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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Wanting to give 9m/o chocolate at Easter?

129 replies

TwittleBee · 27/03/2018 21:56

I've seen a lot of parents saying it's selfish / waste of money /sets bad habits / unhealthy etc etc to give little ones chocolate (even at Easter). AIBU for wanting to give my 9m/o DS some chocolate though?

My plan was to make a sugar free mousse made with 100% cocoa chocolate and flavoured with orange.

OP posts:
FrangipaniBlue · 28/03/2018 09:49

Confused at all the posters who only give their toddlers chocolate at Easter

Seriously, a little treat of chocolate more than once a year won't kill them

ReanimatedSGB · 28/03/2018 09:54

I didn't give DS chocolate until he was about 18 months, and only then because someone offered him a piece. He didn't like it. Up until he was about 3 he had no interest in chocolate. Relatives would give me ester eggs for him, which I would accept - and eat myself, later.
He likes chocolate now, but my approach was more along the lines of: don't give him sweets till he expresses an interest. he doesn't need to be taught that chocolate is nice; he'll find out whether he likes it or not in his own good time.

Grilledaubergines · 28/03/2018 09:59

Christ, buy him a buttons egg and let him tuck in! Cocoa added to a mousse is not a substitute. Plus cocoa without sugar isn’t a good taste. Save yourself the effort with a whisk!

blackteasplease · 28/03/2018 10:01

I don't see the point of making this special mousse.

Either don't.give chocolate as they won't notice or give them a bit of whatever other people are having.

DianaPrincessOfThemyscira · 28/03/2018 10:06

I wouldn’t bother with the mousse. It’ll be bitter as hell even with the orange, I doubt he’ll eat any.

Mine had chocolate buttons at around that age. They still do sometimes. None of them have an especially sweet tooth and none are even slightly overweight (9, 9 and 6).

Addy2 · 28/03/2018 10:09

Well, chocolate isn't on the NHS avoid list for babies, though sugar is.
www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/foods-to-avoid-baby/

I've also found the following link that may help you :
www.healthline.com/health/parenting/can-babies-have-chocolate#4

Personally, I wouldn't as I don't see a reason to and if I could kick my own chocolate addiction I would be healthier and happier for it, but each to their own. It won't kill him.

eeanne · 28/03/2018 10:10

I wouldn't go as far to say YABU but I think it's kind of silly. Babies don't know what chocolate is and won't miss it. I don't think DC1 tasted chocolate until 18 months. Hasn't done any harm. Loves it now!

duckponds · 28/03/2018 10:20

A little ridiculous, sugar isn't good at all for a child that age but I'm sure a tiny amount wouldn't make a difference. You are entitled to make your own decision, it's your child after all. However, I do think it is absurd to give a something to a 9 month old at all, as if they are going to have a clue what Easter is?!!

Lottie4 · 28/03/2018 10:22

I have a friend who didn't give her DC chocolate/sweets for the first year or so of his life. DC2 came along and the no chocolate sweet thing went out the window. Moving on a few year, the child who didn't have chocolate when he was young, can't get enough of it, the child who had it isn't fussed either way.

Don't over think it, to my mind chocolate is a treat and if it's treated as that, that's all your child will now.

mavismcruet · 28/03/2018 10:23

Giving your baby chocolate obviously doesn’t feel right to you. So don’t do it. It’s not depriving them if you don’t. And it’s not damaging if you do give them a little taste. So therefore it’s just how you feel about it. From your posts you are clearly worried by it. So don’t do it.

MamaMilkMachine · 28/03/2018 10:27

@TheFifthKey your post made me chuckle, my daughter rarely entertains food on her high chair tray but any tiny bit of anything she finds on the floor goes straight in the mouth, I've often joked about just leaving peas lying about on the floor to get her to eat them Grin

FleurDelacoeur · 28/03/2018 10:28

You do know that cocoa without any sugar at all is incredibly bitter, don't you? A mousse made with cream, cocoa and citrusy orange won't be sweet in the slightest so don't be surprised if your PFB spits it out.

Just give him/her a couple of buttons and chill out. (Spoken as a mum of three, first lived on pureed organic quinoa and all sorts of stuff, by the time the third came along he was lucky to get porridge.)

JaneEyre70 · 28/03/2018 10:31

I'm assuming your baking is naturally sugar free, and not adding sweetener of any kind as that is massively unsuitable for little ones. A little bit of sugar never hurt as long its not an everyday food.

OuchLegoHurts · 28/03/2018 10:36

No offence, but do you think so deeply about everything you do with your baby??!

