AIBU to let my son eat sugary breakfast cereal rather than go to school without eating breakfast?

[stickwithit]

Breakfast time is an ongoing problem with DS (4). He asks for sweet foods- anything from sugary non-cereal (e.g. coco pops, pancakes, pancakes). I do not give in, or make a fuss. I offer ?normal? cereal, toast, fruit, porridge, eggs, yoghurt.

He has had the type of food he asks for at breakfast time very rarely (e.g. pancakes when they were on an all inclusive breakfast table once, and coco pops at his Grandmas where he stays about once every six weeks).

More often than not he has no breakfast, as he does not want to eat what I offer. If this happens on a pre-school day (three days a week) he will not eat until snack time at preschool where they are offered one biscuit and unlimited fruit and vegetables. On any other day he generally gives in at about 11ish and has some fruit or maybe a boiled egg. This has been going on for over a year.

Other mealtimes are generally fine and battle free. He eats a wide variety of foods. If he says he doesn?t like or want something I don?t make much comment or offer an alternative and he usually eats it anyway!

He starts school in September and I am worried that if the situation continues he will arrive without eating which is obviously not OK.

I am considering backing down and allowing him to have a sugary cereal. I don?t like the idea as they seem like biscuits disguised as cereal to me, and I will have put my foot on the slippery slope to giving in which may lead to problems at other mealtimes. However, maybe I am being too evangelical about it and need to relax a little.

So AIBU to let him eat these nasty cereals rather than go to school on an empty stomach?

our not out

we started off with "healthy" cereal but they soon learn there are other types when they stay with friends. Then it was less healthy cereal but now they are older they choose healthy food themselves and are average/slightly below average weight for their heights. It hasn't led to obesity or eating orders and didn't last forever.

I think mixing them is a good idea, or just giving him a tiny bit with fruit or egg or whatever on the side? Then when he asks for more cereal you can say "finish your fruit/egg first" . Smoothies are good...does he like granola bars? You can find some that are actually quite low sugar, with lots of fiber and some real fruit mixed in. Also DS will eat anything if it's cut up...would your DS eat cubes of toast, cheese, ham, etc? Or a sandwich cut into a shape with a cookie cutter?

Cereals are pretty vile. I used to hate having to have them.

Can you try him on some different things - fruit and yoghurt, crumpets, egg and toast (poached or boiled), small portion of beans on toast, smoothies?

Don't take this the wrong way but I'm not suprised he craves sugar in the morning if he often goes without breakfast. It's his body crying out for a pick-me-up.

I don't think most cereals are that 'healthy' and certainly not a necessary part of a balanced diet. They are a convenience food sold as a health food. My kids do have them as it's quick and easy but fruit, yogurt, cold meats, eggs, beans will almost certainly give you a better start.

if he doesn't eat, would he at least drink a banana smoothie?

at branflakes being a treat

i always find eating the box more tasty than the actual branflakes

well DD loves them! Bless!

No YANBU. "Research shows" that any breakfast is better then no breakfast so this is one of the meals I am too knackered to care about now take a more pragmatic and relaxed view on

Smoothie's a good idea. I sometimes give ds2 homemade porridge with cocoa powder mixed in and I sweeten it less and less. You can use honey/maple syrup to sweeten. I use full fat milk. He loves that and I know what goes it in. Also got him into choc weetabix. Ds1 likes omelette etc... not cereal. Ds2 likes cereal bars especially budget range from morrisons I give him them with a piece of fruit.

My son has cereals on Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday as I am in work and it's easier for my mil.

The other days it's toast, fruit, yogurt

Oh my life! I had no idea!

I don't see the harm in a sugary cereal if it's that or nothing.

Most kids love raisins though. Have you tried other cereals with raisins sprinkled on them?

my DD has a wide choice she'll have porridge weetabix cornflakes shreddies etc but she also likes - crunchy nut cornflakes cheerios coco pops and golden nuggets :) kids need a variety or they will end up craving the 'bad' food.

just noticed a mild hatred of bran flakes :( sultana bran is yummy and keeps everyone regular and muesli .. yum yum i want cereal now!!

never even heard of acrylamide before. The amount of crap there is in processed food makes me want to scream

I still eat it but it makes me want to scream. Black bread, water and vegetables from your own garden sounds like the way to go

I only let mine have pancakes or the like at weekends, and sugary cereal in the school hoilidays. They just know that that's the rule now so they have stopped asking.

BUT, only after I gave in a little bit and either let them have weetabix with the chocolate chips, or more often they will have ready brek with a few chocolate buttons hidden at the bottom (got to make them work a bit!) or they have a little syrup on the ready brek. I still don't like doing this after years of it, but it is the only way I can get any food inside them before school.

I figure I don't like to eat first thing in the morning, so why should they? Except they are children, and they do have to have something before school.

Well, I just looked up acrylamides out of curiosity. They're mostly found in foods cooked at high temperatures like crisps etc. So, assuming your diet isn't full of junk, I doubt a bowl of cereal is much to get too worked up about. Link here

That cereal thing is scary! Mine have weetabix most mornings but I might start cutting down now.

Scotch style pancakes can be made and frozen for an easy breakfast. The year DD was born (ELCS 8 days before Christmas) I made Blueberry pancakes in advance and froze them. We just defrosted them on the morning and had our special Christmas morning breakfast without me having to cook. There was very little sugar in the mix because they Blueberries sweetened them, you could make them with any favourite fruit or serve with sliced banana...

I might go and dig out the recipe and start offering those to the children instead. Would anyone else like it?

i wouldnt want home grown veg

my dogs would have peed on them

I didn't want to post the link about excess cereal consumption (more than three bowls a day, which I often used to have, one in the morning and an extra large one at night) and cancer, though it's only an association, and lots of other foods like red meat are similarly associated.

I disagree though about this any breakfast is better than no breakfast mantra (which may be spouted by TV doctors). There is research to show that for weight-loss, it is better to eat breakfast, people who skip breakfast often eat more calories later, but this is because they are artificially depriving themselves, then 'failing' later. The OP's child is just not very hungry, as is obvious by the decision not to eat about 10 foods (different cereals, eggs, toast diff spreads etc). I don't agree that giving children lots of sugary refined cereal is a great start to the day, and have cut back to about twice a week for my children (and offer more fruit, nuts, protein, toast for breakfast) and decided not to eat cereals at all myself.

I don't see the issue, the little boy is trying his luck!

yes go on and post it if you have time marsh, sounds a load betterthan peed on veg

thought weetbix was a healthy option. I force-feed my dd with it occasionally.

TheDeathlyMarshmallows I would really love the recipe. DS loves cooking and is far more likely to eat them if he has helped to make them..... Please could you include an idiots guide to how you freeze and defrost them as I don't have much common sense in the kitchen!!

Thank you for all the replies. There seems to be a mix of opinions. I do realise that sending him to school on an empty stomach would be a very very bad idea. However, I now have some great new ideas to try before I cave in (I feel silly for thinking I had tried everything as there are loads of new ideas on this thread )!!

Incidentally he used to have a big glass of milk in the morning but I stopped this as I thought it was filling him up and contributing to him not being hungry. I might reinstate it as a smoothie.