What do you serve as drinks?

[Nature'sKids!]

We mainly have water here anyway so I would be offering that mostly. I like the idea of fruit teas and herbal teas (lukewarm) for the kids in winter as we do in austria and Germany. (no juice)
Herbs like mint or chamomile an be quite therapeutic as well. And fruit teas would give a little flavour without the sugar content of juice etc.
What do you do?

[buzzy bee]

Just water, and milk for babies/toddlers and if requested by older ones.

Helps keep my food bills down and I only have occasional grumbles from the school kids about being boring

[Ali56]

Mostly water or milk here! I don't give fruit juice at all, I know that may seem mean but my older 2 never had it and they have great teeth, DD2 had very diluted juice sometimes and her teeth are terrible, I feel really bad about it and I wish I hadn't given it to her. It was SO hard though when she saw the others having it (there is a big age gap)
We like to have hot choc sometimes if we've been out in the rain! No squash-ever! I haven't thought of fruit tea though, I may try it-good idea!

[Nature'sKids!]

Squash doesn't even come into my house - hate the stuff!
Yes, I forgot about milk - although we use non animal milks (unless required such as formula etc)Breastmilk on tap lol
We drink teas here and the kids love it as it's something different.

[Flisspaps]

Milk and water.

[rosebud]

Water and milk between meals and fruit juice and squash is also offered with meals but not inbetween - advice of my dentist. What do you do though if children (LO's) are already used to having squash all the time at home, I know they shouldn't and its really bad for their teeth but if thats what they're used to its really hard to say no - especially if they bring a beaker with squash in from home.

[singingcactus]

I only provide water here. If they are under 12 months and require milk then parent provide that. I wouldn't provide little people with fruit teas, as there's no need. I do sometimes offer camomile tea, but no other kind of herbal tea as I don't know what effect the herbs will have on the child, especially since so many parents like to dose their kids up with over the counter meds for no reason.
I like herbal tea myself though, and will make it for my children when they want, cos I know my kids aren't filled with any meds for the herbs to react with, and I know what they will be doing the rest of the day and what they have been doing up until that time so I know what herbs they can and cannot have.

[Tink]

Milk or water

[Velleity]

Milk or water too. Don't have any types of juices or squash in the house.

They eat plenty of fruit

Give older ones Hot Chocolate sometimes.

[Penny1959]

Milk or water

Very occassional very watered down fruit juice if child is won't eat fruit and veg (and only if parents agree)

And if they bring juice from home - I work with parents to watered it down more each day and only provide milk or water if the cup from home is emptied.

Penny

[ziggy]

I used to only offer milk or water. Then i had a little one who wouldnt have more than a few sips of milk during a 10 hour day, he then went home and drank loads. I was concerned about his lack of fluid intake so now offer v v watery orange squash but only with meals.

I think its hard if squash or fruit juices are given freely at home

[miffy]

Water or milk, hot chocolate in the winter for older children; squash (very weak) as an occasional treat.

Miffy xx

[Heaven Scent]

Milk or water for little ones they know no different but when I get older ones who have bad habbits I give watered down pure juices - if we go out I sometimes allow them to have what is offered because I don't like them to feel deprived and wouldn't go mad if they took a drink of squash that another adult I know handed them.

I don't think sometimes when out and about it can be really really difficult to control what other people provide.

When they have squash I prefer it to be full sugar squash very well diluted with a meal but they don't ever really have it at my house - except maybe with their Christmas dinner but I won't allow them to have sugar free because of the artificial sweeteners.

I have also given older children tea with breakfast if that's what they are used to at home. My own two who are now 14 & 16 have never drunk coffee and very rarely have tea. But they do drink pop and squash when they get the chance and that is because they are bored with water and milk I believe there is nothing wrong with everything in moderation because when you deprive children of things they crave them.

But in minding I leave giving all the treats to the parents then the children are not having an over kill of junk.

[loocyloo]

milk or water!

sometimes hot choc in winter for older ones.

i have a LO who likes a cup of weak milky tea in the morning!

if we are out i don't make a fuss if children are given squash, but we don't have it at home!

i'm trying to persuade toddlers into water instead of squash! they do have milk though!

my own children will have fizzy orange/apple or lemonade when we are out for a meal, but only as long as it is the full sugar sort! although they usually opt for fruit juice.

[Sarahforster]

I offer sugar free dilute juice, water and milk - they generally go for juice but I only do this at snack time and meal times. Drinks inbetween would only be water and they would need to sit at the snack table for it.
x

[Sarahforster]

I find the little ones don't drink more than one cup per snack/meal and it is weak but if more than this was asked for it would be water that I would give them! It is only what they get used to though. If water was the only thing on offer they would soon get used to it - we go to 4 different groups a week that only offer milk, water and healthy snacks and they know this and are happy about it and never moan.
x

[Mouse]

Milk with breakfast
Dilute squash with lunch
Water or milk at snack times
Water available all the time

I really don't have a problem with children having a moderate amount of well watered down squash at a mealtime, especially if they were used to drinking it at home. If they don't drink it at home though, I don't give it to them here. At meal times, children really don't know what is in each other's beaker, so it's not a problem if one has squash and another has water.

[The Juggler]

water for under 3's. diluted pure fruit juice in open cups for over 3's at mealtimes and for older children.


occasionally smoothie, milk is always available but no one ever asks for it..

[rickysmiths]

Milk or water. I go through gallons of milk. Thinking of getting a cow!!

[keeks]

Milk and water here too. The only exception is when we make our own fruit juice by squeezing oranges etc.

xx