Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Oh Yeah! Is Kool-Aid Really Evil?

I'm the "watered-down juice" mom. My kids don't like water (I guess I should have started them out as juiceless toddlers, but it's too late now), and I refuse to give them full-strength juice because (a) it's expensive, and (b) I'd rather have them eating their calories than drinking them.

(Image courtesy of http://faithfulnessfarm.blogspot.com)
But I've been having a problem with my Juicy Juice lately. I mix it with water in a big dispenser in the fridge for convenience, but I've been noticing that it seems to start fermenting or something after a few days, so the kids won't drink it anymore (which is unfortunate...maybe it'd chill them out a little [and I'm obviously joking, here]).

In trying to come up with a reasonable solution, I've found myself in what I assume many other mothers struggle with: the Kool-Aid dilemma. Do I do it? Do I go over to the dark side? It'd be more economical. I would have control over the sugar and water ratio. I wouldn't care as much when I found an abandoned, half-full cup of it on the counter after the kids went to bed. But then there's the worrisome aspects: I'm obviously against the artificial coloring and flavoring (especially since I have two overactive, quirky boys). I could try the lemonade flavor, which is mainly citric acid, but then they have to muck it up with yellow dye. I could go with the clear Kool-Aid Jammers, but who knows what kind of artificial concoction they're using to flavor it?

Then there's this argument: I remember drinking Kool-Aid all the time as a kid, and probably twice as much during the summer, and I turned out okay. My little sister had a perpetual red or purple "Kool-Aid smile" on her upper lip and she grew up to earn a doctorate. So how bad could it be?

Next up on the parenting crisis agenda: potato chips. I guess it never ends. 

[Update, 7/30/13: THEY DON'T LIKE KOOL-AID!! WTH?!? Lemonade flavor--no. Atrificial coloring-laden blue drops--no. Next up on the to-try list: red berry herbal tea that is supposedly "reminiscent of the red drink of our youth." And as for the potato chips ... I totally went for it. The chips also seem to increase the likelihood that the boys will eat whatever is next to them on the plate, too.]

8 comments:

  1. I use juicy juice to make freezer pops. Instead of kool aid, try the country time squirt stuff. You can put as much or little as you like! I even carry it in my purse to use at restaurants when friends kids are getting soda I have an alternative
    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hmmm...I'll check out the Country Time stuff! I just bought two packets of Kool Aid lemonade last night. Today: over to the dark side!

      Delete
  2. Welcome to the dark side... ha ha! I didn't do a ton of Kool Aid when my kids were little, but they love it now...and its so darn cheap! I'll admit, it was fun to let them choose Kool Aid packets at the store once in a while, they loved that. For my step-daughters we make lemonaid pretty frequently, we buy the big container of real lemon juice from Costco and can use that for several months before needing a new one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I actually made fresh squeezed lemonade that was really good, but I thought, ppfft, I'm not going through this trouble every other day! :)

      Delete
  3. Hi there! Visiting from the Honest Mom link-up. I have crossed over to the dark side and let my 10yo and 6yo drink Kool-Aid. one glass a day usually does it for them. It's just more exciting than milk or water. My 10yo is begging me for soda now and I struggle with letting him have a little bit now so that he won't go on a Coke drinking binge with his buddies when he's a teen because I wouldn't ever let him have any soda pop! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. (Katy, I just saw your blog name for the first time today and it made me laugh. Nice to meet you!) I remember GUZZLING Kool Aid over the summer. I have vivid memories of the insane amount of sugar you added to the pitcher to make it (which I loved at the time).

      Delete
  4. I can't believe they don't like it, but I'm glad you tried. Like you, it was the stuff of my youth, and I'm pretty weird, but not that bad ;)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yeah, I'm pretty weird too, but I think that just runs in the family. Nothing to do with the Kool-Aid. :)

    ReplyDelete