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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

WIBU to put all the bloody Christmas Chocolates in the bin?

72 replies

Dollslikeyouandme · 27/12/2013 11:02

Think I'm after advice really, ds is driving me crazy.

We have never had so many chocolates given to us. I'm talking 7 tins of roses/heroes etc. 6 or 7 boxes of biscuits. 5 packs of chocolate coins. A giant cake. At least 10 or more giant tubes of smarties, rolos etc. Lots of selection boxes, a few chocolates santas and snowmen, that's all I can think of off the top of my head.

I have a 5 year old with a very, very sweet tooth, he won't go more than an hour without having a tantrum over the sweets. He's coming into my room at 6.30am with handfuls of chocolate asking if we can share them and going on and on, getting up in my face, putting the sweets on my face.

I allow him a reasonable amount of sweet things each day but unfortunately he doesn't know where to stop and would happily eat until he was sick. I think much more than your average child, even others have noticed such as my mum and sister who I know would never have a bad word to say about ds, but they noticed he's 'greedy' and aren't sure what to suggest.

I've explained and explained that he can have a few sweets after lunch and some after tea. But he is constantly begging for more, he will talk about it for half an hour hoping that I will give in.

He's always like this and I usually hide sweet treats and get them out as and when so it's put of sight out of mind. But we've got enough to last until March and nowhere to hide them.

Help.

OP posts:
Mia4 · 27/12/2013 19:28

Give some away and hide some in the freezer :) I made DPs chocolate at Easter last ages by hiding the eggs and chocolate underneath the sliced mushrooms. Out of sight, out of mind.

specialsubject · 27/12/2013 19:29

if he was a five-year-old that wouldn't eat chocolate he'd be an alien.

sounds like you've got it - excess to foodbank or raffles (NEVER throw food away) and ration what you think he can have. 'No' is a good lesson.

Ladyglamalot · 27/12/2013 19:49

Yanbu-I love chocolates but am not feeling well and am over whelmed by the amount we have! I am going to donate some as we will never get rid of it-dcs have'nt even asked for any today so even they are fed up!

Frusso · 27/12/2013 20:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mrsjay · 27/12/2013 20:11

oh god no cleaning up chocolate vomit is the worst

Frusso · 27/12/2013 20:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

thenightsky · 27/12/2013 20:16

Blimey OP, that's more choc than we get in this house over a year. Can you put it away in the attic or something and bring a box out once a month? Choccy has a long sell by date normally.

Don't bin it though!

Original poster
Dollslikeyouandme · 27/12/2013 20:26

Well we have been out for most of the day, first to sil where he was given chocolate coins and two biscuits, then to my sister where she decided to give him a big chunk of Christmas cake, some sweets and then make jam tarts and send us home with a batch!

As if we really needed anymore.

It has crossed my mind to let him eat until he is sick, but I'm not sure that it would work, I think he may actually make himself sick.

As I say I think he's a bit 'worse' than your average kid.

Joking aside I am a bit concerned about it. He's always been a bit like this about things.

I have a little story about his love of milk. He once stayed at my mums, I dropped him off at 5pm and collected him at 10am the next morning. I sent a 4 pint of milk as he had full fat at the time. The next day I asked for my milk back and my mum said he drank it all. I couldn't believe it. Unfortunately he's swapped his love of milk for sweets.

OP posts:
delusionindex · 27/12/2013 20:52

We get rid of all of xmas chocolate the day after xmas. Some people seem to have an attitude that xmas gives you a free pass to stuff your face with chocolate and general junk, but it's a bad idea any other time of year and the human body works no differently at xmas. It may seem like waste,unless you can donate it, but it's a false economy, it's already been bought and paid for, you don't gain anything by eating it, except weight.

thenightsky · 27/12/2013 20:57

delusionindex What do you do to get rid? What

thenightsky · 27/12/2013 20:58

stupid computer posted too soon.... i meant to say what do you do about family member who want to 'keep this for later'?

