DeborahAnn

kerouac, I received the information I needed to answer the boys question many posts ago about options for soda and whether they will have skim milk to drink

I feel like I should apologize for such a seemingly simple question but I have one grandson that doesn't like to fly and refuses to ride in elevators. I know Fodor's folks probably can't help Lucas with his dislike for flying but there will probably be other very simple questions I will have that might make this trip easier for him.

I've been entertained by the wide variety of comments just like TPAYT. Many thanks to everyone, Deborah

annhig

I'm stunned no one suggested coffee or tea!>>

seafox - I think that's probably because we were talking about what to drink with a meal, not after it.

my DS loves the hot chocolate he gets in Paris and I think that would appeal to most teenage lads too.

PalenQ

menthe a l'eau is a popular drink for kids when adults order wine.

"It is mainly for French children" - according to this link:

http://bonnecuisinesansargent.blogsp...nthe-leau.html

Sarastro

Menthe a l´eau is effectively the same drink as sirop de menthe already mentioned in several posts above.

november_moon

I say - ask all the simple questions you like Not all of us are as "enlightened" as some, so we might actually have some decent answers to your simple questions

IMDonehere

Give them Absinthe and then they will stop worrying about what to drink next.

thursdaysd

ann - in the US people drink tea and coffee WITH the meal....

bilboburgler

thursday, say it isn't true

justineparis

I restricted my kids to one drink out a day( other then tap water, or hot coco with breakie) for two reasons.

A) kids do not need sugary drinks with every meal, sorry if that is the custom where you live or how you parent ( directed to those who apparently feel saying "no" to kids ,,even on vacation , is a problem) ,

B) I am not made of money.. a 3-5 euro coke , mulitple times a day, can add up.. I restrict myself too.. no, I don't have a 4 euro cafe creme more then once a day.. and yet, somehow I survive.


I wish we had a private message function on this forum,but we don't.. but we have a son who had some major issues with flying, the long flight time, restricted etc.. so there are solutions that may help..

annhig

ann - in the US people drink tea and coffee WITH the meal....>>

when in Paris....

DeborahAnn

justineparis, I hope there is someway to bring to your attention my posting about how to help Lucas. Right now he doesn't want to talk about the flight but we are encouraging him to help make decisions about where we will stay and what we will do. He liked the house with fireplaces in each of the bedrooms so that will be our first B&B stay His mother will be talking to their pediatrician when our travel date is closer.

I agree about soda being expensive to drink in France and times 3 boys is not money well spent. Water will do nicely with some special beverages once a day. I did not realize that milk is not typically served to children at all meals in France. Thanks again, Deborah

kerouac

French children drink milk at breakfast, usually heated. They do not drink milk at other meals. For anybody who believes that French children are not getting enough dairy products, if you check the statistics, you'll see that France consumes far more dairy products per capita than the United States, due to yogurt, cheese, butter and cream.

TPAYT

We're not made of money either, but after spending thousands to be in Paris we don't think having a few 4 euro coffees or sodas are going to break us.

Now, dinner reservations at Pre Catelan or Lasserre might throw MDH for a loop so we take a pass on that.

suze

My experience is limited but my one young friend in Switzerland drinks juice, milk, water, or water with those fruit syrups to color/flavor it. I can't recall ever seeing a regular soda (like Coke).

CopperandJade

Somewhat bewildered, I’ve followed this thread... 112 replies and counting! Simply, there will be NO problem for your kids.

For some reason I took this book from the library and you might enjoy it. I don’t have children but it’s fascinating and a great read. Many of the thoughts can easily be applied to adult eating.

French Kids Eat Everything, (and yours can, too), by Karen Le Billon,
http://www.amazon.ca/French-Kids-Eat...=IP4OQER91Q673

PalenQ

"Diabolo menthe" my French son says would be what French would say when asking for "menthe a l'eau or sirop de menthe" in a restaurant. At least to him and his family.

Pvoyageuse

Diabolo menthe is sirop de menthe + lemonade. Menthe à l'eau is the same with still water.

Tulips

My son likes Diabolo fraise, strawberry sirop + lemonade.
Our kids have one soft drink (if they want) as aperitif, and drink water with the meal.

As Kerouac says, milk is not usually served at dinner. You could ask for it though, my SIL sometimes orders milk with lunch in France, they're always happy to serve it.

PalenQ

Diabolo menthe is sirop de menthe + lemonade. Menthe à l'eau is the same with still water.>

OK clears up what Diabolo meant - I asked my son and he did not know - just said that's what they always ask for and thought it was menthe a l'eau - so even some French don't know the difference (even though he passed the French BAC with honors!)

thanks for the clarification.

DeborahAnn

Forget the children; those drinks sound like a nice change of pace from wine especially in the summer. Deborah