Baby Tea Parties

This morning I told a friend to send his daughter to play with Charlotte. He said, “Yes of course, but she has to finish her tea first.” This child is not quite 2 years-old.

I was reminded of one of the many “Mama moments” of parenting. And again, I don't mean me parenting. I mean my nanny Mamas who actually know what they're doing.

Sometime early last year I noticed a very tiny Charlotte ripping her bread into pieces and dipping it in her water. I thought, “Huh, that’s funny.” And then thought nothing of it. Then one day I happened to come home mid-morning when I’m usually at school. Charlotte was perched on top of the table on our porch sipping tea with Mamicho and ripping pieces of baguette for dunking. I very casually inquired about their morning tradition. Turned out Charlotte had been drinking black tea with milk and sugar and lemon grass (“pour une bonne santé”) since she could sit up.

“But Mamicho, isn’t there caffeine in black tea?” (This is when I learned how to say caffeine in French. Do you other learners-of-other-languages-as-an-adult remember precise moments like this for learning new vocab? I feel like I can tell a story for each word I know. Ha!)

Cut to Mamicho not caring if there’s caffeine in black tea. Much less the amount of sugar Charlotte’s gulping.
So then I consult Mama Google and read this, this, and this and decided it’s not really that big of a deal. I mean if entire nations of children (and in Charlotte’s case, infants) have been raised on morning tea, so be it.

Anyone else raising tea babies?