party food

[moving toward]

My 2.5 dd is starting to go to parties, generally I allow her to have baked treats (real food) but not packet stuff like crisps/lollies. dh thinks i should relax this a bit because it's only a few times a year. If i'm totally honest the primary reason I don't allow this stuff is the gelatin and the fact that I don't want a daily battle with her about wanting crap food because she has a taste for it. I know the day is coming when that she will have some so I'm wondering if I should pre empt it by taking some vegan lollies / kale chips etc to parties for her to have off her own special plate or hold out as long as poss. The parents of other kids would be fine with this and very sweetly they always follow up an invitation with a phone call to see what she can eat and if they can provide something special for her (I have wonderful friends!!!)I know my dd would also be fine with sticking to her own plate as long as she gets birthday cake!  I just can't help thinking we would be opening pandoras box by doing this.

I should point out that we will at some stage allow her to eat some treats as her father doesn't want her to be "that" kid at school but we are disagreeing as to when some stage should be

[katelove]

My toddler is 2.5 as well and I have recently started allowing her to have thinks I previously avoided for her. We've managed, so far, to avoid problems with wanting party food at home by talking about how it is only for parties and too much is not good for our bodies and could make us sick. We also don't keep it in the house but she and DH bake often and we sometimes buy ice cream.

[sassyfirechick]

Well kids seem to start pretty early with the pressuring and questions, so I'd say that the first time someone asks why your LO why she has to eat special food it may be time to think things through.  I'm all for limiting my DD's intake of crap food (she's 13mos) and medically speaking, she is sensitive to dairy and oats so at the moment those are off limits as we work on some gut healing.  At 2 and even 3, I don't expect that I will just allow her to help herself so I'll still put a plate together for her with what I feel would be best, but we alo never go to functions without eating at home first so we're not inclined to indulge too much.   Really the more you limit and hold things on a pedestal the more desirable they become.  Sit down with her, explain why you eat healthy foods and that treats are just that - treats.  They aren't necessarily special, just something that isn't approriate or healthy enough for everyday consumption.