When to Start Caffeinating??

DAbble in caffeine? Almost sounds illegal...But anyways.....I have been drinking cola beverages(diet and/or otherwise) for as log as I can remember. And as drinking tea by the time I was 12 , coffee by 13 and black coffee (OOOO) by 14 .... Did it stunt my growth?....Well, I don't know but my grandma was only 4'10" and the fact that I'm barely taller that her maybe a genetic thing...or maybe she drank too much coffee too.
My muchkin(14 year old/9th grade) does occassionally "dabble" in soda, will drink a caffeinated cola product but prefers Sprit/Sprite zero and orange...He tried coffee for the 1st time last week on his camping trip last and didn't like it........And I don't think thecaffeine in the Coke/Pepsi has stunted his growth--- he's already 2 inches taller than his biological father -- lol!

My now 17 year old is seriously not a morning person. Same as me. He started drinking coffee when he was around 14. (He also started a bit earlier once in awhile as he used to get migraines and caffeine helps). We love to grab a cup of coffee together and chat at a cafe. It makes the teenager in him so much more pleasant to be around. He is 5'11" at 17, same height as his dad.

All 3 of my kids like coffee...they are 9, 11, and almost 13. They get soda occasionally as well. My 12 year old is 5'7, my 11 year old is 5'3, and my 9 year old is just shy of 5'0. It has not stunted their growth in the least.

I see no problem with it - but to each their own!

Can you please stop talking about caffeine like it's some evil. You 'dabbled' in caffeine? Oh, come now.... And no one calls it "caffeinating", so lets drop that weirdness. My spell-check already went all red-lined under that one, and I imagine yours did too, so stop ignoring that kindly meant tip from the real world.

Second, I have had/not had caffeine at different times in my life as I have seen fit to do so. Not as trends dictate. No coffee when I was younger-- I didn't have a taste for it. I was even slinging espresso back in the day but didn't drink anything besides herbal teas and hot cocoa. Decaf coffee when I was pregnant, because decaf tea wasn't cutting it and doesn't taste as good. I currently have a Yunnan Fancy (Chinese black tea) habit I indulge in each morning.

Chocolate has caffeine in it, if we are being purists about it. As for Red Bull? Those are augmented drinks, and the caffeine isn't the worst thing in them. I would discourage my kid from drinking those and diet drinks because there is a lot of other stuff I'm more concerned about in them than the caffeine and sugar. Stuff that will mess up your internal organs. I don't drink soda because it's way too sweet for me but I'll gladly make an iced tea. Kiddo likes 1/2 juice, 1/2 fizzy water for soda but will happily order a root beer when we are out. We look less at the caffeine and more at the overall content of the drink and the effects of those ingredients.

My son is 9. He likes to enjoy a cup of my black tea with me. Sometimes he wants an herbal variety, but if he does want some of my tea, I give him a half-cup, lots of milk and a spoonful of sugar. It's a treat. Most of what he eats is fairly healthy and really, after a good, balanced breakfast, a 1/2 cup of my tea isn't likely to throw him off. He has chocolate milk every so often. We are trying to teach him balance rather than just saying "you can't have that". And really, I love being able to sit over a couple cups of tea and chat with him or read books/share with each other. Lots of people in other countries have a daily tradition of offering a cup of coffee to their little ones. It's easy to get a bit circumscribe on a topic when we only get one general perception of it.

ETA: Okay, I'll chill, I guess...? I mean, you are the one who is treating this like sketchy, nervous territory where you are asking 'leading questions' and 'don't want to tip your hand'... not me. (I just tell my son what I think. Even when he's a teen, I will tell him what I think instead of nervously hoping he's not 'on to me', y, know? ) You are certainly allowed to make up your own words, but there is something implied in " when to start caffeinating" which suggests it is a process in and of itself, exclusive of any other action. For example, if we were to go put gas in a car, I would say "Oh, we gassed up". But if I went out for a drink-- or even had one on my own-- I would not likely say I was "alcoholing". I'd say I "went out for drinks" or "met up with the ladies" or "chilled out in the yard with my peeps" because there is nothing so fun as hanging out by raspberry bushes and watching the birdfeeder.

I had no idea caffeine usage was political. Good to know

Per your what happened: plastering something on the internet is considered personal use. Good to know.

