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Original poster

Getting frustrated by everyone giving my toddler chocolate!

79 replies

Toddlerbeast · 15/04/2022 10:33

It's been almost every morning this week where someone has just handed my toddler an Easter egg or Easter chocolate gift.
Then I have had the battle of trying to prize chocolate out of a confused toddlers hands. Some days I've let him have some but he's such a fussy eater so he ends up missing lunch then gets irritable.

When I was young we had no chocolate until Easter Sunday, parents would keep all the chocolate until Easter morning then we'd wake up to all our eggs from family etc.

I've tried pointing this out to my parents but they just like the actual giving treats to my child regardless of how I feel.

Don't get me wrong, I do let my child have treats but only once he's actually eaten a meal otherwise 'real' food gets missed.

Am I being unreasonable to expect people to check with me before they hand chocolate to a 3 year old?!

OP posts:
MrsDThomas · 16/04/2022 07:33

Its chocolate. Not crack.

Your 1st child OP?

LadyTwinkle · 16/04/2022 08:57

The Russian Royal Family used to buy their children Feberge Eggs at Easter. So there's a chocolate free alternative for you.

Lifesonebigparty · 16/04/2022 09:03

Eat them yourself, thats what I used to do when my children were young. 🙈

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3 year olds Families
Roundeartheratchriatmas · 16/04/2022 09:10

Just take it off him and tell him he has to wait til Easter ? Same as we used to be told.

AGritThatThrobs · 16/04/2022 09:16

Please ignore my previous endorsement of cacao nibs as an alternative to the POISON that starts with the letter C (I dare not speaketh it’s name). Apparently they may have been produced on farms using pesticides. I’ll be writing to Waitrose, and my little cherubs are now off to A and E. That's my Easter RUINED.

Limer · 16/04/2022 09:17

As a doting grandmother, I try to avoid this by wrapping up my 3 year old grandson's Easter egg. Handed it to his mum, "this is for Grandson to open on Sunday". Grandson understands this logic, it's the same as his birthday and Christmas presents.

LittleBearPad · 16/04/2022 09:22

@Ellie5341

My mum p*asked me off the other day as she got a chocolate bunny out of her bag, showed it dc and said in front, oh mummy can they have this today as a treat? Ffs dc has learnt so well to put Easter chocolate to one side and dm messes it up.
Yes that’s their life ruined! Chocolate from a grandparent. It’s appalling
Awrite · 16/04/2022 09:25

Just echoing what others have said - no eggs until Easter Sunday. You are in control.

You then give your toddler some chocolate on Easter Sunday and dispose of the rest how you wish.

Your toddler will forget - out of sight, out of mind.

Skyeheather · 16/04/2022 09:30

When DS was that age I would say thank you for the chocolate, say that in our house we don't have chocolate until Easter Sunday so I'll put it away and then eat half of it myself! The child won't be counting how many eggs they've got nor will they know how much is left if you keep it in a cupboard they can't reach.

Now that DS is older (6), I find he hardly gets any eggs as people know that he likes Lego so they give him £5/10 instead towards his next set. The novelty of egg giving may wear off in the future if you're lucky!

FrodisCapering · 16/04/2022 13:30

I agree with you. You should be the one to be giving out the chocolate at this age and it really undermines you, making you the bad guy when in fact you're just looking out for their health.

I have a slightly different issue. We have a small family. Me and my husband have organised a nice egg hunt for the kids tomorrow but that's all they'll get. As usual, my parents haven't bothered at all. They have declined an invitation to come for lunch and they haven't bought either child a single egg or any other Easter gift. They only have two grandkids but they can't be arsed.

workingmomlife · 16/04/2022 13:34

@MrsDThomas

Its chocolate. Not crack.

Your 1st child OP?

😂😂😂
girlmom21 · 16/04/2022 20:30

@Ellie5341

My mum p*asked me off the other day as she got a chocolate bunny out of her bag, showed it dc and said in front, oh mummy can they have this today as a treat? Ffs dc has learnt so well to put Easter chocolate to one side and dm messes it up.
Surely if your child had learnt that well you'd have said "oh no DM, we're keeping Easter chocolate until Sunday, aren't we DC?" And there'd have been no qualms.
Rebe1402 · 16/04/2022 21:22

@Theunamedcat

That’s hilarious 😂😂

Rebe1402 · 16/04/2022 21:31

How much chocolate will you let your toddlers eat tommorow? Do you let them eat a whole egg or more ? Mine started to eat an egg this morning at 8am 😂 (we swapped easter to today) I felt mean but took it off him half way through to save the rest… thought we might have a puke situation the way he was cramming it in😂 then I thought shall I just let him eat as much choc as he wants , what does everyone else do ?!

