A Doctor Weighs In: How Bad Is It to Give a Toddler a Sip of Coffee or Diet Soda?

A Doctor Weighs In: How Bad Is It to Give a Toddler a Sip of Coffee or Diet Soda?

All parents make mistakes (let’s be honest -- probably multiple times per day) but how bad are they, really? Our audience members got a chance to quiz pediatrician Dr. Deborah Gilboa to find out.

Like -- how bad is it to give a toddler a sip of coffee or diet soda? Dr. G. says -- it’s bad.

Just a sip seems pretty innocuous, right? But the doctor says, “We need practice as parents saying no. Because [your child] wants to, is not a good enough reason.”

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“Younger kids should not be drinking” caffeine and diet sodas, the doctor says. She recommends telling the kiddo that it’s only for adults, or not drinking it around them.