S., I don't get where you're coming from at all. If I didn't know better, I would have thought this was more about alcohol or drugs - or even a joke. You're talking about caffeine like it's taboo. Dabble in caffeine - that's not a thing. And caffeinating is not a word - that's why you got called out because you wrote something on a public forum that is not a word. When you post something like this, you don't get to tell Nervy to 'chill' - she was spot on. A 'desire' to start drinking coffee? Your wording in this post is very odd. You already have a very strong opinion on this subject, so I hope you weren't just looking for support.

since when is caffeine something that needs to be consumed behind closed doors??

It's a myth that caffeine stunts your growth. Have you ever bothered to research it?

I've been drinking Tea since I was a kid...

Soda - I was raised on Pepsi. When I moved to Belgium I switched to Coca-Cola and never went back.

My kids are 16 and 13 - they drink soda and tea. neither of them have acquired a taste for coffee - neither have I. Their dad? Well he can drink 10 cups a day.....

My daughter? Caffeine gave her bloody noses so she's never given caffeine a thought. She drinks root beer and water.

I wouldn't give my kids or my friends Red Bull - that's a heart attack waiting to happen. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/23/just-how-dangero...

This thread has been an interesting read to be sure.

I am an avid coffee drinker. I have 2 cups in the AM. I like it strong with a splash of cream.

None of my kids expressed an interest in coffee while living at home, but now, when they visit I have a HUGE coffee maker going (holidays etc) with cream and flavorings for the AM, and after dinner.

My girls seem to have enjoyed tea from about 12 and up. They each have all kinds of tea 'accouterments' that have been gifted over the years... as well as all kinds of specialty teas.

Soda (although I drink it...a LOT) was never of much interest to them.

I also make sure I am well stocked in beer and wine. They all seem to enjoy that (in moderation) when they are home.

I guess my view is that I never 'restricted' them particularly. ALL kinds of beverages were available as they were growing up.

All things in moderation I guess.

**OOPS!!**
ETA

my preemie twins were both 'on' caffeine from birth as it did assist with low heart rate in the early months. It was prescription.

I would discuss the reasons why people do this. There is a desire for the "buzz", which prompts the use of other substances (legal and not). I'd also discuss the crash that comes afterwards, that builds a dependence on the drink. The up-and-down isn't healthy. But there are plenty of kids who think the "coolness factor" is more important than their health.

I'm like you with the glass of wine, but I think about the effect that had on my kid when I was already reaching for something to relax and not being able to explain why needing something to perk up was a bad thing.

There's also a pervasive exhaustion among high school students (and adults too) from insufficient sleep as well as the school hours being the exact opposite of what they should be (little kids should go early, high schoolers should start later). So using caffeine to rev up a crashing body is a reflection of poor sleep habits. And that has an effect on brain development. There's almost a badge of honor in being overtired - "I just have so much going on..."

Is he an athlete? Most of the coaches my son had through high school really advised against it, because it dehydrates, and badly. So staying away from it makes sense for athletic performance (competitive or otherwise).

It's important to note that Red Bull, Monster and 5 Hour Energy absolutely are marketed to males, from teens to 40-somethings. It's all about performance and that's a major feel-good for males especially. The problem is aggravated when alcohol is added.

I've had plenty of conversations with paramedics and EMTs about the number of calls they take related to heart arrhythmias due to excessive use of these stimulants. You might stop in to your local fire house and have a conversation with them - most towns will welcome you if they aren't in the middle of an emergency, so don't hesitate. You might even take your kid with you on a subsequent trip if you think it would be helpful. I haven't had caffeine in years except for a very occasional cup of tea at someone's house (when I'm getting out of them making a pot of coffee!) I use a non-caffeine drink for focus and alertness that is based entirely on blood flow to the brain and nutrition, with no junk in it, and no crash afterwards. There's no buzz and no quick "rush", and there's no problem with sleep afterwards.

I think coffee is for older kids - obviously you can't contain them much when they go to college, but I think the cachet you describe is also a big marketing ploy. Again, a $1 cup of coffee is now a $5-7 something or other with a fancy name and decorative foam design - and kids have to decide how much of an after school job they're going to get to pay for it. A lot of adults are just shocked when they add up their own bill for the month! A gazillion years ago, I quit smoking when I tallied up what I had spent and realized I could have gone on a college trip during break if I had that money!

So I wouldn't do it until much later in high school if at all.

