Does your toddler want a cappuccino? No, let me rephrase that. Does your toddler need a cappuccino? Because we can make one special for them. A little steamed milk, a shot of decaf espresso, a boardbook edition of À la recherche du temps perdu with pictures and you've got your tot primed for cafe life!
No really, this is a thing: It's called a babyccino, and supposedly they're a hit with the Brooklyn parents. Not the ones I know. I don't know where they find these people, actually. But apparently parents all over my fair borough are ordering these drinks off the menu for their kiddies. Because that's what every toddler needs, right?
Supposedly, if you use decaf espresso, the caffeine in a babyccino is harmless. And it's traditional to give kiddies a drop of coffee in their milk in Italy. But just because they do it in Italy doesn't mean I have to. They also voted for Silvio Berlusconi, and how'd that work out for them? And anyway, does it really make sense to get your toddler used to the flavor of an addictive drink that's not really good for them?
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It's kind of the upscale version of putting cola in your kid's sippy cup, right? Awwww, how cute, baby loves Diet Coke just like Mama. Whuut, I watered it down with Sprite! Except at least the babyccino has milk and a lot less sugar, so I guess there's that. But still, in the video you can see that this is mostly about the foam and the sprinkles. So why add the coffee at all?
Yeah. Babyccino-feeding parents of Brooklyn, could we please have a word with you? The rest of us sensible parents in Brooklyn would like it if you would stop doing that. You're making the rest of us Brooklyn parents look foolish. Again. Thank you.
Do you think it's a good idea to feed toddlers coffee, even if it's decaf?
Image via rdw23/YouTube
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Comments 93
Both my husband and I were given coffee at a young age by our grandmothers...I'm sure our son has little hope of escaping our addiction :) I don't see the harm in anything that helps kids want milk instead of soda or juice.
Even decaf coffee, though, has trace amounts of caffeine. Not a big deal to an adult, but could be to a tiny tot.
Why do people hear certain words and lose their senses? Children are drinking *GASP* coffee? Not only did my parents let us use real tea for our tea parties when I was little, I was allowed to drink coffee. Real coffee, from the age of five. I'm not saying that it's right that they did that but it didn't hurt me in any way. Kids like to do grown up things and as long as it's something appropriate they are pretending to do, what's the harm? This isn't kiddie cigarettes or crack we're talking about here.
Not hating on ppl that give they're kid coffee but saying that they need to drink more milk is the reason is a poor excuse.
I grew up with "coffee milk" which is mostly a cup of warm milk, a little honey and a dash of coffee to turn it slightly tan. No harm done, and yes I let my older kids have "coffee milk" (9 and 11). This isn't a huge deal, nothing to get upset by and certainly not blog-worthy.