to think that thanking your own organic juice to give to your child at a party because you disapprove of the squash provided by the hosts us just rude?

[OhBuggerandArse]

Obviously I don't think I'm being unreasonable and would really just like you all to join me in my disgruntled ire. But go on, give it a shot at putting the other side of the story. No behavioural issues involved, if anyone was wondering whether that might be a possible tactic.

I am amazed by this thread. My DD is only 9 months and so we haven't been to any parties yet.

When I was growing up, in the 1980s, my mother insisted on very healthy, homemade food including lots of fruit and vegetables, wholemeal bread etc. We normally never had 'junk food' such as McDonalds, crisps, sweets etc and drinks were water, milk or fruit juice. However, at birthday parties we always had fizzy drinks, including Coca Cola, Tango and lurid red Tizer. It was the same at other children's parties, to serve squash would have been considered very boring!

I think some people need to lighten up a bit. If children eat a healthy diet 95% of the time then the odd glass of squash, party ring, fondant fancy or whatever will really have no adverse consequences. These things may have no nutritional value but they are not poison and are harmless if only eaten once in a while.

You sound very sensible imo SoftSheen. People aren't machines taking in food purely as fuel. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having something to eat or drink purely for the enjoyment of it. And I think it is an unhealthy attitude to suggest that there is.

Good point exotic! DD isn't a fan of water but if she was thirsty she would drink it.

Yes, I think lighten up is the order of the day
Le Queen I actually quite like the sound of the seaweed jelly stuff, I have quite the umami tastbuds (tsunami? sp?), but yes, it just makes you want to run to nearest nandos really.

Funny how so many people make parenting decisions based on how much they disliked what their parents did - kids will still have issues with what you do no matter how hard you try to correct the mistakes of your parents. They just find different things to be annoyed about - personally I'm looking forward to the long list - should be interesting.

"Mind you even though I love my wines I tend not to match to food - I just crudely go for my favourite grape varieties."

You would be very welcome in the bunbaker household as that is how we drink. Actually, once I start eating I lose interest in drinking and don't drink wine after I have eaten.

How wonderful to have some sheer common sense SoftSheen. My mother was the same and I have been the same. My main message is always that if you are eating a healthy balanced diet at home you don't have to get uptight about a glass or two of squash and a handful of cheesy wotsits at a party. I agree entirely with you RomanChristingle about food food not being purely a fuel.
I'm sure that some parents would prefer there to be a pill so that you could have one just marked up with the correct amount of nutrients for a 2 yr old so that you didn't have to worry about cooking or them liking the 'wrong' thing,not eating the 'right' thing, having to worry about what the 'right' things are, portion size or them getting overweight!!
Personally I enjoy my food: I love fruit, veg, salads, home cooking,but I also love chocolate! I expect a 2 yr old to be the same. When you hear about 2 yr old parties where they present a beautifully iced birthday cake and then scrape all the icing off before serving it you feel sorry for the poor little things. When you are 2 yrs the icing is the best bit!
Nobody answered my question of when you stop hovering over them at a party. It all seems pointless doing it with a 3/4 yr old if you can't keep it up.
I aim for the long term, producing an adult who eats a healthy, balanced diet because that is what they enjoy. I can't see the point in being so strict that they can't/won't keep it up for life.

So it's not ok to feed blue icing to a child up to 2 years old but a 3 year old is fine? Or have I got that wrong? What age do you recommend they start eating blue icing exoticfruits? I need to get the rules right for next time.

I don't actually understand your post SeasonGripings so I can only think that you missed my point.
I have never done blue icing so I can't really say. Is there something special about blue icing? I would have thought that if a birthday cake was served the guests ought to be able to eat it-not have part removed. I would hate to be shown a large chocolate gateaux and then find that when I requested a piece I got plain chocolate sponge-or they said it was just for display and I couldn't have any!

RomanChristingle 'People aren't machines taking in food purely as fuel. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having something to eat or drink purely for the enjoyment of it. And I think it is an unhealthy attitude to suggest that there is'.