Red Bull and several other products with high levels of caffeine have been linked to deaths when people drink multiple cans over a few hours. Theit heart raced to the point it stopped beating.

I wonder why you defend your use of a word made up by you. I suggest that when asking for information over the Internet from strangers, it's best to use vocabulary known to your audience.

I question your definition of caffeinated. One who drinks beverages containing caffeine do not become caffeinated. They have a limited amount of caffeine that quickly passes through the body. Their body composition does not change. Caffeine is a part of the composition of the drink and therefore is caffeinated.

I think using your word caffeinated could be cute when used in a group that knows you. People would laugh. We do not know why you would use that word or why you're so cute with your post
We could assume you're being cute. I did. However, when you are upset by remarks about the word made by long term members on this site, I do take offense. You've turned your question into you against us. It's our fault we don't understand you?

BTW Nervy did not say caffeine is evil. She said "dabbling in caffeine" makes caffeine seem evil. She stated how your words were interpreted by her.

I think you wanted your question interpreted as humor and perhaps were hurt/angry because some saw it differently. Others answered it as a legitimate question. To me your question came off as dramatic. I interpreted your question as humor, that you expected only answers to the real? question buried in the drama. When did you let your kids drink caffeinated drinks? However, you did not ask that question in a way that could be understood by some.

Your style of writing could be seen as humorous in a different setting; perhaps in a blog or article in which readers expect humour. I really did not think this was a serious question.

I had to chuckle at your comment on the stunting growth. My son has always loved Coke and is 6'4" while my daughter has always avoided caffeine. She was a serious athlete in high school and college (6'1") and now is married to a professional athlete (6'2") so they have very little caffeine. I thrived on Mountain Dew in college and made it to 5'10" before I had to give up caffeine for medical reasons. I doubt caffeine makes a difference on height.

My kids have had tea their whole lives. Sometimes black, sometimes green, often herbal, sometimes hot, sometimes iced. The amount of caffeine in tea is pretty negligible. I brew pitchers of iced tea in the summer and they drink it all day, and they like to have a hot cup of tea on a chilly day or evening.

My oldest son, 18, goes back and forth with hot and iced coffee and tea has his beverages of choice. Sometimes he fills his travel mug with a hot, fruity tea and sometimes goes for a flavored coffee. He does feel effects from coffee so if he starts to feel like he's drinking too much of it, which happens during the summer when he's working because his boss drinks 4 large iced coffees a day, he'll switch back to tea or water. He's probably been drinking coffee or tea regularly since he was 14.

My 12 year old doesn't care for coffee (I don't either) so it's really not an issue., but he does love iced tea and the occasional cup of hot tea, usually herbal for him.

My 10 year old LOVES coffee. I do try to have him stick to decaf and only have it on occasion, but his dad has a Keurig so he normally treats himself to a cup of hazelnut coffee when he's at dad's house. His normal hot beverage at my house is peppermint tea.

ETA: no red bull, 5 hour energy, that super-jacked up mountain dew or other energy drinks, ever. I don't care if they have a regular Mountain Dew now and again, but I treat that like any other soda or sports drink - a sugary treat that should be few and far between.

Dabbled in high school with coffee?!?! Geez!
Have you considered his non-interest in caffeinated drinks is to your opinion that it is poison? Just wait, he will join his dudebros with a soda.
Now, about your wine. He sees you approving of that, maybe he will prefer wine/beer over a Mountain Dew.

My grandmother used to let us sip her coffee. We are latin and coffee seems to be pretty common in latin cultures (some how). With that, I am usually considered tall, so I don't know that it stunted my growth. Today, I drink a lot of coffee with a pretty strong punch and I could only wish it would stunt my growth, if you know what I mean. I often digress too.

In college I used to drink a lot of soda and even had a few Jolt's to help me through a rough night. There came a time it had no affect on me, other than the tremendous headache once I decided to stop.

My older daughter started drinking coffee in 6th grade and my 10 year old will sip on my coffee any chance she can. She (10YO) has no interest in soda. We are only morning coffee drinkers, we don't drink coffee during the day.

Personally, I would prefer my children drink coffee over an energy drink or soda. I grind my own coffee beans and have a better idea of what goes in the cup.

Both of my kids are a lot like me, they can stay up all night to finish their work and get back up early with little rest and be at their best game. I know they say it is not healthy, but what can I say, they are my kids and that is how I often function.

