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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask when you started giving DC chocolate?

78 replies

newmumwithquestions · 19/03/2016 07:53

My sister bought 18mo DD an Easter egg. I was really surprised as I've never given DD anything like that and said I wouldn't give it to her (with hindsight I need to apologise for being ungrateful - she was only trying to be nice). My sister then asked when she could buy the kids chocolate as she said other friends kids got chocolate at that age. I've always thought I'd keep sweets and chocolate away from them until they discover it exists. Am I being pfb? What age did you all start giving your DC chocolate?

OP posts:

AppleSetsSail · 19/03/2016 11:06

If I remember correctly, probably about 2.5 in small amounts. Certainly not before the age where they kind of start 'demanding' it if you see what a mean.

I'm a bit surprised that anyone would give a baby under 1 chocolate as well, but I agree it's not a big deal.

SimpleSimonThePieMan · 19/03/2016 11:13

BumWad It's not crack! No one's condoning feeding slabs of it to under 1s but personally I find your attitude to be the unhealthy one. Obviously we make our own choices when it comes to our own children. At the moment I have a very happy and healthy 11 month old who is ahead of her peers developmentally and who will eat just about anything you offer her and has tasted more things than most 11 month olds I know so it's certainly working for us.

BumWad · 19/03/2016 11:18

personally I find your attitude to be the unhealthy one.

How the hell have you come to that conclusion? My attitude is UNHEALTHY because I refuse to give a baby under the age of 1 refined sugar in the form of chocolate? Yea ok

DurhamDurham · 19/03/2016 11:21

And those who attend keeping chocolate away but are happily feeding biscuits to their kids.... That's just weird If you compare the list of ingredients on the back of a packet of biscuits to those on some chocolate I'm not sure why chocolate comes out as being 'bad'

GeoffreysGoat · 19/03/2016 11:22

Ds1 was nearly 2.5 before I risked it - he had issues with caffeine through BM so I held off until I thought his system could handle it. Bil hosted an egg hunt last year so we destruction tested it and he was fine, albeit getting a bit obsessed with the stuff now!

Ds2 is sensitive to beans and lentils not caffeine, will be 7m this easter and I might give him a couple of buttons to make my gran happy

I'm much more chilled about biscuits, cake, cereal etc. It's caffeine and sweeteners that are a problem here, not sweet treats

Lexipedia · 19/03/2016 11:29

I made my DS a chocolate cake for his first birthday. He only got one piece, mainly because everybody else ate the rest. It's chocolate, not poison. He has some now at the age of three most weeks. He's a healthy eater, very active, so I see no problems with him having it.

cornishglos · 19/03/2016 12:55

About 18 months. His friends kept being given it in front of him so now I say he can have it on birthdays and at other people's houses. Not at home, it's a special treat. But all rules are relaxed at Christmas. My mum judges me but I do things my way ar home and avoid tantrums elsewhere.

Juanbablo · 19/03/2016 12:58

About a year old. Although last year dc3 was 13mths at Easter and we didn't get him any chocolate. We will get him a small egg this year but I don't let the dcs go mad and they only have small bits at a time.

jeavcike · 19/03/2016 13:09

Both of my dc has chocolate from being weaned. They had those chocolate pudding jars and bits of chocolate such as buttons or those magic stars.
In the last couple of years they have been given loads of chocolate so we melted them down and made cornflake buns. We then shared them out for ds' birthday.

Mrscog · 19/03/2016 13:16

The best thing to do is smile, say thank you, then eat it yourself

This really about recieving stuff - DS1 is 4 and I've probably eaten 80-90% of his chocolate gifts so far, don't think I'll get away with it though this year in quite the same way!

DS1 was probably 1ish when he started having tiny bits of chocolate here and there, then I relaxed massively after about 2.5 (coincided with a horrible pg with DS2 and just needing an easy life sometimes).