Exactly. I would be interested to know how many of these people banning their child from drinking squash are similarly strict themselves regarding tea, coffee and wine, none of which are a necessary part of our diets and all of which contain chemicals which are potentially harmful in large quantities.

exoticfruits I totally agree with you. Of course children like chocolate and sweet things, we all do, because they taste nice! The important thing is teaching children is that these things form only a very small part of a healthy balanced diet, and that vegetables, fruits and 'proper' foods are what we eat on a daily basis and that they are very nice too.

SeasonsGripings I have never come across anything with blue icing, though presumably it is no worse than pink. Whilst personally I wouldn't 'feed' this to my child, if aged two she went to a party where the other children were eating blue-iced biscuits I would have no problem with her trying one, if she wanted to.

Maybe the child doesn't like squash? Mine don't drink squash and it's not because I've banned it, they don't like the look of it. At a party that DD1 went to I saw the host mother practically harrassing her to drink squash even though she kept saying over and over that she didn't want it . The mother wouldn't give up and then left it next to DD1 where it remained untouched till the end of the party.

I don't take any drinks to parties though, they just drink water. But I've heard of children (only online mind you, don't know if it's just an urban myth) who don't drink water so I guess in that situ a parent would bring juice.

I do this

Didn't realise it was rude.

My DS only drinks juice or milk (or water if nothing else available).

Doesn't like squash, I don't buy it so just not used to it.

If it was my party I'd have lots of choices but don't assume others will & if its a soft play environment its always squash so I bring my own juice for DS.

They need to have something to drink if running about.

Should have also said, I know my DS is fussy, so I bring what he will drink, don't think its a big deal.

(and he is my PFB )

It is quite simple-there is always water-(they have to have to make the squash) Just ask for water. Even a fussy DC will drink water if thirsty-if they won't drink it they will last until they get home.

I have a vague memory that the occasional DC at Beavers may have had water-the reason that I can't remember is that it was no big deal. (I would have remembered if a fussy parent sent them with their organic juice)

Water doesn't hydrate

Classic! Thanks for that one I almost spat my lunch out!

My mother and grandmother were such good cooks, that for my birthday parties my special treat was a 'shop bought cake'. mr Kipling's Harlequin cake- with pink icing and hundreds and thousands. Having grown up in the 70s, and subsisted on bright orange squash and numerous food additives- how come there weren't so many 'hyperactive' children then?

Did someone upthread say chocolate cake with mint custard? Did they?

Yummmmmm!

*niceguy2 Wed 30-Nov-11 12:36:28
Water doesn't hydrate

Classic! Thanks for that one I almost spat my lunch out!*

There is a very fundemental misunderstanding here. Dehydration is almost never because body fluids have become to concentrated. It is almost always because the volume of body fluids is too low. In this case drinking water would just dilute the body fluids, which your body will not allow, as this would destroy your blood cells. To aviod this, the water is removed by your kidneys, very quickly, so if your have been running around and sweting, and you drink pure water, you will just need to pee, but will not have retained any more fluid. Squash, on the other hand,contains solutes, so if it is drunk, it does not dilute the body fluids ( obviously depending on the concentration) so it is retained, and increases the total volume of fluid within your body, therefore rehydrating, this is what is ment by isotonic.

Crabapple

Where do you get your information from? Genuinely curious...

That is possibly the case - looking at the studies of sports drinks and so forth - for serious athletes. For most of us, water is a much much better idea.

original poster, your can look this up on the national sports coaching websites, the NHS information on dehydration, the foreign office advice to travellers, any biology text book, or health and social care trainers, info for caring for children and/or the eldrely, national blod transfusion service, also try it with a few doazen cells under a microsciope and see for yourself!

It sounds to me like information put out by people selling sports drinks! I was a blood donor today-we were asked to drink 500ml as we came in. The choice was water or squash-I had water, you either have it plain or you flavour/colour it. When I go running (after being on a proper course) I take water.Maybe the FO advice is because there is no clean water.

If you're dehydrated, drink plenty of fluids. This can be water, semi-skimmed milk and diluted squash or fruit juice, but it's best to avoid fizzy drinks or caffeine if possible.

NHS advice-copied from their website-note water comes first.

It is unusual to be allowed to drink water at a blood donar session, normal choice is tea or squash, in my experience. I have a friend who asked for water once, and was strongly advised against it.

I think the opposite, that there is a lot of misinformation peddled by the manufacturers of botled water, after all squash isn't a "sports drink"