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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if there are others that don't allow a chocolate coma on Easter

136 replies

Bakingwithmyboys · 18/04/2022 09:23

This is totally light hearted and each to their own but I wondered if there are any others out there that don't allow their children to gorge on chocolate or if we are the only meanies around.

Lots of my friends make comments about chocolate eggs for breakfast etc but we just don't do that. They get a bit more than normal on the day. Then most of it goes in a box to be had as and when. Usually over the next few weeks we shall work through it.

Anyone else?

OP posts:
Hotterweathe · 18/04/2022 16:29

My children have a bit of chocolate everyday since they were very young. I have lots of chocolate lying around and they can take or leave it. I was the same as a child and as an adult, I can’t be bothered with chocolates. In fact, there have been period of years when I haven’t even tasted a bit of chocolate at all.

Ponderingwindow · 18/04/2022 16:41

Chocolate comas for all!!!

Yet we still end up with a bowl of chocolate and candy after every holiday that anyone in the family is free to take from and it inevitably gets thrown out by the time the next holiday rolls around.

Strangely, letting kids have all the chocolate they want doesn’t seem to turn them into gluttons. They eat lots and sometimes eat too much. Occasionally there are tummy aches. Yet often that candy gets forgotten for weeks on end or it gets eaten one tiny piece at a time.

Making it illicit or in need of special regulation doesn’t necessarily teach them moderation.

LaMarschallin · 18/04/2022 16:43

00100001

TheGriffle

Oh and today the 5 year old has sat down and eaten an apple, nectarine, strawberries and grapes already this morning so they know what healthy food is.

We'll, you may as well let them have the chocolate, seeing the amount of sugar you let your kid have...

To be fair*, the fruit will have other nutrients and, importantly, fibre so is probably less harmful than the same amount of sugar taken in the form of chocolate.

*I know! What am I saying? This is MN...

Steelesauce · 18/04/2022 16:57

I've never been restrictive with sweets or chocolate. Easter, Halloween and Christmas they can just have at it as much as the want but throughout the year they are offered chocolate/sweets regularly. As a result, they're really not bothered by them at all. Reverse psychology in my mind Grin

00100001 · 18/04/2022 17:05

@LaMarschallin

00100001

TheGriffle

Oh and today the 5 year old has sat down and eaten an apple, nectarine, strawberries and grapes already this morning so they know what healthy food is.

We'll, you may as well let them have the chocolate, seeing the amount of sugar you let your kid have...

To be fair*, the fruit will have other nutrients and, importantly, fibre so is probably less harmful than the same amount of sugar taken in the form of chocolate.

*I know! What am I saying? This is MN...

As if a bit if chocolate at Easter is harmful
Inmyonesie · 18/04/2022 17:06

Yes we don't allow copious amounts of chocolate in one go, but the kids also never ask for it. They aren't interested in stuffing their faces. Strange children as I was a chocolate addict until recently! They obviously don't take after me

LaMarschallin · 18/04/2022 17:20

00100001

As if a bit if chocolate at Easter is harmful

I don't think a "bit of chocolate at Easter" is harmful.
You said that the child might as well have chocolate as they'd already had a lot of sugar in fruit.

I was trying to point out that fruit carries more nutritional benefits along with sugar than chocolate does.
Chocolate also carries some benefits, treats are nice and, no, I don't think it should be banned or anything.

Kanaloa · 18/04/2022 17:27

@fairylightsandwaxmelts

How much do you buy? If it’s hanging round months later maybe stop buying it or buy much less. Just seems wasteful to buy something that will sit in the cupboard for months.

Why is it wasteful as long as it gets eaten @Kanaloa?

Surely it's only a waste if it gets thrown away?

@fairylightsandwaxmelts

Because it’s obviously very large amounts (of too expensive for what it is chocolate in Christmas or Easter wrappers) if it’s still left lying in the cupboard months later. If you don’t want your kids to eat it just don’t buy it.

Hayisforhorse · 18/04/2022 17:31

Not necessarily ridiculously large amounts.

My DC have each had 1 small Easter Egg from grandparents, 1 medium Lindt bunny, and a handful of Lindt mini eggs.

Hayisforhorse · 18/04/2022 17:33

Some DC just don't have particularly sweet tooths. When I was young I would ask for a book instead of an Easter Egg as I just wasn't bothered by chocolate. (Wish that was the case now, became much more sweet-toothed during and after pregnancy.)

HRTQueen · 18/04/2022 17:40

No but ds wouldn’t scoff all the chocolate if he felt a bit sick he would soon get over it

I always bought a few little cheap cars or other tat to include in the egg hunt these were more of an interest to him (I know such unwanted waste before it’s pointed out)

InvincibleInvisibility · 18/04/2022 17:57

I am more lax with chocolate at Easter and Christmas but I still restrict it as both my DC suffer from migraines.

They got one pack of small eggs from us, a chocolate hen and pack of small eggs from MiL. My parents will do a hunt for them in a couple of weeks when we visit (with small eggs).

