12 year old and buying sweets

[GreyishDays]

Once they’re old enough to have pocket money and walk to school on their own, what do you do about them buying (what I think is) way too much sweets.
Kind of beginning to see it now but thinking once school (hopefully) starts it could become an issue.

We have talked about the need for nutrients and the effect on teeth. I was hoping she’d then be slightly sensible, but every time she’s out with friends at the moment she’s buying sweets. I don’t want to say flat no, as I’m worried she’ll then just do it secretly which doesn’t achieve anything, I won’t know what she’s doing and creates a really unhealthy attitude to food.

All new to me.

What do you do?

dont worry, a year from now and it will be cider

seriously, let it go, she will grow out of it as she grows up and finds 'better' things to spend her money on, clothes/coffee/cinema etc

It will be a Phase most likely.

When DD did this I just stopped buying sweets for her at home, I still buy family ones we all eat but not the ones only DD wanted unless it was a special thing like sweets for friends coming over.

She learned fast that it saves her money if I buy it.

My DD doesn’t have money going to school, she’s not bothered she brings a cereal bar or something from indoors if she stays behind for after school clubs. Since she had her braces fitted she doesn’t eat a lot of sweets or drink fizzy.

I’m not entirely sure why she needs it, we’ve spoken about healthy choices etc I don’t think it necessary to have sweets, crisps and fizzy when we live 11 minutes away from school and have dinner at 5.

Thanks. I have to say my instinct was to just ignore it, but DH wants to stop it.

Can you say she has a set amount for sweets and no more. So say she has £5 pocket money she can spend £1 max on sweets a week? It’s quite nice to have the social thing of choosing some sweets and sharing with friends on the way home from school but understandable that you don’t want it to be huge amounts. It’d be good for her to have the freedom to choose what she wants but with the limit of a budget - so she can ration it out in a few bits or spend it in one go and then have several days without anything.

Then, as other posters suggested, you could also cut back on what you have in at home/snacks provided in her packed lunch if you know she is choosing her own treats if you want to balance out the calories/sugar she has each week.

We don’t have sweets in the house, but we do have biscuits (always) and chocolate (sometimes but I don’t think she eats a great deal of that). I don’t want to remove the biscuits really become of the two younger children.

Maybe I just keep an eye on it for now. Strange tones, after all, she’s got nothing else to do apart from walking in the woods with friends.

Thanks everyone.