How often do you treat your child?

Jewel_2

sock-knitter wrote: »

this post reminded me of my ds1 a few years ago, throwing a temper tantrum in asda for frozen sprouts, everyone was looking at me weird, as they had probably never seen a child scream for sprouts before.
my sons are 16 now, and hopefully arnt buying too much junk, i always buy plenty of fruit and other healthy treats such as yogurt and smoothies for them.

I'm with them, I love frozen sprouts. They go all squishy and yellow if you overcook them and I love them that way. My daughter loves sprouts too. She's sick at the sight of a mushroom.

Jewel_2

Of course, you also have to watch what 'good' food they eat. I remember my ex sis in law being proud as punch that she cooked healthy food everynight, but actually, when you broke it down, the kids were eating the meat and a couple of the veg, yet because she'd cooked it, she felt they'd eaten it, if you see what I mean.

Soup is a great way of getting in loads of veg or raw food. I'd much rather my D have a bowl of soup which probably has 6 carrots in it, and then some sweets, than just pushing a balanced meal around her plate (not now, she eats most things put in front of her, good or bad!!)

milliebear00001

Jewel wrote: »

I wasn't disagreeing with you, I believe his mum was wrong to 'not allow' him sweets, and certainly I agree that there is a big difference between buying something and stopping them ever having sweets.

Diet in general is a massive issue as they get to secondary school. I always try to balance food and put much more of an emphasis on exercise because I really don't want my daughter to see food as something to feel guilty about. There are far too many parents nowadays who don't get the balance right (one way or another) because it's so difficult when there are outside influences. I do think parents who don't 'allow' their children any sweets are in for a massive shock as they get older.

My daughter has described the dinner table at lunchtime at school. There are girls who don't eat anything, girls who push their food around their plate, girls who stuff their faces. Most of them moan that the food is horrible and already they talk about diets, thin waists, etc. And you can see it replicated in the adults!

To be honest it scares the living daylights out of me, so I just give her healthy food, turn a blind eye when she wants sweets, and ensure that she does loads of exercise. Input, output. Moderation. And she doesn't have a filling yet!

I think this is a really healthy attitude, and one I try to promote. My kids are very active and also have no fillings. I worry much more about the 'diet' and 'skinniest legs' talk going on among the 7 year olds in her class than anything else!

Jewel_2

milliebear00001 wrote: »

I think this is a really healthy attitude, and one I try to promote. My kids are very active and also have no fillings. I worry much more about the 'diet' and 'skinniest legs' talk going on among the 7 year olds in her class than anything else!

Yes me too. In a weird way I'm pleased when she wants sweets because it means she's not having some kind of psychological issue about diets!

slowlygoingmad_2

My kids have sweets about once or twice a week during the term time, as that's when we all go up the shop together after school. I don't buy 'sweets' at home ie jelly sweets/haribo type things but i do have things like 1 finger kit kats, packets of mini rolls etc for them to have occasionally or sometimes if there having a 'picnic tea' as we call it. I don't limit the amount of sweets they have as generally its only once a week but then again i don't encourage it either.

However OH (loves sweets and has no fillings and is skinny as a rake) he loves buying and eating sweets and will let them gorge to there hearts content on them, which irritates me no end.

At the end of the day they are healthy, active and good eaters the rest of the time so i think the odd sweet binge here and there when there out with daddy is not the end of the world.

Ex-Spendaholic

4 kids - 12, 8, 3.5 and 8 months. The eldest has his own money and is free to spend it as he chooses. He would have sweets daily. The 8 year old generally has something from the tin each day - may be a mini mars bar or pack of buttons or something. The 3.5 year old on most days has a pack of milky bar buttons or something.

They all have perfect teeth and are very active. They have breakfast each morning, fruit for break in school, a school dinner and then in the evening another meal with us. Not one is overweight and all are very active.

I have no qualms whatsoever in giving them sweets, however I prefer them to have chocolate than real rubbishy sweets full of e numbers.

What does concern me is the 12 year old's female friends. They are built like bean poles and won't take a bar of chocolate because of the calories. They drink water as it has no calories etc. :eek: Personally I am more concerned about them than kids who have some sweets every day.

pigpen

nottslass wrote: »

my Dc's have yet to stand in a shop "begging" to be allowed to have some sprouts!!!

You dont know what you are missing!!!!!!!!

sock-knitter wrote: »

this post reminded me of my ds1 a few years ago, throwing a temper tantrum in asda for frozen sprouts, everyone was looking at me weird, as they had probably never seen a child scream for sprouts before.
my sons are 16 now, and hopefully arnt buying too much junk, i always buy plenty of fruit and other healthy treats such as yogurt and smoothies for them.

DS3 has done the same.. mine all love sprouts.. but I barely cook them.. nothing worse than sludgy mush on your plate!

Sublime_2

About once or twice a week normally. During the holidays a bit more. I count certain healthy foods as treats though, such as gourmet dried fruit, nut, and seed mixes.

izoomzoom

We don't generally have sweets and treats in the house. I can't resist them and end up eating them all .

I don't mind my children having sweets, chocolate or biscuits.

BUT they have to be eaten after a main meal.

Everytime we eat, we have a sugar / acid attack on our teeth. Thus, we have a minimum of three attacks each day, so by having 'sweet stuff after a main meal, the number of attacks are limited.

It is much better to have a binge of sweet stuff (thus one attack) than sweets on and off all day long.

Charlie23

My two DD 4 and DS 23 months, don't get sweets very often BUT my DDs friends get them all the time. So much so that a particular friend has a Large (£1.50) bag of moam haribo sweets and takes it upstairs with them when my DD goes over to play. I only gave my DD her first sweet and Juice at the age of 3. Unfortunately my DS has not been the same, not regulary but he has had sweets and juice :-( I feel awful but i at least know it's only a couple of things and if i buy them instead of friends i at least know it's in proportion to their age and size. My DD is a big girl (tall and leggy but still big for her age) and i worry a lot about what will happen to her as she gets older.
I ddo have friends who don't make the children eat lunch and give sweets, baked goods, sweets and juice. I always do sandwiches, yogurt and at least an apple or grapes, blueberries etc. then possibly some crisps (again not whole packs unlike some friends)
I don't tend to buy sweets, a couple of times a month i might buy her something but i usually buy it when i'm out, put it in the cupboard and forget, my DD doesn't remind me either!
I also give DD a free reign on fruit and veg, when we go shopping if she asks what something is or can we have it, it's always a yes even if i'm pretty sure she won't like it. The main thing is she tries it.
I know quite a few people who have children who have to have lots of teeth out before they're 10, which to me is awful. One person changed dentist because the dentist was honest to the children about the state of their teeth! grrrrr!
Op good on you, stick to your guns. I'm seen as anal and a pain cos my kids only have water and i watch what they eat. I think of it as i care too much for them to grow up with extra stress and upset becuase of their diet.