My DB always boasts that DN has chocolate left over for months after celebrations...but this just means DN is eating other chocolate, sweets, biscuits and cakes in the meantime. It's not virtuous at all.

RobertaFirmino · 18/04/2022 18:20

I let mine have a carob coated organic rice cake each. Goodness knows where they put it all, two bites of one and I'm full to the brim. They must have hollow legs.

Silversprinkles · 18/04/2022 21:38

@sobby49

No. I have never celebrated Easter by just shovelling chocolate into my DC's mouths, it is about Jesus Christ not how much chocolate can gluttonous children eat in one go. There is enough sugar in fruit that they can have which will satisfy them just as much if not more than any chocolate would be able to.

DH and I are howling with laughter at some of the sanctimony on this thread but this is EPIC levels of smug smuggery. Off you trot and polish your halo for Jesus. GrinGrinGrin

VestaTilley · 18/04/2022 21:52

Us too. DS gets eggs from lots of relatives, so we limit to one on Easter Sunday, plus a few small ones from the egg hunt. He’s only little, so I expect I’ll relax a bit when he gets older, but chocolate won’t replace meals in this house - it makes their behaviour go up the wall, and doesn’t fill them up enough.

Notdoingthis · 18/04/2022 22:26

I don't ration sweet things which are given to the kids, like party bags or Easter eggs. They don't get them often enough. We don't buy them ourselves.
I've never understood people who let their kids have a bit each day. Chocolate is a treat not a daily occurence. And if it belongs to them, rhey can choose when they eat it. I don't care.
I have 3 kids. They don't get Easter eggs from anyone else, just us. I give them a £1 egg each and about 8 x small.ones in a hunt.
DC1 will finish the lot in a day.
DC2 will take about a week.
Dc3 doesn't like chocolate and will leave it for months.

Camomila · 18/04/2022 22:40

I think Jesus would be fine with a bit of chocolate...our priest handed out creme eggs from a giant basket at the end of mass.

That said I did ration the Easter chocolate because my 2 year old just likes unwrapping all the mini bunnies and then lining them up in a row/carrying them around in his hands till they melt and it just seemed like a waste.

GoodJanetBadJanet · 18/04/2022 22:44

Mine are teens now, so I just put the Easter eggs out and hope they are sensible enough to ration them Grin
When younger though, even though as we only gave one egg each they ended up with loads due to big family.
I used to hide and ration to a bit every day as they totally wouldn't have been trusted otherwise!

backtobusy · 18/04/2022 23:10

I was discussing with DH only yesterday that the reason I had so much chocolate at Easter compared to him was that I had a church.
So I had chocolate from the church and lots of my wider church "family".
Thankfully none of them had read the memo that proper Christians didn't stuff dc with chocolate.

WaitinginVain · 18/04/2022 23:36

No restrictions here and we will still be eating it for weeks, it's the same at Christmas. They love Easter eggs and especially the hunt but there's always chocolate in the house so they don't feel the need to gorge. And no they're not overweight, their teeth are fine and they eat plenty of healthy food.

shreddednips · 19/04/2022 00:17

My DH and I have just had this debate as we completely differ on it- he was all for breaking a tiny bit off the chocolate bunny and giving it to DS then rationing it out, it hadn't even occurred to me that you wouldn't just let children eat their Easter chocolate as they wish. We settled on the head and ears.

But to me, it feels a bit mean to present child with the chocolate as a gift then dictate in what way they may enjoy it (unless there's a puke/migraine risk etc.) I can still remember the joy of sinking my teeth into the top of an Easter egg without breaking it up first. Chocolate tastes better in egg form.

ToxicShock · 19/04/2022 00:29

I keep reminding DD if she'd like some of her Easter chocolate. She's only had like two chocolate eggs yesterday and today and I'm so tempted every five minutes to scoff the whole thing myself. I want her to finish it. But then she's underweight and just nevrr wants to eat anything

Countdownis35 · 19/04/2022 00:30

How big are peoples eggs/bunnies? The egg is hollow. Poor kids I wouldn't bother.

RegardingMary · 19/04/2022 03:52

Full chocolate coma here.

They start off strong with an egg at breakfast but can rarely finish it, then graze the rest of the day. We've found they eat about the same as if I was rationing it and we don't have to deal with constant 'can I have some of my egg'

The huge pile left will go in thd cupboard and is now fairgame for all.

boronia · 19/04/2022 03:58

@Blossomtoes

I work on the principle they can only eat it once. It makes no difference whether it’s all consumed on one day or over several weeks.
Yes I agree, and mine never had outrageous amounts anyway. A rabbit, maybe 4-5 of the mediums and some of the solid eggs. One child would eat theirs over 1-2 days and the other still had some 3 weeks later. On the other hand if they were given 6 Lindt bunnies, another 6 rabbits and 50 eggs I would have dished them out over time.