On DD's second Christmas, we were all sitting around at my parents house in the evening, on the table in front of the sofa was a bowl of nuts with a separate, empty bowl for shells, a bowl of mandarins and apples and a colourful box of chocolate. DD, 21 months, who hadn't yet had sugar (I rarely eat sugar because I don't feel well when I do, DH doesn't have a sweet tooth), eyed the box of chocolates, and my parents and siblings all were saying stuff like "Oh, she really wants them", Poor darling, can't she have at least one?" "I'm sure she'll love it". DH got tired of them, so instead of saying anything, he just emptied out all the chocs into the empty bowl, and handed to box to DD, who was thrilled, and kept playing with the box until bedtime!
DD has had sugar a couple of times in the last year or so, but she's not interested. With that I mean that so far she hasn't really liked anything really sweet she's been given. She's the only child I know who prefers her yoghurt natural, no fruit, no honey, nothing. And the only child who can be bribed with raw cabbage
. And I really think that not giving her sugar, or particularly sweet stuff in her first few years is a mayor reason for this.
And if I had a second child, we'd keep that child off sugar for as long as it works too. As long as the kids don't feel deprived. And yes, at times we ate thinks she couldn't have. But then, at times we drank wine or coffee, and she couldn't have that either, we kept some allergenic foods back due to food allergies in the family, and also now she can't have some other things due to food allergies. Sometimes there are things my young child can't have. As her parents we have to make that call.
And while I certainly do not intend to forbid my 8 yo to eat sugar (unless there is a specific medical issue), I can't see why I should encourage it. By that I mean, yes, my child would be fine to eat sweets at a party and I'm happy to make sweet things for special occasions, and if she has her own money, she may choose, on occasion, to buy something sweet. It doesn't mean that I would put sweet treats in a lunch box! I'd rather save the treats for family time, for an afternoon tea party, for a family evening with a movie of a slumber party. If I put sweets in the everyday lunch box, I'd tell my child that sweets are everyday treats, and that really isn't a message I want her to get.
The grandparents is a difficult issue. At the moment I'm thinking of buying something and just giving it to MIL to keep for DD (this is made more difficult by DD's allergies of course). I wish they'd all just realise that the best treat (as in most appreciated by their granddaughter) they could get would be something like organic berries of any kind!
DD has had sugar a couple of times in the last year or so, but she's not interested. With that I mean that so far she hasn't really liked anything really sweet she's been given. She's the only child I know who prefers her yoghurt natural, no fruit, no honey, nothing. And the only child who can be bribed with raw cabbage
. And I really think that not giving her sugar, or particularly sweet stuff in her first few years is a mayor reason for this.And if I had a second child, we'd keep that child off sugar for as long as it works too. As long as the kids don't feel deprived. And yes, at times we ate thinks she couldn't have. But then, at times we drank wine or coffee, and she couldn't have that either, we kept some allergenic foods back due to food allergies in the family, and also now she can't have some other things due to food allergies. Sometimes there are things my young child can't have. As her parents we have to make that call.
And while I certainly do not intend to forbid my 8 yo to eat sugar (unless there is a specific medical issue), I can't see why I should encourage it. By that I mean, yes, my child would be fine to eat sweets at a party and I'm happy to make sweet things for special occasions, and if she has her own money, she may choose, on occasion, to buy something sweet. It doesn't mean that I would put sweet treats in a lunch box! I'd rather save the treats for family time, for an afternoon tea party, for a family evening with a movie of a slumber party. If I put sweets in the everyday lunch box, I'd tell my child that sweets are everyday treats, and that really isn't a message I want her to get.
The grandparents is a difficult issue. At the moment I'm thinking of buying something and just giving it to MIL to keep for DD (this is made more difficult by DD's allergies of course). I wish they'd all just realise that the best treat (as in most appreciated by their granddaughter) they could get would be something like organic berries of any kind!
