life.
No reason Saadia. She has a flemy throat - seems to help her cough a bit. I don't make coffee for her but I didn't know it was a total NO NO.
so you are saying chai is okay but no coffee. What about decaf?
of course its not Ok to give strong chai to young kids, what I have seen ppl do is to put lots of milk in the chai so that its not so harmful.
my daugther also once in while puts rus in my chai but I dont let her, I get her this chai doodh drink that I mentioned but then she loses her interest in it. funny kiddos.
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Ok. What are pappay? :o
NJ, i think giving them a taste for caffeine at a young age is not a good idea IMHO. You don’t want them to be bleary eyed addicts that can’t get through their exams without a shot of caffeine at the age of 12… 
Anyway, to give you facts, i found the following article an interesting read:
Everything in moderation eh? 
Ok. What are pappay? :o
Everything in moderation eh? :)
Cake rusks.
Moderation for life yo!
they are the former version of a cake rusk. They are not as sweet or buttery. The originals were round and found fresh in bakeries across pakistan in the morning for breakfast.
I will fedex you a box if I find them.
Thanks Maroush - I wasn’t expecting a glare. I am not into caffeine so much. Is it true that it stunts growth? So much for the kids and red bull.
It wasn’t like I was feeding her sherry (BTW some parents still do that)
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I don't think a few sips here and there are a big deal, but I think it is best to keep them from developing a taste for caffeinated and sugary items. Caffeine is very dehydrating and can have all sorts of negative consequences for children and adults.
UZ - chai and papay - you don't know what you are missing girl :)
I am missing it for last 30 years so not now :D
Although I like biscotti but I don't like the dipping part.
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NJGal: I think coffee is a bit stonger for kids, however, just a sip is no biggie...
Personally I think chai is better for children who have the cough... warm chai helps decongest!
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Gimme some coke, now!
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^ lol you're not a child, so you can have one!
i gotta say, this caffeine issue is really something people feel strongly about. my italian friends have no problems giving their children a piece of bread dipped in wine (only on special occasions, once in a while) so they can suck on it and develop a taste for it, but coffee is a huge no-no! weird.
also about the really milky chai? i couldn't do that to my kids! my aunt did that to my cousins all their lives, like really a really gross 90% milk plus a hint of chai type of thing, and now that's all they drink! they never developed a real taste for a cuppa. talk about ruining things for your kids! hahaha