Lately, I’ve noticed some tweens and young teens hanging around the local coffee houses. While it’s great that they have a safe, relaxed atmosphere in which to hang out, I’m more curious about the stuff they’re drinking. I remember by my junior or senior year in high school, some students would slide coolly into first period with a Starbucks cup in hand—and even that seemed a little strange at the time (this, of course, spoken by someone who didn’t try coffee until her final year in college). But what about fourteen-year-olds? Twelve-year-olds? Kids even younger? With it’s high levels of caffeine, is coffee OK for them to drink?

No matter what your age, too much caffeine can negatively impact the body, causing things like jitteriness, upset stomach, headache, difficulty concentrating, and increased heart rate. While it would take most adults a couple of cups to feel coffee’s ill effects, kids’ bodies are smaller and less accustomed to that feeling of perkiness accompanied by a daily morning mug of joe.

There’s no official recommendation for caffeine intake for kids in the U.S., but the Canadian government puts the limit at 85mg for kids 10-12. To put that in perspective, the average cup of coffee (that’s 6-8 oz., which is considerably smaller than any of the cup sizes at most coffee shops) contains about 100mg of caffeine. In other words, java and kids don’t mix—at least not until they’ve reached their teens. According to a health care provider quoted at Parent Map, parents shouldn’t worry if their teenager has a cup of coffee each day. It doesn’t stunt growth, and as long as it’s drunk in moderation, won’t cause hyperactivity.

How to deal if your younger kid wants coffee? Let her drink decaf (it’s got only 6mg of caffeine) or antioxidant rich brews like green tea (35-70mg caffeine) or herbal tea (caffeine free).

-Marygrace, KIWI staff writer