RoseDog · 28/03/2018 10:38

My first dc I wouldn't have dreamed on feeding her chocolate so young, she fed all homemade, organic, no sugar...

Dc2 teethed on frozen milky ways...

As it turns out dc2 doesn't have a sweet tooth and totally a savoury person, he's asked for pringles instead of an Easter egg Hmm

Idontbelieveinthemoon · 28/03/2018 10:40

As it turns out dc2 doesn't have a sweet tooth and totally a savoury person, he's asked for pringles instead of an Easter egg

Off topic but I love your DC2!

OP you will never please everyone with your parenting choices; feed your baby what you feel is right but don't fret over what anyone else thinks of you feeding a little chocolate to a child. There are so many things to worry about, chocolate should never be one of them.

shirt · 28/03/2018 10:41

I won't be giving any chocolate to my DC! Why give them a taste for it so early? He doesn't know it exists, he doesn't need it, he doesn't want it.

Giving chocolate to babies is one of the reason why so many children are overweight and obese in this country.

ineedwine99 · 28/03/2018 10:44

Gave my baby tiny amounts of chocolate from about 9m old, just a bit of chocolate button for example. It's not given her a particularly sweet tooth, she still eats anything she's given

curious86 · 28/03/2018 10:46

It's your child so it's your choice.
I always think back to when I was at school, I had a friend who's parent never let them have chocolate or sweets so she binged in them when she was at school or any of our friends houses. I honestly think that sets a bad example, if there taught they are a treat and have chocolate or sweets every so often it should be acceptable

FleurDelacoeur · 28/03/2018 10:46

Giving chocolate to babies is one of the reason why so many children are overweight and obese in this country.

Really? Really??? A couple of buttons at a few months old is what defines their entire eating pattern? Personally I'm a firm believer in everything in moderation, nothing is banned, nothing is forbidden and we don't have "good" food and "bad" food.

TheViceOfReason · 28/03/2018 10:50

Do you know how disgustingly bitter a sugar free 100% cocoa mousse will be? It'll be inedible!

A 9 month old doesn't know or understand what easter or chocolate is - so why not just leave it? But if you really want to give them some chocolate, then just give them a small bit of yours.

shirt · 28/03/2018 11:05

Really? Really??? A couple of buttons at a few months old is what defines their entire eating pattern?

Nope, it's more about the value/attitudes to food. It indicates a lot.

Original poster
TwittleBee · 28/03/2018 11:27

I feel like I need to just re point out that this mousse is what I shall be making anyway. I have made it before and it goes down a treat as we are all lovers of 100% cocoa anyway! So this mousse isn't being made specially for him but for the family coming over.

AHedgehogCanNeverBeBuggered Just gave him exactly what we eat at meal times, so if we are having curry or chilli then he has that too (I just don't cook with salt and avoid sugar). I haven't done anything special, just let him get on with and explore food. Everykid is different though so no pressure on yours to eat same as my DS!

MrsPreston11 and TotHappy yeah I am making the mousse anyway for the family coming over and just wanted to know if it is okay for DS to join in with the chocolate dessert

specialsubject yeah I know but I feel like I want to refrain from processed sugar for as long and as much as possible as it is a much sweeter taste.

mavismcruet I was just wondering why people are so shocked by the thought of giving babies chocolate and wondered if 100% chocolate had anything bad in it (besides the small amount of caffeine)

OuchLegoHurts yes I do, I suffer with anxiety so pretty much every decision is over analysed (and not just in regards to my DS)

Addy2 Thank you that is really useful to see

FleurDelacoeur I am making it anyway. I love it. And DS has already drunk (decaf) coffee by my stupidity in placing a mug within his reach - and he bloody well managed to drink it! I cant drink coffee in front of him now as he moans he wants some haha

shirt hmm interesting, I think it is more about the parents/carers way of bringing their kid up following on from the initial taste and the value/attitudes towards food. I can't see how an early taste in something would give them obesity later in life if the rest of their up bringing towards food was one with respect? Breast milk is naturally sweet too so...

OP posts:
PinkHeart5914 · 28/03/2018 11:36

Chocolate isn’t crack and just becuase they have a small chocolate as a young child doesn’t mean they will be 20 stone sugar addicts by time they are 10 ffs. Yes if your feeding a dc 20 mars bars a week and sugary crap cereal for breakfast everyday, that might lead to obesity later in life but 3-4 chocolate buttons or a milky bar now and then isn’t going to.

My little dc have 1 small egg each. So yes my dc eat chocolate sometimes but they also eat veg and everything else too.

shirt · 28/03/2018 12:34

@TwittleBee I'm on your side! Mousse sounds delicious - it's got no sugar/crap in it.

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