YOU say: I got fooled (update to "They USED to say: give babies cola")
UPDATE: The ad appears to be a big ol’ fake. I’m not too proud to admit that I was fooled. (More true confessions: when I was younger someone once told me that the word ‘gullible’ wasn’t in the dictionary. My honest reply – “Really?”)
However, judging by the comments on the original post (see below) there are several people who seem to feel that babies should be drinking a little Co-Cola with their formula or breast milk. I was pretty surprised by that — it’s one thing to say that a kid should be allowed to have a sip of soda, but quite another to say that soda is something they should be drinking. Seems weird to me. Anyone else?
Original post, and comments, follow:
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We all know that, on occasion, advertisements can offer some fairly crappy advice. Back in the day, though, ads had no shame.
Here’s a great example: “For a better start in life, start COLA earlier!”
Why give your kids cola? Well, according to the ad, it “Promotes Active Lifestyle!” And also “Boosts Personality!” Plus, it “Gives body essential sugars!” (Well-written piece, don’t you think?)
ESSENTIAL SUGARS. Love it.
Do you let your kids drink soda? What age did you give it to them?
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This is a battle we are fighting with my MIL. She thinks it is “cute’ to give infants (like weeks old) coke/pepsi in the side of their mouth out of a straw!! Sometimes even diet!! She got very angry when I explained that I have never given a child soda, and she won’t be giving our child ‘diet’ anything. (I am allergic) When she got huffy and said “The baby is part Jason’s” I said it wouldn’t matter, diet is poison..there are NO long term safety study for any of the diet sweeneters on the market. “Well, I guess I won’t be a grandma then” My wonderful husband then told his Mother..”I guess you won’t”. Her view of love seems to be letting her grandchildren disrespect her and her home, and trashing their bodies with garbage food.
Personally, I think Sprite is a lifesaver. My daughter would gag and puke anytime we gave her medicine (Tylenol, usually) – until I started mixing it with Sprite. Now she can get it down and bring her fevers down. And I will give her watered-down Sprite when she has an upset tummy.
@ShaLO: This is fascinating to me. What do you think that’s all about? Is it just because you said no?
I was out with my mother yesterday and even though my daughter had just nursed, my mom kept asking if she could have some Sprite. I said no, but she really seemed determined to give the baby some Sprite, saying that “it wouldn’t hurt her.” Oy vey.
I was the sugar police with my first child, no so much with my second child (6 and 3.) 6 didn’t have soda for years and 3 had soda before his first birthday. I tell ya, my 6 year-old is obsessed with soda and my 3 year-old could take it or leave it. Something to be said about the forbidden fruit, at least in our case.
Yep, it’s the grandfathers! My dad gave the twins root beer a couple of months ago. My son coughed until he threw up, and never wants to go near the stuff again. My daughter screamed, “YIKES! What’s in this stuff???”, which is now the new catch-phrase for my family.
My dad successfully, although inadvertently, turned them both off of soda for at least a year. Thanks, Dad!
And I also think this “ad” is totally false although it did make me laugh:)
What’s with the granddaddies? My 2-year-old daughter had pop for the first time at her grandparents’ house. I let it happen; I figured what goes on at the grandparents’ house stays there.
I sincerely regret it ever passing her lips. Not a day goes by that she doesn’t ask for more pop. This meant I had to stop keeping my case of diet coke in the house. I have to sneak around now.
Not sure if my FIL thinks there is a health benefit to giving a baby coke. I feel like it’s more about him wanting to make her happy. He loves coke and it makes him happy, and I suppose he wants to share that experience with her. Just a guess. I really don’t have any theories as to why he gave it to the dog, though.
Bad Mum! Today I was at Pizza Hut with my 16 month old, and upon seeing my coke, she desperately wanted some. She loves to drink out of a straw from MY cup. So, I let her have a few sips… of course, she loved it.
While DH ate his lunch, I ran to the store to grab some ready made formula. When I got back to Pizza Hut, I gave DD her ‘milky’, and continued eating. DH commented, “Is that Chocolate Milk?” DOH! I had been in such a rush to get DD her milk fix, I picked up the wrong stuff!!!
BAD MUM!! Coke and Chocolate Milk as part of the SAME meal. (FWIW, DD had apples, chicken and pizza crust for lunch…)
No kidding, Boop. The first clue should be the “Soda Pop Board of America.”
umm, this is clearly not a real ad. “Guaranteed” is spelled wrong. And the phrase “other sugary carbonated beverages” would never appear in an ad. There’s also no “Soda Pop Board of America.”
Relax, people — it’s just some joke by someone with photoshop and a lot of fonts.
mmm, ‘essential sugars’….it’s what babies crave!
My uncle starts the babies as soon as he meets them (some as early as two months). I had to ask him not to give my children soda and regularly remind him of his promise. My kids are 2.5 years and 8 months. We don’t plan on giving them soda until they are much older.
Hey – the ad said “laboratory tests” confirmed it’s a good thing!
Anyone else at all willing to reconsider all the supposed medical “news” the mainstream media mindlessly chugs out?
I had flat coke in my bottle, and I turned out okay (twitch, twitch). Seriously though – I guess I couldn’t tolerate milk, couldn’t tolerate juice, so they were just getting something in me, I guess. 1974′s answer to pedialyte =)
My kids are 5.5 and 3.5 and they’ve never had soda and they don’t really imbibe other sugary drinks other than an occasional fruit punch at a party. I don’t know what age would be acceptable for them to try soda. I didn’t grow up drinking it and I’m fairly well adjusted.
I guess if they attend a party or are at a friend’s house and they try it, I won’t freak out. I don’t imagine they would like it, though. They have tried my sparkling water before and it ended with tears — “It tastes like burning!”
Caffeine and sugar for my toddlers? Like they *need* more energy? Sheesh.
I once dated a guy whose parents had put Pepsi in his bottle. He was definitely not socially adjusted, though I can’t fairly blame the soda. My kid has had root beer a few times and loves it, but we don’t keep it around.
“begging me to let the baby have some coke” – ? I don’t get it. Does he have stock in the company?
Seriously, does he think there’s a health benefit or something?
Absolutely not. But my daughter’s only one. My father-in-law is from Puerto Rico and pretty old-school, though, and he was begging me to let the baby have some coke this weekend. I said no. I looked over five minutes later and he had poured some into his hand (turning it into a little, makeshift saucer) and one of my dogs was drinking out of it.