Sweets at cubs and beavers

It's a few sweets. They're not kids for long.

I’m a former Cub leader. We didn’t routinely have sweets- maybe Hallowe'en, Christmas and Easter. They went home hyper regardless, although I always tried to do something calming at the end. As for for start times… remember that the leaders are volunteers and have lives, jobs, families of their own. I often went straight to Cubs from work, for a 6.30 pm start - the parents saw me arrive in work clothes - and still complained we started and finished too late (6.30pm - 8pm). I literally couldn’t have got there any sooner. However, nobody ever stepped up when we asked for volunteers.

It has. Some children may be outliers but generally speaking sugar doesnt do this.

I'm a Brownie leader. Sometimes we do a food activity but parents are aware (if they bother to read my emails - I can't help the wilfully ignorant! 🤣) and where possible we send the stuff home rather than eat it at Brownies.

We give out reward stickers rather than sweets.

My DDs did Rainbows and Brownies (it was quite a while ago) and they would be bouncing off the walls. It was crazy. No sweets involved. I think it was just a combination of excitement and the fact they were tired but got their second wind.
I guess you just have to decide how much of a big deal it is. Is it worth withdrawing him (which seems a shame if he likes it)? Or maybe you could provide something healthier for them to have?

My son too, but also he converted complex carbs to sugar ridiculously quickly, so bread was out too. He has ADHD.

It will be the buzz of the activity, not the sweets. Maybe find an activity at an earlier time? My youngest used to be off his chops after football when he was 5 and that was at 6pm. It was just adrenaline. Took a few hours to calm down. We’d always be on guard on Mad Monday and walk him home which was enough to take edge off.

I’m a Rainbows leader and we rarely give sweets. We did some party games at the end of last term including pass the parcel where they’re being picked did win some sweets. And occasionally we use sweets as part of a craft.

I wouldn’t be thrilled with sweets being given every week to be fair but, as someone else said, I reckon he’s more than likely overstimulated rather than wired from the sweets.

There's been loads of scientific studies done that prove it's all in the parent's heads. There's no link between eating sweets and getting hyper-stimulated.

Well maybe OPs child is in the minority. My son would get manic if he was over-sugared as a child, might as well have given him speed!!!

No kids is wired from a couple of sweets. They are overstimulated after an evening of fun. Stop trying to shove them into bed as soon as you come home. Have some gentle transition time with a calm activity.

Cub leader here. We only give sweets/chocolate at the end of term and as they leave so parents can decide when they can have them

Is that you Michelle?
this is so familiar…oreogate?

Mine don't at squirrels and cubs. They get squash and cubs get a biscuit (but squirrels don't).

If it works it works but we took the what happens at cubs stays at cubs line if we didn't know it didnt happen

But the excitement at bed time was because of all the action happening from memory I don't remember sweets mentioned much

I bribe my scouts with haribo. Sometimes its the only way they listen!

He will still be just as hyper after he finishes the session without the sweets.

If you don't want him eating them they surely your DH who is physically in the room can tell him to put them into his bag and he can have them another time. Although it seems pointless as it won't make any difference to the hyperactivity.

It's a long time ago now but mine used to come home wired from the excitement no sweets involved.
I always had a beef with how late it was. Normally in bed by 7 but beavers not even finished until 7.30.

No, we have a drink and a biscuit at half time but only have sweets when it’s a party night

Mine only has sweets if they are roasting marshmallows which isn’t every time or that often at all really.

Hyperactivity from sugar isn’t a thing

They shouldn’t be getting sweets every week. It’s wrong. The parent knows how much sugar the child has already had during the day and it should be the parent’s decision whether the child should have more sugary ‘treats’ at 7pm on a regular week day.
I haven’t seen any research saying there’s probably no connection between hyperactivity and sugar consumption, but surely the connection to teeth decay, obesity, diabetes is undeniably there.

Can he hunt politely that it's a bit much. Perhaps they don't realise.

Overtired and wired from going nuts with the other kids. Sweets themselves wouldn't do it, but the combination of the above might add to it, like a PP says though I thought that hadn't got any evidence behind it?

Every week is a bit much I agree. Is it just one or two haribo? Like out of a big tub or those wee packets? The former would be okay, latter not so much.

But as a former rainbow and brownie guider I know that being a volunteer leader is a thankless task so I wouldn’t complain.