When should I give sweets to my child?
Whoever said “It’s as easy as taking candy from a baby, never had a baby.”
This is so true – kids love sweet things. Why not, I love chocolate, but I don’t remember getting much chocolate or sweets as a child. Fridays were chocolate day. My Dad would bring home chocolate which we would all munch though after tea. Now the tables are turned. 3yo loves sweets, candy, chocolate, cake – you name it. Yes, we give him SOME, but when should a child 1st get candy?
Setting your children up with a sweet tooth too young?
One argument goes that giving your children sweets at a very young age will teach them that sweet things are good, and encourage them to reach for a chocolate bar instead of fruit when they are older and fancy a snack. The levels of obesity in children and young people surely bares out this theory.
Children need nutrious food, not empty calories
Children grow phyisically and mentally so quickly when they are young. It makes sense to give them food that will nourish their minds and bodies the most.
When is too young?
Having said that, it is easy to say, “I’m never going to give my toddler candy.” In practice, it is so much harder. They get chocolate selection boxes for Christmas, their friends eat sweets, they LIKE sweets. I guess my reaction is, in moderation it’s OK.
It also makes sense to never give a baby sweets. They really don’t need it and they could easily choke on something that isn’t totally soft. A small piece of chocolate that melts in their mouth is probably the best of the bunch.
Our 3yo really only gets chocolate even now. I worry about the effect sugary sweets will have on his teeth. I would prefer him to want grapes and raisins for a snack – and the majority of the time he does. Sometimes though, he just wants CHOCOLATE. Is it genetic? Sometimes it is just very hard to say no.
How old were your children when you 1st gave them sweets? Are you suceeding at holding off? Or do you just let them have what they want?
About Jane
Jane Rainford is the chief writer and editor for Online Mum, where she is responsible for researching and writing articles. She also writes the blog - Joys and Heartaches of a 1st time Mum, where you can follow her as her baby grew into a boy.
I really tried to hold off for as long as poss with Little Miss A and sweets. She only has them occasionally now at 2 1/2 but I think she was maybe a year old when she first had some. Very difficut when you have an interfering MIL.
Thanks Ang – yes Grandparents seem to so often be the ones who offer sweets -”It never did you any harm” and all that!
I remember before my 2 yr old could walk I was pushing her in a trolley down the sweets aisle in Sainsburys and she started pointing them out excitedly (I have no idea how she knew they were nice, perhaps the packaging!). She definitely has a sweet tooth.
The number of people that offer her sweets or chocolates is unbelievable, I always say no on her behalf (much to her disappointment). My cousin brought over a whole jar of chocolate mice the other day as a present for her (she doesn’t have children). We end up eating them instead.
I actually don’t let her have sweets/chocolate as I really don’t think she needs them and they are really bad for teeth – especially sweets. Her father is a softer than me and I’ve seen him sneaking her the odd piece of chocolate. The Grannys too!
That said, I do let her have a small bit of birthday cake at parties and a bit of biscuit/cake if there is any around. However if she gets sweets in good bags then I subtly remove them.
With the older 2, now 20 n 18, they had had choc by about 1yr old. It would have been choc buttons and given by ‘well meaning’ relatives! With C who’s 3 he had nothing till just over 2 and then it was very little. I felt more able to put my foot down and he much prefers raisins or fruit anyway. He’s never had sweets even now. He even gave a lolly back at a party recently, saying it’d put holes in his teeth….brainwashed?!
I waited until little man was 2 and a half before he could have sweets but he had chocolate before that in moderation.
Once they have had it though its hard to convince them that grapes and raisins and banana chips are just as nice cause they simply dont want to know!
we lasted till they were about 2yrs old. relatives are a disaster.
the best thing i have done about it is to turn the kids into chocolate snobs with a chocolate tasting session. they were *encouraged* to enjoy only superior chocolate. calling the rest ‘dog chocolate’ was i admit swinging the opinion, but these things must be done.
it meant i could set up a trade system for all haribo and e-number / hydrogenated fat sweets. i trade each crapsweet they’re given for a square of posh chocolate which they enjoy and savour.
(that’s the idea anyway. sometimes they just chuck junk down their necks.)
Janine – yes, we eat some of the sweets that are given to ours. You have done well in not letting her have sweets!
Bubblegumbodw LOL love the holes in his teeth! I’ll have to try that one!
Hayley – sticking to chocolate is getting harder for us, he sees all the wrappers in shops and they all look so tempting, the manufaturers know what they are doing!
Grit – LOVE your idea – might give that one a go myself – thanks