When did you introduce 'treats' to your DC?

[newname4968382]

For the first year I didn't give my DD any sweet treats like chocolate/biscuits etc. I also didn't allow anyone else to. When she was one we got her a cake and I said she could have the occasional treat now to grandparents. This was a mistake. I know this is typical grandparents but the occasional treat to them was everytime they saw her (both sets sometimes twice a week). It's now completely out of hand. She just wants to eat crap all the time. I tell GP to stop which they at first listen but then she started having tantrums because she now expects it when she sees them.
Now have another DD who is coming up to weaning. I can't decide what is the right way. GP try telling me the reason my first DD is the way she is due to me making treats like forbidden fruit. I disagree when she has it 4/5 times a week. I am thinking I should try to wait longer with my second DD.
Probably impossible due to older DD but beginning to think waiting till they are atleast 2/3 when you can try and explain it's a treat would be a better idea. Wondered what others parents take on this is? TIA

My eldest didn't tasge chocolate until he was almost three I was quite militant about treats. He did get plain biscuits and some cake though.

Anyway long story short he is now very greedy for treats whereas DD (3 years younger) can take or leave them and she was pretty much given everything in moderation from weaning.

In all honesty if their diet is mainly healthy and they have plenty of good stuff, then a treat most days is hardly going to do them any harm. Also as long as you are looking after their teeth properly. I tend to give something like chocolate at the end of a meal, after dinner as it’s better than having it as a single snack on its own. My 3 year old eats brilliantly, but will have at least one biscuit every day and then probably something sweet after dinner. As long as he’s eaten his fruit/veg first. Don’t worry, I always remember my sister saying she was glad that she gave my nephew treats when he was younger as he was diagnosed with diabetes when he was 4! Obviously an extreme reason lol but I really wouldn’t stress about it x

How old is she?

If she’s ten then you might have a problem. If she’s not even two yet then calm down! Of course she wants cake all the time, it’s delicious! It’s up to you to instil good habits by sometimes saying no and sometimes yes.

I never really said no to anything. I was happy for them to have a try of everything when weaning. All three are good self regulators when it comes to food and rarely pig out or have tantrums because they want more sweets or whatever. They’re 11 and 8 btw.

I don't really remember with my first, she didn't get lots of treats.

DD2 crawled at bang on 6 months - her motivation a 2yo's cake. She swiped it and sat contentedly munching it Infront of the visiting child. 😂

Interestingly my first still has a massive sweet tooth.

And my IL drove me nuts with giving her massive bags of sweets from 2 onwards. Sweets were literally on ration when they were small so they were making up for it.

Mine have had sweet things alongside savoury since they were weaned. They're 7&8 now and although they like and ask for chocolates and sweets they don't go mad over them and can happily make their buckets of Christmas, Easter and Hallowe'en goodies last for weeks. To be honest I think it's more important for them to learn how to control their own appetites for treats than it is for me to control it for them and it's something that they have to pick up early on.

Have you ever tasted breast milk? Tastes like sugar water. Can’t stop kids getting a sweet tooth. Our third has had treats with his siblings since not long after weaning. He’s the best eater of them though.

As above poster said mine are the same!

Precious First born didn’t touch chocolate until she was 2 etc and is now the greediest child as opposed to my other one who’s had it since weaning and is not as obsessed with sweet stuff.

All in moderation.

Going against the majority here, but DC1 we were stricter and he's the one who is less fussed about chocolate/ sweets. I think it is also linked to inherent preferences.

When you say treats do you mean chocolate/sweets or cake / biscuits? Cake / biscuits we generally let them have a small amount 3/4 times a week and I don't say no when we're out. Chocolate/ sweets we're much stricter on as they are worse for teeth, they get some twice a week and if given it I normally try and save it to have as pudding after dinner.

We're just weaning DC3 and I'm aiming to do what you did with your first, be fairly careful with cake etc until about age 1 and then start letting them have it in moderation whenever we have it.

I agree with the GP. I think you need to relax a little. A small treat is not going to harm and putting too strict restrictions on treats is setting you up to fail imo.

At 10 months my ds has a piece of cake at a party but apart from that it was no treats until over 1 here.

He's 18 months now and has a healthy & varied diet (fruit and veg, meals from scratch, oily fish twice a week etc) which includes treats 1-2 times per week. I wouldn't be happy with any more than that tbh. Yanbu.

My situation is different though - no relatives nearby and I'm with ds the whole time so I have full control over what he eats (for now obviously!). My friend has a grandparent that won't co-operate so I've heard from her how hard it is. It sounds stressful tbh and I don't envy you. If I were u I'd stand my ground until they get the message.