To think banning a kid from having ANY sweets at all ever by the age of five

[Fragmentedbrain]

Is just asking to make them into a future sensation seeking crack addict?

Or is this normal now?

No food should ever be banned its about moderation

It’s unrealistic

Are we talking about you not buying them to the house or a complete ban? As is he is not allowed to have any, even outside your house? Are we talking candy specifically or any good sweet stuff?

Im assuming you mean a complete ban and no sweet stuff at all. How are you planning on doing that? He gets a banana at a birthday party? Won't go to friends house or you inform everyone he associates with that he's not allowed?

No food should ever be banned, its all about finding the right balance. Yes you can have sweets, no you cant have the whole family sharer bag in one sitting!

Guess they won't be going to parties?

We had a lovely mummy friend who barred sweets and treats for her DD's. They were bloody feral when they used go to other people's homes, parties etc. I can remember one of the ransacking another families cupboards when on a play date.

Surely low moderation is best?

Its not helpful to ban but it is better to avoid the reward/treat associated with sweets as it plays into the belief that sweets are better/nicer than healthier options.

I’ve known children whose parents have extreme views on sweets, tv etc and it’s backfired in their faces.

Their children see these things like pure drugs and they are obsessed if they’re anywhere near them or get the chance to have them.

Yup.

I was raised in a "nothing with sugar" household. My brother has a baking company now. We're both sugar addicts.

I would worry about the mental health of any adult who had thought that much about sweets.

it’s controlling, high anxiety and seems very likely to be linked to an eating disorder

This can only work with oldest or only children.

I think it shows an uptight and controlling nature on the part of the parent, or possibly anxiety that should be brought to the attention of a medical professional.

So basically your brother turned into a drug lord.

Sorry that made me laugh Im going to say to my kids tomorrow if you clean your room you can have some broccoli

Well they are nicer though. No kid has ever liked salad more than cake.

What sort of sweets? There’s nothing wrong with avoiding buying sweets while a child is still young as long as they are allowed when preventing it would single the child out and make them miss out on an experience their peers were having.

My children had things like chocolate, cake and ice cream before five, but they didn’t have novelty candies and things like haribo until they became a thing for school friend birthdays. They are fine.

My kid does 😂 🤣
mans we have never banned anything lol

I haven’t read the thread but I was practically force fed ‘spice’ by my deceased father as a kid. For anything. I fell and grazed my knee….spice. I had a shit day at primary school…spice.
I consequently hate sweet things and can’t bear cake or pudding, crisps and chocolate. In a weird way I feel grateful, so thanks Dad. You made me hate the junk that killed you.

The ones that make me laugh are the ones that ban all sweets but fill up half their kid’s plate with ketchup.

You won't be able to ban them. Wait til you see the snack swapping that goes on at school 🤫

But I think it's fine to decide you're not giving them sweets. There are other ways to have treats.

It’s the mental association with reward that’s the issue though. It creates pleasure feelings which makes you crave it more (that plus the addiction)

It’s the mental association with reward that’s the issue though. It creates pleasure feelings which makes you crave it more (that plus the addiction)

I love this and I'm going to tell him.

😂😂

Just wait until they're old enough to move out for university and or living out for work where you can't control them.
I've known people who were raised in highly restrictive, stern households. They do go doolally eventually when they for instance go to university and don't know how to handle the freedom. Then it's drinking to excess etc.

It's right up there with 'this dog isn't going to sit on the furniture' in things people say will happen but fail to achieve.

By sweets I’m assuming you mean like packaged candy, rather than using the word to mean like any sweet food?

I don’t think it’s unrealistic to do it until the age of 5, especially if born early in the school year. My DDs never had sweets at that age - they weren’t “banned”, we just didn’t buy them and they didn’t know they existed in order to ask. It wasn’t even a decision I made. I don’t eat sweets so just never bought them.

Lots of parents don’t allow all sorts of things when their children are under 5. I doubt many 4 year olds drink coke, but that doesn’t mean that not allowing them to drink it at that age will result in a cola addiction later on.

Once they start going to parties and having party bags, then no, I wouldn’t be confiscating items because I didn’t allow them (although I don’t allow some that are choking hazards, but I say why and swap it for another sweet/chocolate thing that I get for them).

I still don’t buy sweets. I don’t really see why I would. We do a lot of baking though so I’m not anti-sugar. I just wouldn’t spend money on horrible sweets. My DC are yet to show any lack of control around the contents of a party bag or a school fete haribo mix.

I did my best to keep my eldest added / processed sugar free till 2 and am aiming to do the same for the second, but till 5 feels bonkers and an unnecessary battle. My theory is to avoid sugary stuff when they don't know what it is (e.g., to me, no need for my 1 year old to have an ice lolly), but completely agree with a pp that you don't want them feeling like the odd one out around their peers and at parties etc. My eldest is now 4 and has a healthy relationship with sugary goodness as far as I can see! She doesn't like sweets, but loves chocolate and cake - and is happy with eating it in moderation. I think it would be quite the stress to keep a child sugar-free till 5 - and why 5 in particular?