Well, I like coffee, but only espresso, properly brewed and served (and I'll join you for that glass of chardonnay anytime!). And I refuse to enter a Starbucks and order a vendi-verdi, frutta-lappa-cappa, half non-GMO soy, half Tunisian llama milk, gingerbread-flavored cup of yuck with whipped chickpea foam and a cute heart drizzled in cruelty-free cocoa on top, or whatever they're selling these days.

Anyway, starting when my kids were little, we taught them that sodas were not a beverage. They were a treat, like cupcakes, and most people don't have cupcakes every single day or several times a day. They never accompanied a meal, except for an occasional picnic or Fourth of July party. That Walmart ad that shows the mother picking up "dinner" for her family drives me nuts: she buys a rotisserie chicken, a tub of gooey potato salad and a huge 2 liter bottle of Coke. Yay Mom! (not enough sarcastic emojis exist for that). They weren't intended to replace sleep, rest, or proper nutrition. If you like the taste of Coca Cola, fine, have one after you've weeded the garden, as you relax in the shade. If you like root beer, have a root beer float occasionally, as a dessert. If you love 7 Up, have one at a baseball game. Have an iced coffee or tea when you're sitting on your front porch after a long day, just enjoying the sunshine or watching the storm clouds roll in. You get the idea. Moderation, refreshment, and limits.

The problem is not having a soda from time to time. The problem is the relentless consumption of caffeinated drinks every day, several times a day, to start the day, to replace a meal, every time one enters a gym, with every meal, before and after school. I don't think it's an age thing. It's a matter of self-discipline.

And kids do sometimes drink too many, and the caffeine can vary widely, and the caffeine can cause problems with heart rates. And, they're a common "cover-up" - shoplift an airplane-sized or hotel mini-bar sized bottle of vodka, or pour a little out of the parents' liquor cabinet, dump it in the Red Bull, and no one would suspect.

So I didn't restrict it or prohibit it. I simply told them that sodas and energy drinks and coffee and tea have their place. Make sure your son has an awesome water bottle and fill it with water and maybe a little lemon or ginger or whatever he likes. Just educate him on health, not age restrictions.

My kids are 16 and 13 and have been drinking soda for about 2-3 years. My 16 yo gets the bus at 630am so a couple times a week she will take some coffee with her. She's been doing that for a couple years since she started HS.

It's a known fact that the energy drinks have lead to heart issues. I have a friend whose husband drank several a day and he had heart surgery in his early 30's. They contributed it to the energy drinks. So no way would I allow my kids to drink them. I don't even think adults should. Doesn't sound like your son is interested so I wouldn't worry about him. Good luck.

Just asked my 14 year old - he and his scooter friends go and buy a Red Bull or Monster every couple of weeks he said. They share it. I find that kind of funny. Thanks for asking this question - I would have no idea.

We don't really drink soda at home - when we do, the kids have some.

As small kids, we'd take our allowance and go get a Coke at the corner store. Started drinking coffee in high school.

My kid started taking sips of my coffee when she was still in kindergarten.

My son began drinking some V-8 energy drinks in 10th grade in the mornings, at achool, actually. Then he quit and would drink mountain dew (the colored ones) on weekend nights or hanging out with friends, but not before school. Now, he likes an iced coffee or a Baia drink (green tea extract) on school days. He graduates in a few weeks.

Daughter is a freshman (for a few more weeks) and turns 15 next month. She started enjoying a bottled Starbucks mocha in the mornings just in the past 6 months.

Their very first caffeine really, though (other than soda with meals out for son...daughter prefers water) was getting frozen frappcinos at Starbucks on Sunday mornings. Husband likes to drive thru before church, and he'd get each of the kids a frappucino.
As for the *controversy* over the word you used, I thought it was funny. As a fellow parent of teens, you need a sense of humor to get through these years. I knew exactly what you meant, and appreciated the light hearted way you asked the question. I don't know you, either. Geez. Some people just need to lighten up.

My teens started with drinks like Starbucks Frappuccino or McD's Frappe around 14 or 15. The caffeine is not too high but the sugar is. I figure they do not eat a ton of other sugar so okay tradeoff I guess. However, RedBull, Monster even Mountain Dew are a major NO. The caffeine and sugar are just too much. When they would bring it up, I would have them get something else. I even once brought up that my bro would drink MD like crazy and the energy drinks. The sugar and caffeine pretty much destroyed his teeth. I won't say they have never had them but the drinks are not something they crave, thankfully, and they are more than happy to choose something else. I address it as having good meals vs not allowed to have something.

