Choices. We all make them and usually with good intentions and for a good reason- and, this is whether people agree with you or not.
Not long ago, a friend of mine commented that I was depriving Carys of good, tasty, sugary treats and junk food. She was shocked that Carys had never had juice or candies or chocolate or cotton candy or freezies or jello or marshmallows or Smarties or.... I can go on and on. She was appalled that I only (usually) bought plain Timbits and that I only gave Carys Cheerios for cereal. She called me mean because Carys had never had McDonald's (she's had nuggets, once, since that conversation). I could have, equally, called her mean because she gave her grand-daughter all of the things Carys had never had, but I didn't. I didn't because I don't think it's mean and I have no problem with other people giving their kids that stuff (in moderation, of course). So while in Mexico and shortly after this convo, I decided to let her try the worst sugary treat of all, cotton candy. My friend was there as well. I threw caution to the wind, gave her the whole ball of sugar and let her go wild. She didn't like it. She didn't like the texture and couldn't even conceive consuming it. She said: "Yuck!". Instead, she played with it and made the stickiest mess ever. "How do you reward her or treat her to something special?", my friend asked. I reward her with praise, was my reply. And to be honest, I haven't had to reward her or bribe her with treats just yet. I figure that will happen when I go hard core on potty training. As far as a treat, Carys is happy with her plain Timbits or a box of raisins or a cookie or even with cheese.
So, it's not because I'm against eating junk or sugary foods. That couldn't be the furthest from the truth because I am guilty of consuming my fair share, that's for sure. Actually, I am gluttonous where junk food is concerned. I love it. I just don't think it's necessary for my 2 year old. I guess you could say that I'm against my 2 year old consuming that stuff. That's our choice, Darren and I, as parents. Our theory is that, in due time, Carys will consume more than her fair share of sugar and junk. Also, water is her drink of choice and I'd like it to stay that way. I also don't think she needs high fructose corn syrup in her little body. Nobody does, but that's another story.
Carys is not deprived. She is not completely sugar-free or junk-free. For the record, she has enjoyed countless amounts of pizza slices, both frozen and fresh and lots and lots of chips and hamburgers and fries and bacon and hot-dogs and non-organic peanut butter and ice-cream and cookies and animal crackers and Bear Paws (have you ever had one of those? They ooze of sugar)and... again, I can go on and on. Oh, and she's had Fruit Loops only because, in Mexico, they didn't have any Cheerios (my friend was shocked at this as well- that I wouldn't normally give her a taste of sugary cereal). I also know that Carys has had occasional "junk food" at the babysitter's, so by no means is the kid suffering.
This Easter, everything changes because, for the first time ever, she'll bite into her very first piece of chocolate and I'm actually excited about it. It very well may be the start of something new for her and I might create a monster, but I doubt it.
Five, and Just a Few Loose Teeth
13 years ago
2 comments:
I am absolutely appalled that someone would say such a thing! Wanting to have your child to eat healthy is what we all want, isn't it? It's not like you've banned all refined sugars from your household (like I've heard of some people doing), turned completely organic and dye-free. (You should talk to Jen about a certain article in Toronto Life. Your friend would freak!) Like you said, they will learn about sugary treats in due time - Easter and Hallowe'en will help. Emily was at the same stage as Carys and despite having had chocolate and sugary cereal, she still asks for Cheerios for breakfast and doesn't throw a tantrum when we limit her chocolate intake. She understands that these things are in fact treats and not everyday food items. And after all this rambling, I think that's the point.
You are hardly "mean". You're being a good mommy. I remember the first time Rowan had cool-aid. He was at a 2 year old's birthday and I thought everyone was staring at me because he was 1 and drinking garbage (albeit damn good garbage in my opinion). There was NOTHING else to drink and I went completely unprepared. He had his first slice of fast food pizza that day too. Knowing now what other people put in the little mouths for which they are entirely responsible, I'd say no one even noticed my embarassment about giving him something so completely unhealthy and full of useless calories. "Mean" would have been stopping him from enjoying the day. "Mean" would have been not caring about what he ate too. I think, like everything else in this world, it is about balance and doing your best and thinking twice about the choices we make for our little ones and for ourselves. No one can fault you for making treats, treats. That's what they are and that's how they should stay.
p.s. Rowan doesn't like ice cream. He is not his mother's child. He also couldn't care less about sugary things (except, and this is terrible-- Dora or Scoobie Doo jujube things that he freaks over. They are baby crack. It's so bad we've put them away and he has forgotten about them.). My point is, they don't miss what they don't know about and not having junk all the time means they'll learn to appreciate it when they do have it.
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