I’m totally guilty of giving my little ones too much sugar at times. I find when they have too much of it, it takes so long to get them back on track with a healthy diet. There is sugar in absolutely everything so how do you balance it all out? I don’t want to be that mom that is a complete freak and hide everything bad from them, because I feel like that will only lead to a complete disaster later on.
I imagine a junk food and sugar free child at a friend’s first sleepover. My child pigs out on junk and sugar and gets sick. Then I picture me having to leave my quiet house and my vino to rescue them. That is a zero win for all involved.
Sugar Sugar
My children have had fast food, sugar, ice cream, chips and cheese balls just to name a few. Gasp, I know right! Just being honest in a world where moms are completely judged on absolutely everything! However, my refrigerator is also jam packed with fresh produce.
My four year old prefers black berries, tomatoes and peppers. My little 2 year old will shovel pees and carrots down the hatch without a problem. My 11 year old does extremely well with hiding everything healthy in a smoothie and loves avocados. They all have their favorite treats as well. For Ava, it’s fruit snacks, for Eli it’s cookies, and for Elly it’s ice cream.
My point in all of this is: you can’t really parent like your parents did, and you can’t parent each child the same. We all have our quirks, preferences, and gag reflex when it comes to certain foods.
In my experience, sheltering them of all the bad in the world will also deprive them of making smart choices down the line when it comes to food. They will gravitate towards the option that was always kept from them. I know that was the case for me. I still have nightmares about beets to this day and can remember vividly the first time I had a sugary cereal!
Lead by example, give your body the proper nutrition and theirs. Everything in moderation, and let your kid (and yourself) eat the cake now and then! Our family also takes vitamins and probiotics to help bridge the gap and keep us balanced.
After our family fun weekend of over indulging, my Ava asked me if I did my squats today, ha!! No Ava, but I will now. Great reason why I’m glad I include them in my workouts, littles are great motivation!
Let’s all just not fight the war on sugar too much, be realistic!
Lynnaya — Mom of Elly Mae, Ava, & Eli
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