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"If Sprite has caffeine in it, i'll be SOOO mad."

pastepmomof3's picture

This is what came out of SS8's mouth as we're walking inside. I asked him why he said that and he says "because I get headaches from caffeine." I've heard of this before but in this situation, I believe a lot of this is based on information BM fed him to explain why he gets headaches. At one point, we were ready to send him to a neurologist to explain why he was getting them so much, but then DH and I took him to an optometrist, got him some glasses, and he's been fine. So now i want to say "Really? Gee, that's funny - did you get a headache after eating that chocolate bar? Or how about after drinking 2 glasses of sweet iced tea?"

I'm seriously contemplating sitting down with him to talk about caffeine and the effects of it, but I'm sure once I tell him, he's going to run back and tell his mom what i said and that will start another war.

What do you guys think?

Comments

pastepmomof3's picture

The more I stew on it, the more I think I'll do what you suggest and talk to him about it. This has been going on for a while now. I just want to make sure that telling him the information won't create bigger problems, specifically when he tries to regurgitate the information to his mom.

pastepmomof3's picture

I agree sueu2. If he doesn't get headaches from eating chocolate or drinking sweet tea or other sodas with caffeine, than ALL sodas with caffeine are not causing his problems. Thanks!

GoodbyeNormaJean's picture

Give the kid the factual information about caffeine. He's 8. He's old enough to learn the real deal.

People get headaches for a lot of reasons, one of then being NOT getting any caffeine when they normally get lots of it. It can also be from dehydration, eye strain, like you said, and so many other things.

A little caffeine is no more harmful than a little food dye, like the amount you get from some Kool Aid, or a little sugar, like what you get when you eat one candy bar. Most stuff isn't too bad in moderation. I don't see the sense in BM making him neurotic about it. Any of it. Sounds like a control thing.

PoisonApples's picture

We have this all the time.

BM is, mmm, rather creative with the truth so the skids come up with the stupidest things. She thinks she's fueling their imaginations and wrapping them in dreamy, romantic notions about things but it's all so sappy it would make you want to vomit.

I just tell them the facts and then ask them to think about it and decide for themselves what makes sense.