I didn't start drinking coffee at all until I was about 26 with mochas. And I usually do not have any until after I have been awake for 2 hours to allow natural endorphins/hormones do their job. It cuts down on the addiction and dependency on caffeine products.

I believe the stunting growth thing is an old wives tale. My son is 17 and 6' 2".

I think a cup of tea or coffee is fine for a teenager, as caffeine actually has some health benefits and can help focus, but I would NEVER give my kids Red Bull or any of those other super caffeine, super sugar drinks, I think those are borderline dangerous, and probably highly addictive :-(
My own kids don't like tea or coffee, though my girls will occasionally get a fancy drink from Starbucks, which we consider as much of a treat as a milkshake, and my son drinks coffee now that he's in college. We aren't soda drinkers at all, but I've always let my kids order soda when we go out to dinner if they want.

My parents only bought soda for themselves. I remember they would hide it under their bed so us kids couldn't find it. We obviously were not allowed to drink it. Yes, my parents were strange but that's a whole different story. When I left the house for college was when I started drinking soda. I didn't drink coffee until I was in my 20's and my husband introduced me to it. I now drink a good 4 cups of coffee a day. I have a 7 year old daughter. We allow her to drink ginger ale and root beer. Because they don't have caffeine. I have no idea when we will allow her to drink caffeine. I guess we will cross that bridge when we get there. I don't believe that caffeine stunts a child's growth. But I've never really researched it, so I could be wrong. I don't see anything wrong with letting a 14 year old have an occasional cup of coffee. I would shy away from the energy drinks though only because of all the sugar in them. Good luck!

My kids weren't all that adventurous, but I would have discouraged them from drinking Red Bull or similar drinks had they been so inclined. Whatever they consumed, they had to use their own money for it, since I didn't give them allowance, so my kids weren't frequent consumers of Starbucks or other caffeinated products.

I remember being around 5 having tea with my grandmother. I just grew up on it especially when I was sick.

My kids can drink whatever kind of soda they want at a party but we just don't drink it on a daily basis.

If my kids wanted coffee, I would let them have it but I think my 18 yo has only ever wanted it twice in her life and my 13 yo says she doesn't like it.

We aren't coffee drinkers so that's off the table. We don't drink tea but my granddaughter does like it. She drinks maybe a half gallon per year of it. Not a lot. We do drink Dr. Pepper though. When they made it in a non-caffeine selection I always bought that then one day the shelves were empty of it. They had stopped making it. So I drink regular now. So do the kids.

I really don't bother about this stuff. It's not like any of us drink a gallon per day of it.

My daughter started drinking an occasional Starbucks Frappucino when she was 12. She is 14 and will now drink coffee on Saturday mornings when she knows she doesn't have to go to bed early that night.

I tasted my Moms coffee (she let me) once when I was about 7 - I thought it was the most awful thing!
I drank hot tea with lemon from a young age - there's caffeine in that (it wasn't herbal).
By the time I was 16 coffee tasted a lot better to me.
Our son is 17 and has developed quite a taste for Starbucks.

I've been drinking coffee for as long as I can remember. My grandmother used to let me drink it with her. Sometimes she would even give me my own cup with mostly cream and sugar. My daughter has been drinking coffee and tea since she was very little. She will have sips of my mothers coffee, mine is too bitter she says, and she loves tea. We are not big pop drinkers and when we do its usually Sprite, 7up or Gingerale. My concern would be a over abundance of caffeine but some is fine as far as I'm concerned.

At our house we don't even buy soda. So that has never been an issue.

However we live in the south and we drink a lot of tea. My kids have had it sense they were oh probably around five or six. We drink it cold and sweet (we use stevia to sweeten it). Couple glasses a day each for everyone.

I am a coffee lover. I have 2 to 4 cups a day. My kids grandparents would have us over for "coffee" about twice a week after school. And give both kids about half an inch of coffee in a glass of milk. My mom did the same for me growing up.

My daughter can take coffee or leave it...she prefers tea. My son is 11 and has one cup in the morning before school and sometimes 1 or 2 before bedtime. (I know this weird logic however he has ADD and stimulants seem to work the opposite on him...they calm him down mentally and help him focus). Sometimes he will have a cup in the afternoon if the day at school was rough once again it calms him down.

