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Rising Star
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Exposure is almost inevitable once they are in school and have parties and go to parties. I live by ‘everything in moderation’. So while you don’t have to go out and buy Oreos, occasionally having a treat you guys bake together was our preference when they were younger and giving them occasional exposure.
I was shocked to see so much candy and juice boxes at the schools “Valentine’s Day” party. I don’t know what I expected. I purposefully didn’t bring anything to celebrate her birthday in November because I thought not bringing sweets would be respectful. I guess they are a little liberal for parties.
So just today husband and I were having this conversation. We went to get coffee with my 3 yo, and he saw strawberry frosting donuts and asked for one. He never cared for one before but we got it for him to try! He had less than half of the donut all the time saying "it's yummy" and then, my tummy is full. My toddler does have strong preferences and dislikes but we try to not police food as much. I mean this kid can live on berries and oranges, and those sumo oranges probably have same amount of sugar as Oreo cookie!
I can’t find the right emoji - but I’m raising my coffee cup to you as a parent.
Don’t feel terrible. I bribe with snacks and I’m proud to say I do. It gets things done. Good job mom!
Rising Star
My LO had to attend frequent 45+ min doctor appointments with me for about 2 months. We survived on Ring Pops and a tablet.
No shame.
Everything in moderation. Is my 2.5 year old eating M&M'S every day? No. But if it's Halloween and she gets a bag of M&M'S, I'll let her have a few (like 5), not the whole bag. She's a kid... I'm going to let her be one!
I personally have a sweet tooth and usually have some sort of candy in the house. My 9 year old is now occasionally allowed to have a rootbeer (we don't generally have soda, just not our thing but every once in a while if we are out she can pick that), and I do let them have "treat" items in moderation. They will usually take a bite or two and then move on, because it's not a forbidden item so they don't feel the need to go crazy. I grew up with hardly any treats in the house ever so I think I went overboard when I left for college. I'm trying to avoid that with my kids so they don't grow up going crazy at a friend's house, party, or when they move out. Agree with the everything in moderation!
My mom and my attitude has always been everything in moderation
If you deprive your kids they will find out one way or another and it can start an unhealthy relationship with food if they feel like they have to sneak it. IMHO
I let my daughter have a piece of candy if she wants to. By not banning it and setting reasonable limits she doesn’t crave it and can self limit. I think being too extreme will backfire.
They tried sweets from a young age but they’re definitely not a regular thing. Like others have mentioned, we teach moderation in everything, and it’s been a constant conversation from early on. We make sure they’re educated on why some things need to be eaten less than others (I.e., we need a lot more protein, carbs, etc. than sugar). So while we tell them “you can have too much of anything, even broccoli…if you only ate broccoli all day that would not be healthy,” we also explain that some foods are harder to have “too much of.” So you could have a whole bowl of popcorn, but not a whole bowl of Oreos. My kids are still young but they are the most balanced eaters I know of haha
A1 For sure, that was our goal too! Plus I feel like it gives them a good basis for how to make informed decisions when they get older, rather than just “mom always said no” haha.
Chief
I think getting her to 3.5 without a sugar addiction is fantastic. I agree with the moderation feedback. Don’t make it a forbidden food that she will seek out. E.g., don’t let her be the kid at the birthday party that can’t have a piece of cake. Best thing to do is to not have junk food in the house and frame sweets as a special treat to savor and enjoy.
When our daughter was in preschool/grade school and developing a sweet tooth, we moderated this by letting her pick one night a week for dessert night. She picked the day, wrote it on the calendar and then the calendar had the final word. She did not argue with the calendar because she made the calendar. 😂 worked like a charm for years.
Now she is in middle school and it’s a free for all between school, birthday parties, her saving her own money for a candy run, etc.
But she still moderates fairly well, all things considered.
I just learned this, but Oreos are vegan 😉😍
Chief
Because the inside is made with vegetable oil shortening. 🤢
Anyone come across Oreo ID - where you can personalize Oreos with words or even a picture? Everyone at my oldest’s 7th birthday party today went home with one Oreo with our kid’s face printed on it and it was awesome.
I am looking this up now!!
I let my kid have most things in moderation, and we talk a lot about balancing things like sugary foods with foods that help your body grow. For one, if it's forbidden, it could become a fixation that results in a total lack of ability to self moderate once they're out of your supervision.
For another, there's strong evidence that links adult onset Type 2 Diabetes to a restricted childhood diet. Basically, your metabolism learns to hoard calories if you're never exposed to junk foods until adulthood and then suddenly have access to them, while people who do get that exposure during childhood don't have the same problem. It also reduces the likelihood of developing eating disorders.
I always watched sweets with my kids, and it’s totally okay for them to have some on occasion. Just model good behavior with your own habits and it will be fine. As they get older they do what they want anyway
I would say around 2 she started having stuff like that for special occasions only. Definitely not a regular part of her diet.
My daughter was on a strict no sugar, water only, nothing sweet at all diet until she was about 18 months. I let her have one sweet thing a day, she loves fruit snacks and muffins, she doesn’t eat cookies and candy as much. But she’s in daycare all day, they only drink water and 1% milk and eat relatively decent meals, they even do “Double Veggie Friday” lol so I don’t stress too much about her not eating the best at home, plus she still nurses about 3 times a day.
My youngest figured out how to open a bag of M&M's shortly after he turned 1. He loves specific types of candy but only has it in moderation. Just be sure to brush her teeth everyday and she'll be fine. Sometimes all they want is the cookie - but I've found it was a short-lived phase with my two kids.
A month before her first birthday we did smash cake pics and that was her first real sweet.
We didn’t give her sweets on any kind of regular basis until she was old enough to ask for them. 18m-2years ish. They get cupcakes at daycare for birthdays etc.
Potty training made her a little candy crazy and she asks for “potty treats” a lot now. We just moderate as much as possible…
If she really wants a cookie or whatever, I just put it on her tray with her dinner and don’t make a big deal about it.
She usually eats a good amount of her regular food along with the sweet. 🤷🏻♀️
I went to 1st grade orientation for our oldest last September where they told us not to send in packed lunches that were hard to open - like lunchables. And 3/4 of the parents in the room took the note. And I self fived because for the all the stuff we have given up trying to stop her eating, one thing we’ve stayed firm on is lunchables.
Oreos are fine in moderation. Almost everything is fine in moderation - even if fine simply means you don’t stress out about every little thing that enters their mouth.
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Around that age , I let them in moderation. A sweet every now and then is normal.