I have a complaint to make. It is not directed towards any one person or group of people. It is just something that occurs with society and my children that really frustrates me.
I don't mind allowing my children to have treats every now and then. In fact, I think eating occasional treats and desserts (even one per day!) is a very normal and healthy part of life. Who doesn't appreciate a homemade cookie or bowl of ice cream? I also love the idea of baking treats with my kids. They even ask to do this with me sometimes. And I would absolutely love to treat my kids with homemade cookies, cupcakes, or all natural ice cream. I see nothing wrong with that. However, I'm starting to feel like I can't treat my kids anymore.
Why? Because they get treats from other people and places ALL the time. And by the time they get home to me, a homemade dessert from their Mommy is no longer special or appreciated. Or needed, sugar-wise.
Off the top of my head, here are a few treats my kids are given each week:
-A typical post-soccer-game snack handed out to Ryan is a Capri Sun, fruit snacks, and animal cookies.
-The boys are offered lollipops every time they get a haircut. Even the cashier at the local grocery stores sometimes offers them a candy.
-Birthdays at school, birthdays at preschool, birthdays at sports, and birthdays among friends are filled with sugar.
-Every single holiday and even "non-holiday" is celebrated at school and preschool with some sort of sugary junky treat. Heck, even Ryan's school is having a birthday soon and will be celebrated with treats.
-The boys are given animal cookies each week at Sunday School or Mops.
The other day Ryan brought his banana home from school that I had given him for his snack. It is SO hard to get fruit or veggies into my boys, so that 1 banana was likely his only produce for the day. He told me he didn't eat it because so-and-so brought in chocolate donuts to share with the class. I was just SO annoyed because that was the 3rd day that week when Ryan had been given a treat at school, and it had replaced something healthy I packed in his lunch.
By the end of the day or week, my boys have had so much junk offered to them that the homemade cookie I make for them is far less meaningful. And I'm honestly conflicted about even offering it to them because they've already had SO much sugar. It makes me sad!
One solution I've thought of is to only offer my boys the healthiest of foods at home. After all, I control what type of food comes into our house. If we're eating healthy whole foods at home 95% of the time, the boys won't be getting that much sugar overall when they leave the house. But where's the fun in that? I really want to make and give my boys dessert! I want them to see me making them a special homemade treat and genuinely be excited about it. Because it's a rare treat.
Am I the only one who thinks about these things? Do you feel like your kids are given way too many sugary treats? Let me know, because I'm curious if I'm in the minority here.
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