I can't help but wonder if the kids at school drinking tons of caffeine are self medicating for ADD or ADHD (or lack of sleep). They like the feeling of the stimulant to either calm them or to rev them up).

My son would move into Starbucks if he could, when he gets a job I know where a lot of his money will be going...but for him it is an aid/tool in his box to function well in life.

I have never thought about caffeine really other than how it helps my son. Good luck!

I didn't allow my kids to have soda at all until they were 12. It bothered me so much to see little kids drinking Cokes and such. My older son decided he wanted to try coffee in senior high school and he would pour sugar and milk in it like there was no tomorrow. I made fun of him a little telling him that he wasn't really drinking coffee - he was using it as a base to drink sugar. He got tired of his sugar drink and quit. Fast forward to college days, and he learned not to use all that sugar.

I do hope that your son won't start that Red Bull thing. It's not good for their hearts! If he has ANY undiagnosed issue whatsoever, it could hurt him. (I know, I'm being a "mom" here, worrying over something that might not be...)

Good luck dealing with this issue!

My 10 year old drinks coffee. She has been taking sips since she was like 3. Now we brew her a small cup for breakfast through a K-cup that has been already used. So it's very light and gets lots of milk. Same with me. I remember drinking coffee my whole life. My family is a coffee drinking family. But just in the AM for most of us.

I would, however, steer my kid away from Mountain Dew and Redbull. Neither is healthy or necessary in my opinion.

I started having coffee with milk and sugar with my mom in the mornings in elementary school! Maybe 2nd grade and on I drank coffee? It was weak coffee though...not like I make now as an adult! We always had Coke in the house and I probably had a coke daily growing up...elementary school through high school. Growing up in the south we drank iced tea every summer and black tea with my aunt. It was just a drink...not a way to ingest caffeine. I never thought of it this way growing up. So...yeah, I guess I started drinking caffeine very young. As an adult I do not drink soda. I do like a cup or two of coffee in the morning...my husband and I are coffee snobs! We buy high quality fresh roasted beans and grind it fresh each morning. Our kids are allowed a soda if we go out to eat...this happens 1-2x a month or so. They are ages 6 and 12. They order the non-caffeinated soda such as sprite or orange crush though. But this last year (starting at age 11) our son has been drinking sweet tea when we go out to eat. He loves it and now gets this instead of soda if we are out to eat. It's not THAT much caffeine. He is not interested in coffee but I can see allowing it in high school if he wants it. It's really not that big of a deal to me as long as my kid is only having one occasionally... drinking one or less a day. It does not stunt your growth. Red Bull has the same amount of caffeine as a regular cup of coffee they say (80mg). Check out this chart. I didn't realize Mountain Dew had so little caffeine! http://www.cspinet.org/new/cafchart.htm

I don't have teenaged children so I can't answer that, but I personally started drinking tea and coffee in high school, maybe junior year when I went to Starbucks or other similar places with friends.

I had lots of caffeinated sodas like coke and mountain dew before that in junior high. It wasn't for the caffeine, I just drank soda regularly (can't believe my parents let me do that, especially now that I'm a parent!). I also had sips of tea and coffee since elementary school (from my grandma). I tried redbull in college a few times just to try it, but never really got into it. I've had classmates who had strong coffee or redbull on a regular basis, and always needed them to meet a deadline or study for exams, but I never needed coffee or energy drinks to get through the day or study for tests (not even during law school or while studying for the bar). Caffeine is addicting so I would use the "everything in moderation" rule with your son.

my parents always had pop in the house, it was generic and rarely tasted good. i can't remember what age we started drinking it. but i am going to guess it was 8 or 9 and we were allowed one can a day. when i got a job i was allowed to buy it if i wanted it and was no longer limited on how much since i was buying it myself.
now that i am an adult i only drink pop on occasion and i don't care for coffee, so its not a huge thing for me
dh only drinks tea, coffee and water (used to drink a pot of coffee a day but is only drinking one cup a day now)

I personally hate coffee so this trend of teens and tweens getting starbucks everytime their parents do makes me wince. and the way people at work act it does make coffee seem highly addictive. but i miss out on a lot socially but not liking coffee...peer pressure. I would like college is reasonable but now a days middle school