Did you drink coffee as a teen?

[LisaR]

I grew up in a house where there was constantly a pot of coffee available. There were always neighbors sitting around our kitchen table, drinking coffee and gossiping. I don't remember any of my friends drinking coffee until we were at least in our late teens (18 & 19).

I notice that coffee is definitely the in thing for teens and even preteens around here. There are 11 year olds that frequent Starbucks and the 14 - 16 year olds seem almost addicted to the stuff. Between coffee and energy drinks, is it any wonder that these kids don't need much sleep?

I was just wondering if we were weird for not drinking coffee when we were younger or if it was more the norm?

 

[mjkacmom]

I drank tea every morning. Dd14 and ds12 have a cup of coffee every morning, and dd14 has been going to starbucks on a regular basis since 7th grade, and sometimes in 6th. We have a Keurig, so it's easy. We love our caffeine!

 

[Acklander]

I grew up in a house where there was constantly a pot of coffee available. There were always neighbors sitting around our kitchen table, drinking coffee and gossiping. I don't remember any of my friends drinking coffee until we were at least in our late teens (18 & 19).

I notice that coffee is definitely the in thing for teens and even preteens around here. There are 11 year olds that frequent Starbucks and the 14 - 16 year olds seem almost addicted to the stuff. Between coffee and energy drinks, is it any wonder that these kids don't need much sleep?

I was just wondering if we were weird for not drinking coffee when we were younger or if it was more the norm?

When I was a kid/teen coffee was coffee with the only variation being did you want cream or sugar with it. They didn't have all the yummy coffee drinks that they do now so it's a whole different ballgame. I had eaten coffee ice cream as a kid though.

 

[NMAmy]

Well, I don't drink coffee as an adult so maybe I'm the wrong one to answer.

When I was a teen, there was a sudden spike in the cost of coffee. I vaguely remember that there was some kind of weather related thing that caused an issue with the crop. My mother, the coffee freak, became very protective of her coffee pot. So, about the time that my sister started drinking coffee (16 or so), my younger sister and I were forbidden due to the price. Neither my younger sister nor I drink coffee now.

DD started drinking coffee when she was about 13 or so. DH would make her some that was heavy on the milk and the fancy sweeteners as a special treat.

 

[tonilea]

I loved (and still do) the way coffee smelled. I begged for it. Begged. My parents wouldn't let me drink it until I was 15. The morning of my 15th birthday, I got up and poured myself a big ole cup of joe. Good Lord! That was some nasty stuff! I added milk. It was still nasty. I added sugar. It was sweet and nasty! Definitely not worth the wait! lol

Fast forward to the present. DS (6) LOVES coffee and has since he was old enough to cruise around and snag my parent's coffee cups. At 18 months he would chug cold black coffee as fast as he could so no one could take it away from him! He convinced me to try some coffee the other day. And in the interest of being a good example for him to try new things, I agreed. Good Lord! That was some nasty stuff! I added milk. It was still nasty. I added sugar. It was sweet and nasty! I'll just drink my Diet Coke. Thankyouverymuch!

ETA: DS doesn't like the Starbucks style coffees. He takes it black.

 

[Jennasis]

No. We were told it would stunt our growth!

I don't drink it as an adult either but it's only because I hate the taste. Love the smell though.

 

[tlbwriter]

Didn't then, don't now. I don't remember any of my peers drinking coffee as a teen.

 

[laurie31]

I never drank coffee until I went to college - lol, and I don't remember my friends drinking it either, but my girls both love Starbucks.

DD12 *really* likes coffee, and has a cup with me often. It's decaf, though. I make them get decaf at Starbucks too.

 

[TinklednPants]

Yes. I developed a taste for cofffee very young. About 10.

 

[4forMe]

I've been drinking coffee since I was 16. My girlfriends and I would spend several hours at the local diner drinking coffee and chatting. It was a great, cheap night out back in the 80's. I'm sure the waitress couldn't wait for us to leave.

My two nieces are in their teens and have been drinking coffee since they were 9. They love Starbucks. My DS12 loves the smell of coffee and constantly asks for it but I am holding off with him. I only drink decaf now anyway. My DH hates coffee and it drives him crazy that two of our kids love the smell of coffee and are always asking for some.

