Worried your child constantly asks for coke? Shalini Passi shares a clever parenting hack
Parents often struggle with children's love for sugary sodas like Coke, which can negatively impact their health. Indian TV personality Shalini Passi cleverly diluted her son's Coke with water, leading him to believe it tasted bad and discouraging his consumption at home. This playful tactic allowed him to eventually enjoy regular Coke without developing a habit for the sugary drink.
Shalini Passi (File photo)
Kids and Coke, it’s a love story many parents know all too well. The fizz, the sweetness, that bubbly “pop” when you open a can, it’s hard for little ones to resist.Colorful branding, fun bottles, and ads everywhere, and suddenly Coke becomes more than a drink; it’s a tiny daily treat they crave.The problem is, what seems harmless can actually be pretty rough on growing bodies.
What makes coke bad for kids? Coke is loaded with sugar and this can lead to weight gain, energy spikes followed by crashes, and even early signs of insulin resistance. Then it can make kids jittery, affect their sleep, or give them a racing heart.And let’s not forget the acid in the soda, which can slowly damage teeth, leading to cavities before you even realize it.
How to make sure your kid is having a heart-healthy meal
Despite all this, kids love it because it’s sweet, fizzy, and feels special, a “grown-up” treat they get to enjoy.But Indian TV personality Shalini Passi had a hilariously clever trick up her sleeve that might just make parents everywhere smile (and maybe try it themselves).Shalini, who shot to fame on Netflix’s Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives, recently opened up about how she handled her son’s early love for carbonated drinks, especially Coke. Instead of outright banning it (which usually makes kids want it even more), she pulled off a playful trick.According to Shalini, when her son was little, she would mix water into the Coke before giving it to him.
The little guy thought he was drinking real Coke, but the taste was so off that he eventually decided he didn’t like it.
The result? He steered clear of sugary soda at home simply because he believed “the Coke in our house tastes bad.” The funniest part came later when he grew up a bit and visited a party where regular Coke was served. After his first sip, he went straight to his mom and exclaimed how amazing it tasted compared to “the bad Coke at home.”
It was only then that he realised something was up, although Shalini, cheeky as ever, didn’t exactly spill the beans.Sugary drinks like Coke are best kept to a minimum. They’re loaded with sugar and offer little nutritional benefit.Regular consumption has been linked to tooth decay, unhealthy weight gain, and other issues that parents definitely don’t want for their kids. But the tricky part is how to discourage those habits without turning every mealtime into a power struggle. Shalini’s approach, sly, playful, and harmless, just might be one way to do it.