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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To not let DD taste sugary things until I have to?

85 replies

HopLittleFroggiesHopSkipJump · 13/10/2013 16:16

DD is 13 months, and eats the same as me except anything unhealthy yummy is substituted with things like baby treats or fruit etc to distract her.

I just had a chocolate biscuit, and she's sat there munching away on sweetcorn hoops clueless to what she's missing out on, am I being a bit mean not even letting her taste things or does everyone else keep them oblivious to 'treats' as long as possible too?

OP posts:

JaneFonda · 13/10/2013 16:17

YANBU.

A 13 month old doesn't need a chocolate biscuit. We, however, do. :o

The longer you can keep her away from things, the longer you get to enjoy them all to yourself without having to share!

mrsjay · 13/10/2013 16:20

I used to call boxed rasins sweeties I got away with it for about 2 years then they clicked you don't have to give your baby anything until you feel she is ready for a yummy unhealthy snack I never banned sweet things just a bit of moderation iyswim, MIL used to think we were depriving dd1 and would sneak her a mix up from the shop sigh

BenNJerry · 13/10/2013 16:21

DS is only 4 months so still on milk, but I'm going to do the same. I don't really want him having anything like chocolate etc until after he is one, and even then only as an occasional treat.

I'll probably get people calling me "mean" etc, but I think if they've never tried it then they're not really missing out! I'm a young mum and know a lot of others my age who are a lot less strict than this - saw a picture of a girl I know's 5 month old eating a biscuit. Not for me really.

JenaiMorris · 13/10/2013 16:23

Given my memory of ds's face the first time he tried caramel fudge icecream, at a similar age, YABU. I've not seen a baby express such utter overwhelming pleasure before or since.

otoh that might be a good reason to avoid for now

BearsInMotion · 13/10/2013 16:27

Glad it's not just me . I was annoyed when MIL gave DD jelly tots and she's 21 months - she just doesn't need it! Luckily she still prefer raspberries to any food under the Sun, hoping it stays that way unlike me and my sweet tooth

uselessinformation · 13/10/2013 16:46

Raisins are as bad as sweets for baby teeth. Did you check the sugar content of the baby treats?

Chunderella · 13/10/2013 16:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

heidihole · 13/10/2013 16:49

YADNBU

DS is 16m and doesn't have chocolate or biscuits. He has no idea what he's missing so is 100% happy with fruit and rice cakes and yoghurt to snack on.

There is enough time for sugary crap later. Can't understand people who happily feed babies crap all the time.

JenaiMorris · 13/10/2013 16:51

Raspberries are sweet

Nowt wrong with them - they're lovely and nutritious - but they're definitely sweet. As is breast milk.

I'm not sure you can control children's palates in the way people think, just by withholding the sweet stuff.

mrsjay · 13/10/2013 16:52

MY eldest child is 20 her teeth are lovelyand a few rasins here and there did her no harm , I just want to say sugar isn't poison

Spirulina · 13/10/2013 16:53

Fruit is full of sugar, milk contains sugar, it's everywhere so she's probably well aware of it already

BlackbeltinBS · 13/10/2013 16:54

I remember taking toddler DD to see a friend with slightly older children. Friends' children had little pots of smarties and raisins. DD was given one too, she sifted through the smarties and fell on the raisins. Didn't even put a smartie in her mouth, I think she'd filed them under "multi-coloured gravel".

How things change.

littleblackno · 13/10/2013 16:54

my ex mil told me that i was depriving my kids and they would probably grow up to be drug addicts if i didn't give them chocolate!!
They are now 6 and 7 yrs old and have been munching on haribo this afternoon but I did avoid giving them sweets and chocolate for as long as I could and now its a treat not something regular.
I agree that if they don't know what it is then keep it that way for as long as possible and get them used to having other 'treats'.

JenaiMorris · 13/10/2013 16:54

Rice cakes are evil. Their sole purpose is to make parents look virtuous, when in fact all they're doing is teaching their child that food can be rubbish.

HeartsTrumpDiamonds · 13/10/2013 16:54

I also think that you can go too far the other way - deny them too much for too long and they will develop more of a sweet tooth than had they had moderate amounts of sweetness / sugar.

NoComet · 13/10/2013 16:55

Breast milk is definitely sweeter than formula or cows milk and gave DD2 a sweet tooth long before she ate anything at all.

TheFallenMadonna · 13/10/2013 16:55

Breastmilk is very sweet I think. Better that than chocolate of course, but still, it's sweet.

JenaiMorris · 13/10/2013 17:01

Breast milk is magical Carnation condensed milk, only less thick. Also I don't think you can make banoffee pie using breast milk.

AuntyEntropy · 13/10/2013 17:02

G*a F*d says that you should wean babies on vegetables not fruit to prevent them getting a sweet tooth. I thought "you've not tasted breast milk lately have you?"

(For anyone wondering, one reason an adult would taste breast milk is because you dab a bit of warmed up expressed milk on the back of your hand to try the temperature, and then find that licking is the easiest way to clean it up).

mellicauli · 13/10/2013 17:02

When my son was young, they said if you don't give him sugar, he will not develop a sweet tooth. Well I didn't for 2 years. And now he is 9 I can report that is complete rubbish. He has just demolished the biggests slice of carrot cake and would eat the whole cake if I would only let him.

With my younger son, I take the approach that I can't expect him to be any better than I am. Which isn't very good, I am afraid!

JenaiMorris · 13/10/2013 17:02

magical

That was meant to say 'basically'. Although of course it's jolly good stuff so that wasn't such a terrible typo

Me2Me2 · 13/10/2013 17:02

yanbu
ds is 21 months an I don't give him any chocolate or sugary treats at home. He doesn't even have snacks, though I think we're in the minority in this. He's a great eater. Has three full meals a day and milk before bed.
I can't fight it when we're out the house though and don't stop him having a biscuit if another child he's with is eating one. However, it often feels like, as soon as we're in company, he is bombarded with treats. I find it a bit annoying tbh, other people feeding your child. He's never going to say 'no' and all of a sudden he's had 5 mini rolls.

Alisvolatpropiis · 13/10/2013 17:03

Fruit has sugar in it

JenaiMorris · 13/10/2013 17:04

Aunty, I tried mine out of pure curiosity!

SPsTwerkingNineToFive · 13/10/2013 17:05

Uts totally up to you.

Though you must give her a bit of lemon to suck on for your amusement

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