RewildingAmbridge · 16/04/2022 21:50

DS only has a little chocolate occasionally, same with ice cream etc, someone at nursery brought in packets of haribo for all of the children they are 3! I just say no, explain chewy sweets are bad for his teeth etc. DH is on board and because people consistently see us say no thank you our giving him something else, they don't try and give him chocolate eggs, my parents got him a new book and a mini gardening tools set and PIL got him a little tractor for the garden, he loves being outside and actually would rather have those things than chocolate. We've got him a little tin of tiny chocolate robots and have set up a Peter rabbit hunt in the garden with those at the end (chocolate not outside overnight), they are really small so it means he can have one every now and then. You just need to not mind being the bad guy, and to be honest the firmer you are about it the quicker people give up. Our elderly neighbour gets him a huge egg every year despite knowing we don't give him loads of sweets and has done since he was six months old! We say thanks and DH eats it now, she's 87 she thinks we're ridiculous.

Excited101 · 16/04/2022 21:53

I agree op, the junk eating in this country is way out of hand and it starts so young.

girlmom21 · 16/04/2022 21:53

@Rebe1402

How much chocolate will you let your toddlers eat tommorow? Do you let them eat a whole egg or more ? Mine started to eat an egg this morning at 8am 😂 (we swapped easter to today) I felt mean but took it off him half way through to save the rest… thought we might have a puke situation the way he was cramming it in😂 then I thought shall I just let him eat as much choc as he wants , what does everyone else do ?!
We'll probably let them have a little bit after breakfast for a treat then have some after tea. They definitely won't have a whole egg but that's because they wouldn't want to - not because we're particularly precious.

Most of our Easter chocolate will probably be melted down into rice Krispy cakes and similar rather than ate on its own to be fair.

MarmitesMyMate · 16/04/2022 22:24

I have 3 dcs 1 sdc.
We got them 2 eggs, well 1 egg 1 bunny. Each.
They have a further 14 each! From family. And I've still had messages from people saying they're dropping them off in week week etc.
Apart from 1 dc they're all older so would notice if some ' disappeared' but im not strict on sweet food provided they've eaten a decent dinner etc.
They stay in my wardrobe /under bed. And given as and when.
They last ages.

Last year they had 26! From family. They lasted month's and we used to decorate cakes etc

My family have always loved giving eggs no idea why. Even as a kid I remember having stacks but was allowed to eat as i pleased. I remember being really ill one easter as i ate 4 eggs in an afternoon. Never did that again!

Quirrelsotherface · 16/04/2022 22:27

I’m allowing mine to have a few cacao nibs as an extra special treat on Sunday - after their usual sprouted quinoa with rainbow salad/turmeric-dusted chickpeas. Apparently low in sugar and high in antioxidants, you can get them in Waitrose

Ah cocoa nibs, what an excellent (eggcellent?) idea. I've had an awful issue here as all April, literally everywhere we go, people have been throwing Cadbury's eggs at my DC. Doesn't matter where we are, Waitrose, ballet lesson etc everyone is giving them eggs, even perfect strangers. We've got hundreds and I am genuinely frightened but cocoa nibs seems a lovely alternative as a sweet treat. Only a couple mind.

SmellyOldOwls · 16/04/2022 22:34

@Favourodds

I can't get excited about it. It's just one week. I want my daughter to grow up with a good relationship with food and not a completely dysfunctional one like so many women my mum's age who place a disproportionate amount of their own worth on their weight. Part of that is the understanding that there isn't 'good' food or 'bad' food, just food.

Yeah I think it's best not to make a fuss. I let my DS open them as and when, preferring to spread out the chocolate consumption over a few weeks rather than a mad binge on one day followed by trying to figure out what to do with loads of leftover opened chocolate. He got bored after the first couple of eggs and now has about ten of them sitting around the house that he has no interest in. We'll probably make them into Rice Krispie buns.

boronia · 16/04/2022 22:44

People are being kind but thoughtless.
If it's one small egg I would let it it go but anything big or boxed would go into a cupboard out of sight and they won't remember it.

Quitelikeacatslife · 16/04/2022 23:08

When mine were little and got loads of eggs, they kept them in a sort of pile for a week or so then I used to take them and break them up into a big tub, great for random treat or baking with , but once out of sight they weren't bothered

hennaoj · 16/04/2022 23:27

Meh, I'd just be annoyed that he got a chocolate egg and I didn't. Just tell him he can have a bit and save the rest for later.

Rubyroseyposey · 17/04/2022 01:38

@Quirrelsotherface

I’m allowing mine to have a few cacao nibs as an extra special treat on Sunday - after their usual sprouted quinoa with rainbow salad/turmeric-dusted chickpeas. Apparently low in sugar and high in antioxidants, you can get them in Waitrose

Ah cocoa nibs, what an excellent (eggcellent?) idea. I've had an awful issue here as all April, literally everywhere we go, people have been throwing Cadbury's eggs at my DC. Doesn't matter where we are, Waitrose, ballet lesson etc everyone is giving them eggs, even perfect strangers. We've got hundreds and I am genuinely frightened but cocoa nibs seems a lovely alternative as a sweet treat. Only a couple mind.

😂😂😂
Kinsters · 17/04/2022 01:50

Fuss over nothing imo. Just take it off him and say "let's save this for Easter". He'll probably be a bit annoyed in the moment but he'll get over it.