DeborahAnn

Pschitt---was harder to find in Paris than Orangina. I remember being on the "look out" after my son and daughter developed a craving for it while in Paris--they were 20 something at the time Deborah

FrenchMystiqueTours

Since I am temporarily working serving drinks at a bar in Paris I've become acquainted with what most French kids are drinking. Being that it's holiday season there are lots of families in the bar in the afternoon and the kids always order either a coke, a jus de pomme or most commonly one of the flavored syrups (sirop) with water (and never with ice). The syrup most kids ask for is either grenadine or fraise (strawberry) but there are several others, as Sarastro has mentioned. If you want one of the syrup and water drinks, using fraise as an example, ask for a fraise à l'eau or sirop de fraise.

I don't know how old your kids are but if you allow them to drink alcohol and you are with them no one in a bar, café or restaurant will even blink twice if you order alcoholic drinks for the kids. It's assumed they are under your control. It is illegal, however, to sell alcohol to a minor. The adult must order the drink. Just today I served a couple of pints of Carlsburg to a family with two teens that couldn't have been older than 16.

tuscanlifeedit

This thread has more lecturers and disapproving cranks than a convent in the 1950s.

grandmere

Tuscanlifeedit, I was just thinking along the same lines; who could imagine that a simple question about kids' beverages could generate so much discussion!

StCirq

No kidding. It's just liquid. Get over it.

browndogsf

i spent last summer in france with my kids. they drank tap water or sirop. they loved drinking different flavors - kiwi, lemon, strawberry, etc. it is not common for kids to have milk when out but you can ask. most kids drink water, a coke or a sirop. as long as you keep it to one a day, you should be fine. plus after walking all day, you will do anything to make them happy so you can relax and eat

IMDonehere

Does anyone know where I can get a drink around here?

StCirq

Plus, my particular weakness, as a prepared iced-tea freak, Liptonic, which is fizzy iced tea. I know, I know, it's a hideous idea, but I actually like it...

PatrickLondon

Something that hasn't been mentioned: it may be a prejudice of mine, but I rather suspect that if you did ask for milk, in quite a few places it would be UHT or longlife milk, which may not be to your children's taste anyway.

DeborahAnn

Thank you everyone for the many comments, I too am surprised how much discussion was generated by this question. As the boys are 12 and under they have no interest in wine but since we usually drink wine and water with dinner in France that is what brought up the question of what they would be drinking.

I think the flavored sirop added to water is a terrific idea and glad we might find that an option at dinner for them

Toward the beginning of the thread TPaxe did crush my thought that Crystal Light might be a healthy alternative to soda--it will take a while for me to forget all those unnatural ingredients it contains

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to answer my question. Happy New Year and Happy Travels 2014 to everyone, Deborah

PalenQ

eau de robinet - the term for tap water served free in most restaurants - if you ask for water you may get a $3-4 tiny bottle of mineral water - for kids tap water is fine - with or without Kool-Aid additives which I think would be most uncouth to do in a nice restaurant.

FrenchMystiqueTours

If you want the free tap water in a restaurant just ask for une carafe d'eau and they'll bring you a bottle/pitcher and refill it as you like.

IMDonehere

If someone asked what can kids drink in Belgium, three people would have answered, maybe.

kerouac

This should make several of you snicker:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zqoboX8LGc

DeborahAnn

I truly didn't plan to bring my own sirop but if the restaurant has a bar wouldn't it be an option to ask for some sirop in each glass and the boys would add the water from the carafe? I certainly hope uncouth is never our travel style Deborah

StCirq

I don't think I have ever seen anyone, of any age, drinking a sirop drink with a meal. Those drinks are meant to be a refresher at a café on a hot afternoon. I mean, would you order a Slurpee with your lamb chops? I'm sure no waiter would refuse such a request, but still, it's a weird thought.

DeborahAnn

StCirq, isn't that what a "Shirley Temple" drink is and I remember that was a restaurant treat for our children when they were younger.

Beverages and food choices when we are in France will be influenced by the weather. We will certainly hope for warm and sunny weather and the lighter foods/beverages that suit those conditions. Thanks, Deborah

kerouac

StCirq is right about this. And while I respect your concern about this subject DeborahAnn, I think you are completely overthinking the "problem." Have you ever seen a child go thirsty in a restaurant when so many options are available?

And just to keep the debate going, I frankly think it is weird for parents to restrict their child to one soft drink a day on vacation. The parents themselves are almost certainly drinking many more things than they would normally drink at home, so why should a big restriction be placed on the children? It is a vacation after all, when one has experiences that one does not have at home. Not to mention the fact that it can be a useful bargaining tool if the little ones suddenly start getting finicky about the food.

TPAYT

Deborah---in your original post that started this discussion you ended with---thanks for your helpful comments.

I agree, thanks. I found this very interesting, and also funny at times. It will be fun to discover some drinks that my GD can order by herself and feel "a little French" as none of us are really as good with the language as we would like to be.

kerouac made a good comment-----it is vacation and as far as I'm concerned she can eat & drink whatever she wants within reason. Grandma will spoil her, that's what grandmas are for, and I can't wait to do it.

seafox

Well, I must say I stumbled into this thread and have been very enlightened. I am bringing a 13 and 15 year old to Paris in April this year and I had not even considered that this would be something of such great debate and concern! I'm stunned no one suggested coffee or tea!

Deborah - if they eat duck then not to worry - they are willing to try things other then McDonalds and will have a blast!~