Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to bag up cereal with pre-portioned sugar to stop the kids wasting it?

463 replies

TheOnlyColditz · 09/02/2017 20:09

I mean a sandwich bag of cereal with another little bag of sugar inside? Currently I'm scraping glued on cereal and sugar off the bottoms of bowls every day! Kids are 7, 10 and 14

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
Smitff · 10/02/2017 15:01

*Bowls. No clue who Joel is.

motherinferior · 10/02/2017 15:12

Actually I'm not sure how much work has been done on breakfast quality and school performance. It's mainly supporting the need for some breakfast.

Also I've just looked at the ingredients in weetabix and 95 per cent is whole grain wheat. I don't have a problem with wheat.

I am, by the way, a health journalist.

80sMum · 10/02/2017 15:15

I feel that I have to point out that Weetabix is utterly revolting and should be banned! It turns into a sloppy, sludgy, sweet mush about 20 seconds after you add milk. Truly vile!! Adding sugar would just make it 10 times worse, because then it would be hyper-sweet, sludgy mush! Grin

Phantommagic · 10/02/2017 15:19

"any child's performance at school will be hugely advanced by the odd egg or unprocessed breakfast ingredient."

I wish my Y11 classes knew this. So much easier than revision.
This thread is hilarious and the OP is outstanding in her stoic disregard for the sugar-phobic.
I actually like the idea of the weekly personal sugar ration so they are both limiting and self regulating!

motherinferior · 10/02/2017 15:24

Also what do you call 'processed'? The pitta bread and hummus DD1 eats? I think that's a pretty fine breakfast myself (unless you are going to scream OH NO YOUR TEENAGE DAUGHTER IS EATING CARBS!!!!).

BillSykesDog · 10/02/2017 15:26

one mother wanted to know what she could give her child for the flu as her "usual remedies" of Manuka honey and raw garlic weren't helping

Should have added coconut oil as any fule kno.

Alaia5 · 10/02/2017 15:31

Phantom -if you yourself were off to sit a 3 hour exam, what would you choose for breakfast -
a) egg on wholemeal toast?
b) Cheerios with an extra portion of sugar on top?

You don't need to be a food journalist to know which option will sustain you for longer. Just a person who eats occasionally.

Phantommagic · 10/02/2017 15:34

I can honestly say it would make no difference as long as I'd eaten something. I always ate cereal before exams and indeed every day.

motherinferior · 10/02/2017 15:35

That is their physical stamina. Not their performance.

Hatemylifenow · 10/02/2017 15:43

Never really ate breakfast growing up. Have good GCSEs, AAAA at A level, a first class degree and a masters.

It really doesn't matter as much as most people think it does.

Joanna0685 · 10/02/2017 15:47

I have a scoop (an old yogurt container) and use that to measure out for the bowls. No sugar, but that is personal taste.

Original poster
TheOnlyColditz · 10/02/2017 15:58

"But you don't need to be part of the food police to acknowledge that any child's performance at school will be hugely advanced by the odd egg or unprocessed breakfast "

Hugely? Really? You got any sources for that opinion?

OP posts:
staghunter · 10/02/2017 15:58

I can't believe how long it took before sugar cubes were mentioned.
Surely that is your answer?

Alaia5 · 10/02/2017 15:58

Motherinferior -well yes, stamina is what I should have said. Surely that can only help performance though?
Anyway each to their own I guess.

Original poster
TheOnlyColditz · 10/02/2017 16:09

I thought sugar cubes were very hard, would they crumple into the cereal properly?

OP posts:
SittingWithMyFeetUP12 · 10/02/2017 16:16

Ofgs.....yes portion their cereal and sugar
No, you're not being unreasonable.
If you added sliced fruit and they didnt want it, bad moods all round and a waste of fruit.
Sugar cubes are hard, and wont dissolve easily in cold milk.
Ignore all the nutters out there...they know who they are, and are being purposefully goady. (Or they seriously do just eat chicken and steamed broccoli for all meals :-)

BillSykesDog · 10/02/2017 16:21

I gave my four year old an egg this morning and this afternoon he got offered a place to study PhD Astrophysics at Oxford.

Soubriquet · 10/02/2017 16:24

Only now at 4?

Dear me Bill

Mine got offered them in utero. Long as you're trying ey.. WinkGrin

Hatemylifenow · 10/02/2017 16:24

bill Grin

difficultyear · 10/02/2017 16:25

On the sugar debate -
Most cereals do have sugar and you shouldn't add any (cheerios, bran flakes, anything chocolatey etc) but with wheatabix or porridge it needs a little something on top. If not sugar then a teaspoon of honey or jam

FeliciaJollygoodfellow · 10/02/2017 16:25

Alaia - I never once ate breakfast before school and managed to pass ten GCSEs with nothing below a B. Grades steadily declined the more nourishing my breakfasts became Grin (only partly joking)

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink!

Hatemylifenow · 10/02/2017 16:26

Honey is sugar. Why people think it's some sort of healthy alternative is beyond me Confused

Chelazla · 10/02/2017 16:28

For heavens sake at what point did op ask "Aibu to let my children have sugar on cereal"! She's not sprinkling cocaine on it!!

strugglingstepdad · 10/02/2017 16:41

Jesus, stop judging the op and answer the bloody question!

No your not BU if they are going overboard on portion sizes, in fact it's a great idea that I'm thinking of copying!

Alaia5 · 10/02/2017 16:43

I am not anti sugar at all. Our family are a bit too well-known in our local Hummingbird Bakery Blush. I eat sugar in the form of cake or chocolate.
I'm just genuinely surprised people still put raw granulated sugar on cereal. Maybe people sprinkle it on fruit as well?
Obviously, some cereals have a reduced sugar and salt content now - e.g. plain Weetabix or Shredded Wheat. There is nothing "wrong" with Cocopops or Cheerios as such - I just would not rely on that into a staple breakfast diet with extra sugar to boot. When I walk down the dedicated cereal aisle in every supermarket, I just think "biscuits" (somehow marketed as breakfast).