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The primary reason I'm reading that supports allowing kids to eat junk food is caving to peer pressure - not wanting the kids to feel that they are denied what everyone else is enjoying.
Is that really how we want to raise our kids? Is that really what we want to teach our kids? Do what everyone else is doing - regardless of the consequences for you.
What if we all quit doing it if that was our only reason? Wouldn't the peer pressure shift?
Your kids are more likely to make unhealthy eating choices later in life because you give food "treats" as rewards.
I think that's a stretch. Think of the standard advice for potty-training - reward with m&ms or similar. Did everyone who's done it screw up their kids eating habits for good? I've never used candy btw, but I did offer healthy treats like dried fruit as reward.
If it's not overdone, I don't think there's any harm. Think about it - most adults will go out for a dinner or drinks to celebrate something. It's what people do, and most of them don't have food issues. Yes, weight-loss advice will tell you you should all go for a jog to celebrate instead, but how realistic is that.
There is a balance that needs to be kept. When the children are very young, they won't know the difference so you feed them healthy snacks and food *and* eat healthy yourself. When they get out into the larger world (usually at 3 or 4), you can still keep things mostly healthy, but I would not forbid junk food once in a while. If you eat healthy, the kids will probably learn to eat that way as well and a bit of something sugary or salty will not hurt them as long as it is not all the time.
If you try to forbid foods, you will make them more desirable to the kids and that is probably not the best idea.
IMaybe if we'd kept him away from the sugar for a while longer, he'd end up being one of those people without much of a sweet tooth. Believe it or not, there are people who naturally are drawn to healthier foods and dislike sweets.
My 7 y.o. daughter is one of those people. Her vice is the Japanese rice crackers with seaweed. As long as sugar/sweets aren't made/fussed into a big deal, they're going to stay that way.
The primary reason I'm reading that supports allowing kids to eat junk food is caving to peer pressure - not wanting the kids to feel that they are denied what everyone else is enjoying.
Is that really how we want to raise our kids? Is that really what we want to teach our kids? Do what everyone else is doing - regardless of the consequences for you.
What if we all quit doing it if that was our only reason? Wouldn't the peer pressure shift?
It doesn't have anything to do with peer pressure for me. I believe children should have opportunities to make decisions in their lives because parents aren't going to always be around to make decisions for them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by EvilCookie
I think that's a stretch. Think of the standard advice for potty-training - reward with m&ms or similar. Did everyone who's done it screw up their kids eating habits for good? I've never used candy btw, but I did offer healthy treats like dried fruit as reward.
If it's not overdone, I don't think there's any harm. Think about it - most adults will go out for a dinner or drinks to celebrate something. It's what people do, and most of them don't have food issues. Yes, weight-loss advice will tell you you should all go for a jog to celebrate instead, but how realistic is that.
I have NEVER heard of rewarding with food for potty training. I potty trained my children without food. It's perplexing that parents are so food focused that they train and bribe their children with food.
I'm confident that time will prove to you that you're making a big mistake. You're doing two things wrong. You're rewarding with food and you're restricting access to food. You're being very controlling of food if your son doesn't have access to dried fruit. It wouldn't be a treat if he had access to it. Why can't your son get dried fruit whenever he wants? LOL
I have NEVER heard of rewarding with food for potty training. I potty trained my children without food. It's perplexing that parents are so food focused that they train and bribe their children with food.
I'm confident that time will prove to you that you're making a big mistake. You're doing two things wrong. You're rewarding with food and you're restricting access to food. You're being very controlling of food if your son doesn't have access to dried fruit. It wouldn't be a treat if he had access to it. Why can't your son get dried fruit whenever he wants? LOL
He can have dried fruit when he asks for it, but don't keep it within his reach because snacking on it uncontrollably is bad for teeth, will spoil appetite for meals, and would add up to too much sugar in general.
A lot of the time he wouldn't remember about it to ask, but was excited to get it as reward for going on the potty. We only had to do it for a short period to get him in the habit. We tried stickers and whatnot before, but it didn't work nearly as well.
It doesn't have anything to do with peer pressure for me. I believe children should have opportunities to make decisions in their lives because parents aren't going to always be around to make decisions for them.
I have NEVER heard of rewarding with food for potty training. I potty trained my children without food. It's perplexing that parents are so food focused that they train and bribe their children with food.
I'm confident that time will prove to you that you're making a big mistake. You're doing two things wrong. You're rewarding with food and you're restricting access to food. You're being very controlling of food if your son doesn't have access to dried fruit. It wouldn't be a treat if he had access to it. Why can't your son get dried fruit whenever he wants? LOL
Oh come on....never heard of it? I honestly doubt that. It's quite common.
I would say at least half of my friends used the trick. (We didn't, my daughter was not food motivated.) I've seen boys potty trained in a week with Reese's pieces. (Took less than one small bag.).....and no, they aren't obsessed with candy to this day and didn't suffer any negatives.
He can have dried fruit when he asks for it, but don't keep it within his reach because snacking on it uncontrollably is bad for teeth, will spoil appetite for meals, and would add up to too much sugar in general.
What food does your son have unlimited access to?
Quote:
Originally Posted by EvilCookie
A lot of the time he wouldn't remember about it to ask, but was excited to get it as reward for going on the potty. We only had to do it for a short period to get him in the habit. We tried stickers and whatnot before, but it didn't work nearly as well.
I know this isn't something you only did for potty training.
Just a couple of weeks ago, you posted that you use treats to bribe for good behavior.
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