DS2 is 11 months and hasn't had any yet, but I will give him a couple of pieces over easter if he gets any. The rest of his will be mine!

Lauranne · 19/03/2016 13:17

DS was probably school age, DD stole her brothers pretty quick, third one hasn't arrived yet but possibly way before the other two. It get trickier with live-in influences 🙂

switswoo81 · 19/03/2016 14:17

Probably about 9 months. Little bits of buttons etc. She loved the cake pop we bought her at a farmers market today! No crisps though as I am very overweight and genuinely binge eat crisps so I am projecting my issues onto her which worries me.
Asked the family not to buy eggs as I will eat them but have no problem with a little choc bunny etc

Mousefinkle · 19/03/2016 15:56

Someone on FB gave their two month old chocolate the other day, I was aghast . Shouldn't even be weaned for at least another two months let alone given CHOCOLATE!

I think mine were probably 10 months ish. Would give a few chocolate buttons. The youngest was one actually, had some on her first birthday but I went all hippy with her and did BLW, vegan diet, attachment parenting and all that shite . 18 months is definitely old enough for some chocolate but if you're really against it just eat it yourself, you didn't really need to reject it.

EllenJanethickerknickers · 19/03/2016 15:59

First two DSs at 6 months when Easter came along and they had some chocolate buttons (and I scoffed the eggs!) For DS3 he was 6 months at Christmas, so had some then. The advice was to start weaning at 4 months back then, so a chocolate button or two seemed fine at 6 months.

TiredOfSleep · 19/03/2016 16:07

About 9 months as a treat at Christmas. Then became more commonplace from 18mo as I didn't want to make a fuss about it, so make sure to rarely eat it in front of her, but not refuse if it is available.

Dontneedausername · 19/03/2016 16:56

DD was probably about 9 months, a few chocs from an advent calendar.
DS was about 3 months old when I caught DD putting a choc button in his mouth...

ginplease83 · 19/03/2016 17:06

After a year. My DD is 17 months and last year my aunt gave her an egg 'make sure she gets it' etc etc and really kept on about it. No way I was going to give a 6 month old a whole egg, the stupid woman should have realised this given that my DH and I are dentists!!!! So I lied and scoffed it.

Ilovetorrentialrain · 19/03/2016 17:15

Some time after weaning. Can't quite remember but well before 1st birthday.

In fact, one of my favourite pics / memories of my son as a baby is him in his high chair on his first birthday, no top because it was hot, covered face, hands and body in chocolate cake (hedgehog one, recipe from the Cadbury website).

Suzietwo · 19/03/2016 17:42

I was precious about when my first had it. I have no idea when my 3rd had some. Probably around the same time as dog food and ribs.

pinkcan · 19/03/2016 17:49

After first birthday.

DisappointedOne · 19/03/2016 17:50

DD was 6 months and had a square of my 85% chocolate.

DisappointedOne · 19/03/2016 17:51

We don't buy Easter eggs (still have one from last year in the fridge - nasty cadburys crap) but she has a little dark chocolate every other day or so.

FirstWeTakeManhattan · 19/03/2016 17:51

DD1 3 years old
DS 2 years old
DD2 9 minutes old. I exaggerate, but basically much, much earlier than the other two…

Ilovetorrentialrain · 19/03/2016 17:54

As an aside OP my sister in law was like this with her childre, very limited sweets and choc etc when they were toddlers. They have exctionally sweet teeth now and are always asking (nicely, they're lovely kids) for sweets and choc.

Like anything a ban or making something illicit just makes it all the more appealing. Choc in moderation won't do any harm at all.

All the best, it's really hard knowing what to do for the best when you're a new mum. Easy for me to say now I know.

DisappointedOne · 19/03/2016 17:57

Friend of a friend was horrified when she realised that the birthday fruit cake she'd fed her PFB at a 1 year old's party had quite a lot of cocoa in it. My friend and I kept quiet about the Tia Maria and Cointreau it had in it.

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