another food control issue

[transylvania_mom]

re: my 5 y/o ds and candy.
We don't eat too much candy, we offer dessert after meals, we don't ask him to eat a certain amount of food before he gets dessert.
I just want him to stop asking for candy all the time. How do you help your dc self-regulate how much candy they eat?

[sgmom]

Could you try setting up a candy jar, and fill it every day with the allowed amount? Of course you'd have to set rules that go with it... like no candy before dinner. But that way he gets to decide if he wants to eat it all at once, or save some for later. And when he asks for more when it's all gone, well "YES! You can have some more tomorrow.

We don't give candy here , so I don't really have any other advice for you... But that's what I would do.

[ssh]

We regulate candy intake by not buying very much of it or very often. We only do deserts every once in awhile. When candy is available our DD can eat it. Usually she self regulates well, but sometimes she just eats it until it's gone. We only buy organic lollipops, natural peppermints and chocolate. When she asks for candy and it's not here I say we'll get more sometime. When we do have candy our DD usually just gets it for herself if she wants some.

[sunnmama]

Can you just stop keeping candy in the house for a while?

Self-regulation can get easier with age/maturity. If it is too difficult for him to self-regulate at this age, and too frustrating for you to deal with the candy issue, it's ok to avoid it altogether at this age by not keeping candy in the house all the time.