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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask politely that a visiting child not to have sugar on his cereal?

360 replies

ChaosTrulyReigns · 14/03/2011 10:34

Occasionally I'll have one of DD2's classmates before school, as it helps with his parents' working situation.

I have 4 DCs who obviously will have to be cautious over their eating habits for life. Genes. Sad

Therefore we have only cereals that are not excessively sugary for breakfast.

This child moans about what is on offer at my house. So he then asks for augar to be added to weetabix, which I would rather not, but if DS is not in the room he can have some discreetly, as the girls understand my rationale, but DS is only 4 and I would rather not have this eating style visible to him.

So, AIBU to request politely that he doesn't add sugar when ChaoticBoy is around?

OP posts:
AitchTech · 16/03/2011 14:02

it's not a food issue if your kids like weetabix perfectly well without sugar. however, because kids are programmed to like sweet things they will no doubt prefer it when they see their peer having it, and it's perfectly okay of Chaos not to be arsed even having the discussion about it.

i think the kid should eat his own crappy breakfast in his own house, tbh. Grin

thumbwitch · 16/03/2011 14:03

Perhaps if this were after school, the OP could take the chance that her 4yo might have a bit of a tanty after being refused the sugar that "that big boy" is having. But it's not - it's before school, on a very tight time schedule and I don't blame her in the least for wishing to avoid any kind of showdown at that point in her day.

And am not overkeen on the smug tone of some posters here either.

carmenelectra · 16/03/2011 14:07

To be honest, i think my kids seem to be in the minority for even eating weetabix at all, sugar or not.

Dont think I have ever had a child come to ours who eats anything other than coco pops and the like. I would be chuffed with another weetabix eater!

I tend to get a selection at home, weetabix, porridge and sweetened fun stuff as well. When you have a balaancet hen the kids don't go mad for the sweet stuff all the time. My eldset DS, 9 times out of 10, would choose weetabix or porridge and syrup.

Ilovethedoctor · 16/03/2011 14:13

Kids have more taste buds than adults so everything tastes stronger hence the dislike a lot of kids have for veges.

Here here for"Don't you like children?"

Original poster
ChaosTrulyReigns · 16/03/2011 14:16
Shock
OP posts:
Habbibu · 16/03/2011 14:23

This is one of those weird threads where everyone's vociferously not really disagreeing, yet arguing madly over a tiny thing. The issue is, as thumb says, whether Chaos can avoid yet more stress in an already hectic morning by sidestepping the sugar issue entirely, not whether she is a foul harridan who Hates Children and denies them sugar in all its forms For Ever.

I mean, that's all true, like, but not the point at hand. Chaos also takes candy from babies. Allegedly.

Habbibu · 16/03/2011 14:24

Why doesn't he eat breakfast at home, Chaos?

Habbibu · 16/03/2011 14:25

I'm very taken with the families with 4 yo who are told one "this is how it is", and they say meekly "yes mama" and all is well. My 4 yo dd is pretty damn well behaved, but it's not that bloody simple for me...

Original poster
ChaosTrulyReigns · 16/03/2011 14:26

I suppose to make life easier for his family.

[ironic]

OP posts:
tyler80 · 16/03/2011 14:30

Weetabix has less than 2g of sugar per serving versus 7g for bran flakes. So even with a teaspoon of sugar (4g) weetabix has less sugar. That's why i think it would be unfair to deny added sugar.

'Hidden' sugar is still sugar

Habbibu · 16/03/2011 14:35

But tyler, chaos's ds doesn't mind it without sugar. And yes, hidden sugar is still sugar, so allowing weetabix isn't really denying sugar AND Chaos has offered him a positive bounty of cereals to choose from.

Out of interest, does Oatibix contain more sugar than weetabix? Because I found that incredibly sweet.

tyler80 · 16/03/2011 14:41

The visitor is being offered bran flakes but denied weetabix with added sugar when the latter contains less sugar overall. That doesn't make any sense to me.

AitchTech · 16/03/2011 14:45

what doesn't make any sense is why he won't have bran flakes if he likes sweet cereal...

how are you lot at getting 5 kids out to school in the morning? do you find it stress-making at all? this is the issue, surely?

AitchTech · 16/03/2011 14:46

the small weetabixes are v sugary, habs, disgustingly so to my tastes.

you all understand that chaos doesn't give a shitty shite about thsi kid's diet, don't you? he could eat a bowl of haribo in his own house for all she cares.

tyler80 · 16/03/2011 14:51

Well either she's bothered about her 4 year old having x amount of sugar in which case she should ditch some of the cereals or she should allow added sugar to weetabix as an option for everyone so no tantrums.

AitchTech · 16/03/2011 15:00

oh yes i see what you are saying but the four year old won't. he'll just see something exciting being added to someone else's meal and want it and there's x grammes of sugar more than necessary and more to the point a pita 'more mummy, i want more' 'no darling, that's enough' 'but why' 'becasue i SAID so NOW EAT' conversation at an already stressful time of day.

Habbibu · 16/03/2011 15:02

I think it's the concept of adding sugar to something already sweet that feels odd, not precise gram for gram comparisons. God, I really would say to the parents that he doesn't like what your dcs have (and in no more detail than that) and could he have breakfast at home?

expatinscotland · 16/03/2011 15:03

Mine have a bacon roll most mornings. Microwave the bacon on one of those things from Poundland. Split roll. Slap on butter. Insert rashers.

Sickman of Europe, my erse!

Habbibu · 16/03/2011 15:04

Oh, expat. You have given the thread a whole nother turn. may I please be the first to say:

MICROWAVE BACON??!! Are you mad, woman?!!

There. schism established. That felt good.

Bogeyface · 16/03/2011 15:06

Bacon AND butter AND carbs?!

This one is going to run and run....:o

Habbibu · 16/03/2011 15:10

It will, bogey, and there'll be all kinds of spitting over the microwaving and the butter and the "processed" meat, and then someone will come along, just read the OP and say OMG you ban sugar! etc etc

expatinscotland · 16/03/2011 15:12

It's not like they get IrnBru to go with it.

That's for when they go to secondary school and have pocket money burning a hole in their micro-miniskirts.

VinegarTits · 16/03/2011 15:13

im sure you could add some sugar for him as you are dishing up and while your ds is not looking, that way he is not adding it himself at the table where everyone can see

i dont understand the big issue

tyler80 · 16/03/2011 15:13

Adding sugar to something already sweet? Have you ever eaten a weetabix? I say this as someone who doesn't add sugar btw.

My point is why is chaos happy to let her son have the more sugary cereal but not the added sugar to a less sweet cereal?

Habbibu · 16/03/2011 15:13

But expat, don't you understand that by witholding Irn Bru you are creating such a craving that they will live on it as soon as they get the chance?