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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:
piratecat · 15/03/2011 18:37

like someone said, prepare on worktop, your ds won't know the difference.

weetabix tastes like cardboard without sugar.

i find the new weetabix with choc chips in are the nicest. Grin

piratecat · 15/03/2011 18:38

lol grumpypants

amberleaf · 15/03/2011 18:38

Sugarless weetabix is truley foul.

I agree that as soon as your kids get the chance they will be down the chippy and sweet shop!

LadyOfTheManor · 15/03/2011 18:41

I don't agree. I'm a "banned" sugar household too.

If you've never had sugar on your cereal, it doesn't taste foul. Hold your ground. Their teeth and waistlines will thank you in 10 years time :)

mumeeee · 15/03/2011 18:41

YABU,. If the visiting child usually has sugar on his wetabix then you should let him have it at your house,
When my children were younger they didn't have sugar on thier cereals but thier cousins did and when they visited our huse and had sugar our children didn't mind.

LinzerTorte · 15/03/2011 18:52

Well, all I can say is that thank goodness it's not usual to put sugar on cereals in Austria - if DS saw anyone doing so, I'd never get him to eat sugar-free cereal again.

exoticfruits · 15/03/2011 18:54

In 10 years LadyOfTheManor they will be having whatever sugar they want-probably a lot.
There is nothing wrong with sugar for DCs in moderation. Mine is of an age where he has to cater for himself and he eats healthily, he has had a good example and it is a way of life. I haven't banned anything.

If I was to start a career again I think that I would become a nutritionist-there is so much nonsense talked. People will equate a healthy diet, for DCs, with what an overweight adult should be on to lose weight.

We also have someone serving up tinned ravioli, but not allowing a spoonful of sugar on cereal! Do you know how much sugar would be in it-not to mention the salt content?! (all OK because served with broccoli)

exoticfruits · 15/03/2011 18:56

If your method was working your DC wouldn't want sugar on his weetabix! I wouldn't-I hate it with sugar.(the attitude seems to be saying that weetabix is better with sugar!)

clam · 15/03/2011 19:01

Oh FFS, what's the problem here?
If someone visited who took sugar in their coffee or tea, would you refuse to let them have it on the grounds that you prefer it without?
The eating habits of a visitor to your house is not your problem. Your own DCs need to learn in life that others have different habits.
I don't add extra sugar to anything in my diet; however, I've eaten Weetabix each morning all my life, and wouldn't dream of attempting it without a teaspoon of sweetener.

crunchbag · 15/03/2011 19:03

Would it really be so bad if your son had some sugar sprinkled over his cereal now and again? DS asked for sugar in his tea recently because his mate did so. So I let him, he liked it but forgot all about it again after a few days.

Zettelbox · 15/03/2011 19:04

YANBU. The concept of sugar on cereal is completely alien to me. I didn't think this was normal?!!?

We make cereal choices on the basis of the sugar content. Anything more than 25% sugar (most cereals aimed at kids) is banned in our house, and I only allow more than 20% sugar occasionally. Plain Alpen, Shreddies, own-brand cheerios, cornflakes, raisin wheats, and of course weetabix are tasty enough. Chocolate weetabix and weetos on occasion.

If a child came to my house and asked for sugar on their weetabix I wouldn't let them, as I know my two boys would want it too. I would lie and say I had no sugar in the house, but offer them hot milk on the weetabix or something.

exoticfruits · 15/03/2011 19:09

What common sense clam-nothing wrong in DCs knowing that others have different habits and coping with it.

goingmadinthecountry · 15/03/2011 19:13

If he has it at home I'd give it to him - can't stand it myself but I don't eat cereal anyway. I have the opposite problem (or had before they fell out with me) - fil trying to force sugar on my kids' cereal! They also bought Haribo in bulk for the kids and used to try to give Bacardi Breezers to older one when she was 13 - thought the light ones were low alcohol!

Doesn't bother me - x's mum likes him to have it I don't so don't even ask. I'd say mine aren't allowed it but you can have some as long as I'd checked with his mum if he has it at home.

pointydog · 15/03/2011 19:28

Sneak some on his, leave your own dc without. 4 year olds probably won't notice.

Nagoo · 15/03/2011 19:28

My mum says I am 'cruel' not to offer my ds sugar on cereal. Ever since he has learned (while my back was turned) that it is possible to have syrup on porridge, life is hard and he only wants the syrup :(

he was perfectly content before.

Completely counter to most posters, I would say that some people are predisposed to want sugar. Your childhood diet doesn't dictate whether you'll spend all your lunch money on chocolate.

Chaos, Yanbu.

pointydog · 15/03/2011 19:28

I like weetabix without sugar. Nowt wrong with that.

clam · 15/03/2011 19:35

Visiting adult: coffee, milk with one sugar please.
Host: Of course, here you go.

Visiting child: please may I have a little bit of sugar on my cardboard cereal Weetabix?
Host: WHAAAAAAAATTT?? SUGAR???? In MY house? NEVER!!!!

Sane household's child: Can I have sugar on my cereal?
Sane parent (if this is their view): Sorry, no darling.
Child: Why not? He's having it.
Sane parent: Yes, he is, that's true. Different families have different ways of doing things. That's fine. And you like it perfectly fine without it, so there's no need.
Child: But...
Sane parent: I said 'no.' I'm not going to change my mind, so get over it. (or words to that effect).

clam · 15/03/2011 19:36

Oops. Ballsed up italics. Sugar high.

goingmadinthecountry · 15/03/2011 19:39

Exactly clam. It needn't even be an issue. My latest gripe is dc4 picking up a bit of estuary English. Other 3 avoided it - so will she. Other parents have different values - we'll stick to mine.

Strix · 15/03/2011 20:00

Just say you don't have any. I try to teach my children to eat what they are served, even if they don't like it.

I sometimes have children over who, God forbid, ask for white bread. Sorry, don't have any.

WereOffToSeeTheWizard · 15/03/2011 20:06

This thread has made me have 2 weetabix - with sugar !!! - for my Tea.. mmm delish.
My ds had lamb hotpot btw.

ChaosTech · 15/03/2011 20:23

AIBU to politely ask a visiting 10yo to refrain for doing something (or do it discreetly) while my 4yo with poor impulse control is around? Otherwise it will result in a tantrum of major proportions during what is already a very stressful, hectic and time critical morning routine.

Confused

I'm not posting in AIBU and then arguing that I'm right and the naysayers are wrong - there just seems to be a hell of a lot of TheActualPointSwerving going on. :)

(And I have said IABU over part of it)

(The sugar in tea is a non-issue - that would only occur when I would have time to negotiate and behaviour manage adequately and is also quite a non-visible event to DS)

AnnoyingOrange · 15/03/2011 20:38

I don't have a very sweet tooth - I don't like sugar in tea or coffee, but I couldn't eat weetabix without a light dusting of sugar

exoticfruits · 15/03/2011 20:45

People are missing the point entirely.
You can control your DCs diet, but eventually they get out in the wide world and they will choose for themselves.
If you have done your job well they will eat healthily for life.
Mine are at that stage, they are all thin, have plenty of exercise and eat healthily, most of the time. I didn't stress about a spoonful of sugar for visitors!
The main problem seems to be that OP is imposing the diet and is afraid that DC will prefer it with sugar-it isn't a problem that will go away! Much better to teach sugar in moderation. (and it isn't automatic that DCs have a sweet tooth).

Bubbaluv · 15/03/2011 20:50

I could not bear to eat Wheatabix without sugar so I would never ask anyone else to. yuck!
Anyway, why not just apply the sugar out of sight of your DS?