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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To argue against Coco Pops?

52 replies

anonacfr · 15/03/2011 08:23

Context- DD (5) had norovirus last week and didn't eat for nearly 5 days.
She's been fine and eating well since Saturday. However DH claims she needs to be fattened up a bit. As a result he's bought her Coco Pops and has been giving her 2 bowls every morning.

I tried to tell him that I wasn't very happy with her having Coco Pops (on top of Nutella toast) EVERY morning (it's normally a holiday treat at her grandmother's house) bearing in mind she normally has plain Weetabix for breakfast but he argued that they were 'good for her' as they had loads of vitamins and fibre.

He then challenged me to post something on Mumsnet because he's convinced everyone will agree with him. Grin So AIBU?

OP posts:
annbenoli · 15/03/2011 08:24

You are not being unreasonable,, my kids call them hotel breakfast as they think that is the only place you can get them!

kreecherlivesupstairs · 15/03/2011 08:27

I have to say that I think YABU to give her plain weetabix, everyone knows that the only way to eat it is with sugar Wink
Your DH OTOH, is being U. Cococpops are vile, even DD won't eat them.

noddyholder · 15/03/2011 08:30

My ds won,t eat anything else but he is nearly 17 so am not prepared to argue about their health shortcomings as tbh that is the least of my worries! But if it is a younger child can,t you just wait until they run out and say that's it?

fedupofnamechanging · 15/03/2011 08:35

I love cocopops, but seeing as you've managed to get your DD to eat a healthy cereal, I think it would be a shame to get her used to having one that is loaded with sugar. Also, cocopops are not filling. The weetabix is better, so YANBU.

Tell DH to stop undoing all your good work!

mycatoscar · 15/03/2011 08:42

YANBU about the cocopops

if he truly believes she needs fattening up then give her something with nutrional value, cheese, yoghurt, peanut butter, full fat milk etc not just sugary crap cereal

LoveBeingKnockedUp · 15/03/2011 08:45

Yanbu, you will have trouble moving back to weetabix, make your dh deal with it.

TattyDevine · 15/03/2011 08:47

There are other ways to fatten her up but at least cereal is nutritionally fortified with quite a range of vitamins.

Does she really "need" fattening up - is she significantly underweight? If not, any weight lost during the Norovirus will just gradually return without any special measures...

Don't I know it Angry

jenniferturkington · 15/03/2011 08:53

YANBU, just let her eat them but with the message 'once they're gone, they're gone'. I do this with mine if they go to MIL and she insists we bring the rest of the box home. Usually mine finish them within about an hour of getting home then they are gone until we next visit the inlaws a few months later!
I love Cocopops though, shame they aren't healthy.

bronze · 15/03/2011 08:55

My doctor prescribes cocoa pops to ds3 when he got some temporary full allergies after a vicious bug. Apparently theyre good for an irritated stomach.

Don't ask me. But it was the only thing I could get him to keep down for a week

BellaBearisWideAwake · 15/03/2011 08:56

God, I really want a bowl of cocopops now. Or two.

DuplicitousBitch · 15/03/2011 08:57

my dd won't eat in the morning, i do give her coco pops and she will eat a small amount. drives me bonkers she eats well the rest of the time so i try not to fret. obviously it would be better if she was eating home knitted quinoa with added lentils but she won't.

TattyDevine · 15/03/2011 09:01

Bronze, puffed rice is great after a gastro bug. The sugars can't hurt in that context. Milk isn't - its on the no list. As is fruit, and plain water can even bust out the wrong enzyme level and get you chucking again!

Straight after a bug, its whatever you can keep down though I say. A week later to fatten up seems unnecessary unless she's a dot.

Pterosaur · 15/03/2011 09:01

She doesn't need fattening up, she'll probably be hungrier than usual until she makes up any loss, but doesn't need crap special food, just as much decent food as she needs.

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 15/03/2011 09:07

I agree with the once they're gone they're gone, certainly won't hurt in the short term, it is just the risk of not wanting the healthier cereals again that I would be worried about. I do need to keep my DD off milk and dairy for a few days after D&V, we often just give bowls of dry cheerios to munch on in those first few days. Hate coco pops though, and so do the DCs.

ChaosTrulyReigns · 15/03/2011 09:08

I applaud your normal breakfast routine. Wink

Try to supplement the cocoapops with porridge with honey, flapjacks and other nutritious healthy filling stuff.

And as PPs say "When it's gone, it's gone."

Morloth · 15/03/2011 09:16

I would let them finish the box and then really say 'No more'.

Cocopops for holidays and when I am pregnant here.

I once bought one of the 'new' types and discovered to my horror they had added vitamins and wholegrains, it was awful. Completely ruined my special treat!

marriednotdead · 15/03/2011 09:22

Agree with them ending at that box. Weetabix without sugar will seem vile after something so sweet.

My DCs have never been allowed chocolate cereal , and Nutella only sneaked in a couple of years ago. The youngest is 14.

TheSkiingGardener · 15/03/2011 09:29

If she is extra hungry having been ill, which is what seems to happen with my DS then I would second other postres suggestions of giving her healthy high energy foods, avocado, cheese, honey etc. Coco pops have very little to offer apart from the added vitamins and minerals, and if she eats a varied enough diet they will be excess to requirements anyway.

Asinine · 15/03/2011 09:38

YANBU
Your dh needs to read the label and work out how many teaspoons of sugar in 2 bowls of them. I don't buy them so can't check.

In our local sainsburys they have a section called 'adult cereals' which are cornflakes, bran flakes, weetabix and basically anything I had as a child ( showing my age). The 'kids' section is all the cereals which are full of sugar with cartoons on the box. We only buy from the adult selection. I buy the mini selection ones for birthdays, Xmas but often the most sickly ones linger in the cupboard for months.

I imagine cocoa pops might make nice crispies, though.

MamaVoo · 15/03/2011 09:40

YANBU. There are better ways to fatten her up than Cocopops. And I doubt she'll go happily back to having Weetabix if she gets used to having Cocopops every day.

squeakytoy · 15/03/2011 09:42

She has been ill. She is eating something she is enjoying. It wont kill her or make her teeth drop out, turn her into Vanessa Feltz, or any other catastrophe.

Its a bowl of cereal, YABU

LadyOfTheManor · 15/03/2011 09:43

YANBU. Sugary cereals are the work of the devil.

Sadly there's probably not much going back now-she probably isn't going to want plain weetabix.

Then again I'm a sugar Nazi Grin

LadyOfTheManor · 15/03/2011 09:44

Oh, and there's no fat in Coco Pops. There's about a pint of sugar in them though. Not too good for teeth :)

Asinine · 15/03/2011 09:44

39% sugar, see this interesting link to dh, pops sugar content Shock
HIBU

Desperateforthinnerthighs · 15/03/2011 09:45

Def when the're gone they're gone. I love Coco Pops and DS will eat them if we have them but as he will eat things like weetabix (with sugar), rice crispies and shredded wheat I dont buy the ones loaded with sugar etc.......

My DH is the same, he decided DS was too skinny so he started buying butter rather than the flora I have - of course DS went mad for it for a while but after a bit got bored and ventured back to the flora....no more butter for us now!