 

[indimom]

No one I knew drank coffee as a teen. I had my first coffee when I was in college (lots of cream and suger). My kids have had occasional decaf coffee drinks, but not real often (and not Starbucks, I'm too cheap). My husband doesn't like that I've let them have it, but they enjoy it and I figure its no worse than pop.

 

[scrapquitler]

I grew up in a house where there was constantly a pot of coffee available. There were always neighbors sitting around our kitchen table, drinking coffee and gossiping. I don't remember any of my friends drinking coffee until we were at least in our late teens (18 & 19).

I notice that coffee is definitely the in thing for teens and even preteens around here. There are 11 year olds that frequent Starbucks and the 14 - 16 year olds seem almost addicted to the stuff. Between coffee and energy drinks, is it any wonder that these kids don't need much sleep?

I was just wondering if we were weird for not drinking coffee when we were younger or if it was more the norm?

It was normal in my family. Tea and coffee from an early age. When we were kids it was generally very much more milk vs. coffee/tea but we did always have it.

 

[HM]

Coffee was not for children or teens in our house. I didn't have any until I was in college and I still don't really have a taste for it. If I want caffeine, I go with a soda. I also started drinking sodas in college. Up until then, we only had them on Sunday nights with pizza or if we (seldom) went to fast food place.

 

[Cinderella94]

I'm 16 and don't like coffee. But, my friends and I go to Caribou Coffee a lot just to chat, and they have a strawberry smoothie thing that I love .

 

[rodeo65]

No. We were told it would stunt our growth!

Funny - I was told the same thing, but my English grandma gave us tea which has as much caffeine, or maybe more?

I never did as a teen because none of my peers did and it just didn't occur to me.

 

[golfgal]

I didn't as a teen and even into college none of my friends drank coffee. Even as adults with teenagers most of our friends still don't drink coffee. I have a cup in the morning but that is about it.

DD and ALL of her friends frequent Starbucks. They get the fancy mochas though, never just a cup of coffee. DD has been making her own mochas in the morning now though-coffee and Penzy's Mint hot chocolate mix

 

[Stargazer]

Actually, I started drinking coffee when I was about 11 ~ it was something Grandma would let us drink when we spent the night (though it was basically 1/2 coffee, 1/2 milk with about 4tsp of sugar ).

DD9 had asked a few times to try my caramel latte and after one sip, she declared it "disgusting and will never drink it".

 

[dislaney]

I didn't drink coffee as a teen, I do remember trying it and YUCK! I now drink an occasional cup but prefer the flavored varieties.

My kids drank hot chocolate when I took them to Starbucks. One enjoys a cup of coffee once in awhile, the rest not so much!

 

[MIGrandma]

The only coffee I drank as a teenager was instant. My parents didn't even own a coffee pot. When my grandparents came to visit, they brought their own percolator.

Mom drank what she called "slop" occasionally. Half a cup of instant coffee, and half a cup of milk. She only kept instant coffee in the cabinet. And about the only time I drank any was when I was sick and had a sore throat.

Never really got into drinking coffee until I got married. We received a coffee maker as a Christmas present, and DH was used to having coffee daily so we started using it right away.

I think the reason so many teens these days drink coffee is because of all the places like Starbucks, with so many different coffee drinks, lattes, etc. And now even McD's has specialty coffee drinks. They didn't have those things when I was a teenager.

 

[NotUrsula]

I had my own coffee/tea cup in our house from the time I was old enough to hold one; my Irish parents didn't see a need to forbid caffeine to children. My family was the only one in my US neighborhood growing up that allowed full-strength for kids, however -- my friends from French families drank cafe au lait.

The irony is that I've largely given it up as adult. I drank so much bad coffee in grad school that I got sick of it. These days I'll only drink it if there is absolutely nothing else available and I'm desperate, or if I'm out to dinner at a fancy restaurant I'll have some with dessert occasionally.
I don't care for flavored coffees -- when I do drink it I want plain dark roast with cream and sugar.