Notcontent · 27/12/2013 21:33

My 7 year old also has a very sweet tooth. Out of sight, out of mind is the only way.

delusionindex · 27/12/2013 22:02

thenightsky Well DP and I have it as a sort of house rule, but we don't have older kids to contend with who might argue back, so that may be different in a few years. We have DCs about the same age as the OP so I think in that case they don't really get a say, the choc disappears.

Earlspearl · 27/12/2013 22:14

Can you both go sugar free for a month in January?

cakebar · 28/12/2013 10:23

My dd (4) found a stash a chocolate during the night once and ate quite a lot before we found her, she would have kept going if we hadn't found her. She did throw up a bit later. It hasn't put her off, she doesn't have a stop button. We tell her part of being a good parent is not letting her have too much same as we don't let her stay up too late. Her siblings don't crave the stuff like her.

Mumsyblouse · 28/12/2013 10:31

It is really difficult with a child with a sweet tooth. One of mine has one, and she is a little bit pudgy now as a result, not drastically so, but all those extra slices of cake, and choccy bars add up, even though I do limit them and have them in a box up high and only allow a few a day. She doesn't move enough to burn off lots of extras every day (unlike my eldest) and it is a constant battle with her sweet tooth.

I don't have the answers, I have gone down the 'healthy body results from a healthy diet' (with the odd 'treat') and she does eat more fruit and veg than a year or two ago. But, the lure of sweets is strong, and they have so much at Christmas, Halloween and Easter even though I give away the boxes of sweets that we never seem to be free of the sweet supply (and it's harder to give away their sweets than to regift a box of chocs given to the whole family).

Chocolate is dirt cheap in the UK now, £1 for a huge bar of dairy milk and consequently we are all getting podgier (I am anyway).

lottieandmia · 28/12/2013 10:33

Don't throw it away - what a waste. You can regift it or save it for later. Just put it away, out of sight out of mind.

Vivacia · 28/12/2013 11:18

Since discovering Paul McKenna's way of eating I've tried to instil the Four Golden Rules in the children's eating habits. Might be worth considering?

Monka · 28/12/2013 11:23

Donate it! I am a sugar addict and it started when I was young. My parents used to hide the chocolate (in a big bag of rice) but I still found it! They never had loads in the house because I would want it. I am still a sugar addict and I can tell you who makes the best boiled strawberry and cream sweets, the best strawberry laces, fudge etc. I still eat the stuff and I can't see it ending. I'm not overweight as I have always exercised or played sports so that's been a saving grace but even at work people are shocked at my consumption. I only decreased my consumption of sugar when I was pregnant as didnt really crave it then. Try your best to curb it as its the responsible thing to do for your son as my parents did for me. I would have probably lost all my teeth if my mother hadnt limited the sugary things!

Vivacia · 28/12/2013 11:29

I don't think that weight is the only issue. There's comfort eating, eating in secret, dental health, blood-sugar...

MissSingerbrains · 28/12/2013 11:53

Hide it and ration it throughout the year. Or donate some of it.

I'm really shocked at the number of people just binning it! What a waste - finding somewhere to donate it to wouldn't be very hard! Shall I be the first one to pipe up with "first world problem" (it really is!)

ForalltheSaints · 28/12/2013 11:55

Is there a charity they can be donated to?

WitchWay · 28/12/2013 12:03

I'd give them to a care home or somewhere like that. We have the opposite problem - we tend not to each much chocolate so it goes out of date before it's been eaten - I often pass on stuff to other people or take it into work etc.

ErrolTheDragon · 28/12/2013 12:05

'Been downstairs and sorted out unopened ones and least favourites and going to donate them.
Told ds I'm going to put some in an empty tin each day and once they're gone they're gone.
He seemed happy enough with that, and had a few suggestions where we could donate some. '

Excellent! - especially the last bit. Smile

mumeeee · 28/12/2013 12:19

Our Chocolates stay until New years day. We do have DC'S in their 20's though who don't live at home. DD2 is taking a box back to Kingston tomorrow and DD3 might take some back to uni with her. DD1 didn't want to take any as she is a teacher and got lots from school in fact she actually bought us a boxSmile