Anyone Getting Their Toddler a Chocolate Bunny?

[Cherry Alive]

Soooo, I caved and bought a small Palmers bunny from the grocery store yesterday for Easter for what will be my 14 month old. It's the Sunny style bunny (1.75 oz of chocolate). He doesn't have the typical hard candy eyes (they are painted with colored white chocolate) so I don't see any choking hazards. It's just quite sugary and Palmers isn't exactly the highest quality chocolate (though always a staple at my folks' during Easter)...

I'm on the fence about actually giving it to her. My DD is little and I've been very careful about giving her healthy foods. The sweetest thing she's had are Bunny Grahams (honey and chocolate), and that's a *very* once-in-a while thing. However, the temptation for Easter is great. My folks always got us a hollow chocolate bunny and maybe I could ration her bunny so she doesn't eat it all at once. It'd be the only candy in her basket this year (definitely no jelly beans or Peeps until she's much, much older).

Will that be too much sugar for the little one or am I being a worry-wart?

[sapphire_chan]

He won't eat that whole rabbit, is my guess. He might *try* to and take HUGE bites, but most of it'll end up being worn instead of consumed. I'd wait for a warm day, strip him naked, pop him in the tub and let him have at it.

[mommariffic]

Pfff, give it!

I loved getting my chocolate Easter rabbit and you know what? I never/still don't finish it. I will be getting DH and DD "spring baskets" and they will both have bunnies

[KempsMama]

I got my son a mini chocolate bunny for his first Easter last year...and GASP! He was only 13 months! It's a precious memory, he had a blast, and while I created a little chocolate addict, I'm pretty sure it was genetic anyway (both DH and I are huge chocolate lovers) and I get the pleasure of sharing a Hershey's Kiss with my darling LO after a hard day.

[kittykat2481]

I agree with the other posters. I try to feed DS as healthy a diet as possible on a regular basis, so I don't feel guilty about special treats, especially on holidays. I think those treats are more about the memories than the treat itself. I always try to just let him have at it for that holiday, and then the next day is back to business. I had to take on this attitude last year when it seemed that every member of the family felt the need to bring DS an easter basket full of candy. I know the joy they had from seeing him dig into it, and the memories he will have of everyone remembering him on a special holiday are far more valuable than the sugar is damaging.

[rightkindofme]

For this site I am super liberal about sugar. Compared to the rest of the world I'm super conservative.

I say let him have it, but 'share' with her.

[redvlagrl]

We won't be doing chocolate for easter until at least next year (Dd is 17 mths), but if it's important to you, give it to him.

DD does have sweet treats (homemade cookies, occasional Annie's bunny graham) so I'm not against sugar per se, however I still feel she's too young to have real candy and vertainly too young to understand anything about tradition.

[kcstar]

We have a hollow chocolate bunny for my 2-year-old. Not sure whether we'll give it at Easter or Ostara.

[mamabutterfly]

I did hold off on those kinds of food when each of my girls were younger than 2, but here's why - I felt like there was a really big change for them (and other kids I've done child care for) once they were exposed to the super processed sugars, candies, chocolate. I know there are varied opinions on this & I'm not judgmental of that, but I *really* liked prolonging for as long as I could the phase of discovering savory foods, getting to know various grain and veggies and sauces and not yet choosing the "treats" both my girls seemed to be much less open once processed foods and sugars came into the mix.

I also don't love the changes to their behavior, honestly. I'll put that off as long as I can! Anyway, that's why I waited close to 2 years for chocolate etc, personally. They don't know the difference, I figure, so they don't miss it. There's always next Easter. Enjoy eating the bunny yourself! Yum!

[MeAndVee]

I agree. Give. Video tape it. Take lots of pictures. My parent's have a picture on their wall of me "eating" ice cream at that age. DS had chocolate in his first Easter basket {8 months}. We didn't give him any to eat though! Second Easter {20 months} we offered but he didn't like it. And to this day he still won't eat chocolate or pretty much any candy. Yay!!! Who knows how long that will last. He does like suckers though so maybe the Easter bunny will just bring a few of those.

[dogretro]

My kid eats M&Ms almost every day, so what do you think Last year, she did receive some chocolate candy, but I'm pretty sure we just broke a piece or two off and gave it to her. It was def too much candy for any one-yr-old, it was more for fun & tradition of seeing a full basket. I ended up eating it, YUM. This year, I will dole it out as time passes, but she will def get some good chocolate eggs or a small bunny for Easter day.

[columbusmomma]

DD and DS will be getting lots of treats from the Bunny! More for them=more for me

[butterfly_mommy]

Last year DS was 14.5 mons at Easter and he got a hollow Dark chocolate Green and Blacks egg, some books and some markers. He was interested in the egg and we broke off a piece for him, he tried it, made a face, asked for another piece, we gave it to him he ate it and then toddle off to check out something else.

He eats a pretty healthy diet and will try anything. he loves fruits and veggies, grains, cheese, spices, yoghurt, etc He chooses dark chocolate over milk and he is not overly crazy about sweets. Today he had his first "junky" candy, a small box of smarties at a party. He ate them and liked them and was fine when they were done and didn't ask for more. He went back to eating his stir fried noodles and broccoli.

My point is that I think that Chocolate, etc is fine if it is a sometimes food and they are offered a mainly healthy whole food diet. All kids are different but I honestly believe that most typically developing children will eat a balanced diet over time if it is offered incl. sometimes foods.

[Cherry Alive]

Thank you all for the advice!

I feel much better now about giving my DD a bunny... The problem now is which one? After I got the Palmer's bunny, I found a really cute Peter Rabbit bunny that I picked up (DH is rolling his eyes at my obsession—LOL).