Rationing sweets in Christmas stocking

[SillyUnMurphy]

Like millions of others, I’ve bought a fair amount of sweets and chocolates for DDs Christmas stockings. They’ve also got loads of sweets from school this week (from their teachers, friends and the PTA). My question is would you ration the sweets or do you just let them have free reign and when they’re gone they’re gone? I just seem to be being asked every five minutes “can we have a sweet from such and such box” and obviously this will be amplified come Christmas Day. It’s driving me mad already.
DDs are 9 and 7 and under normal circumstances have sweets once a week.
YABU - ration the sweets
YANBU - let them eat when and how much they like

I would say Christmas day is a free for all, then ration out before and after. Mine have already been given ridiculous amounts, but luckily their still young enough that I can eat the surplus while their in bed without them noticing.

Mine have the selection boxes from their stockings for breakfast on Christmas Day.

Once they’re gone, they’re gone.

I don’t put many in - a selection box and a chocolate Santa. My 19 year old has some cocktail liqueur chocolates in hers but I doubt she’ll crack them open too early in the morning

My brother and I were always able to help ourselves to sweets, biscuits, crisps, fruit, milk, cheese... anything that was earmarked for meals really. We can both give or take them, and always have. My niece was restricted to once a week , after her 5 a day, and she goes mad whenever she gets the chance and stuffs herself.

Teach them self regulation and it’s a life lesson that’ll serve them well. But after Christmas - cos, you know, it’s Christmas! Even I eat Christmas stocking chocolate for breakfast on Christmas Day 😆

I've voted ration but tbh they pretty much self regulate. They were eating Christmas chocolate in Lockdown. (Partly due to sheer volume) (bought by other people... I've bought a chocolate Snitch and a chocolate Santa)

Let them have free reign Xmas day and then ration it. My 6yo is pretty good actually and will stop herself when she’s had enough. With my 2yo though all bets are off!

I just let them eat what they want and when it's gone that's it. I don't really see the difference tbh, if you're happy for them to eat what they've been given its the same amount of food whether its eaten in a day or over a week. Granted, they might feel like shit if they stuff it all in a day but they'd learn not to do it again.

@gingerscot

My brother and I were always able to help ourselves to sweets, biscuits, crisps, fruit, milk, cheese... anything that was earmarked for meals really. We can both give or take them, and always have. My niece was restricted to once a week , after her 5 a day, and she goes mad whenever she gets the chance and stuffs herself.

Teach them self regulation and it’s a life lesson that’ll serve them well. But after Christmas - cos, you know, it’s Christmas! Even I eat Christmas stocking chocolate for breakfast on Christmas Day 😆

My brother and I were allowed free reign of Christmas chocolate and I always had loads left over (because I liked to save it ) but my girls done seem to have any ability to do that. In a way I hope they eat it all in a couple of days and then I don’t have to worry about it anymore. DH is definitely more a fan of rationing

Prize for whoever has some left at end of January?

Self regulation is such an important skill. Free for all. Once it's gone it's gone. No complaining that your sibling still has sweets and you've ran out. No whinging when you've made yourself ill. Only rule should be not to fill up on sweets before dinner because its rude to the cook.

We always got one packet of chocolate coins in our stocking and no other sweets so that's what DC get now.

Mince pies are also freely available throughout the season.

I think there’s a middle ground of letting them have free reign some of the time (like they can have as much as they want as pudding after dinner) but not letting them gorge themselves silly five minutes before a meal.

They do need to learn to self regulate which they won’t do if you control it too strictly but equally you’re the parent and responsible for giving them a reasonably healthy diet (ie. not sweets and chocolate for every meal, even at Christmas).

If you’re concerned can you not give them all the chocolate you’ve got them on Christmas Day but spread it out a bit more?

I will ration sweets for my 3 yo... but he's only getting a few mini chocolate santas, a gingerbread man, a paw patrol chocolate lollipop and a Christmas cupcake. Nevertheless, if he ate it all at once, which he would, it would make him ill and I would have to deal with the resultant tummy ache, which would spoil my Christmas.

Yours are old enough to be sent upstairs with a spoonful of bicarb to lie down and suffer in silence if they gorge on their Christmas stash... so I'd let them at it !

Ration if under 5.

Bitter experience involving smallest child, a trendy pop up by invitation only BBQ restaurant and a bumper Easter bunny haul!

Free reign here, I’d rather it was out of the way in a shorter time period than become a regular treat for a longer time period. We’ve had Christmas chocolate hauls that last til Easter previously and then they get restocked by all the eggs bought by family so it’s a good 6 months of eating chocolate by the time it’s rationed.