AIBU to give my children a treat everyday?

[Flossyknicks]

I’m wondering what other parents do when it comes to giving their children treats. They are 8 and 4 and will have a biscuit like a digestive or a custard cream, or a Mr Kipling Angel Slice, every day. At the weekends, it might be two treats.

YABU one treat a day is too much
YANBU one treat a day is ok

A biscuit, occasional cake is fine every day, especially if they're eating a healthy diet otherwise. We've always had a biscuit or two in the morning, so could hardly say to DD, she couldn't have one. She was bought up that a snack in the afternoon was fruit, veggie sticks, babybel or toast and she totally accepted that as she got older.

Yesterday my son had a banana, 3 small packets of tangtastic haribos, 1 mars milkshake, and a blueberry bread abiet to save his life (diabetic was 1.2 mmol with 8 uints of insulin on board) but hey ho. So don’t think a custard cream is that bad 😂

Mine were brought up having 'afters' every day and home baking/biscuits were freely available. I even chose full sugar drinks and pure fruit juice as don't feel artificial sweeteners are 'healthy' ..........all 30s/40s now not a filling between them, nor overweight.

I give mine a Gingsters pasty and packet of Werthers Originals.

Digestives are nice, they're sugary enough I think. An angel slice is lots of sugar. Sounds like you've got the right balance to me. Good for you.

I actually wouldn’t let my children have those things every day, but I think I’m quite unusual in that respect (reading through the replies to the thread kind of confirms I’m an outlier).

Appreciate they’ll probably mainline Haribo when they get the chance, but I wouldn’t have shop bought cakes and biscuits in the house so I wouldn’t give it to them. I just don’t think it has any nutritional value and wouldn’t want anyone to eat it habitually. But I’m happy to let them have a bit of cake if we go out to a cafe, or an ice cream on a hot day. It’s hard to get the balance right and I might be too restrictive.

My little boy has a mini brownie (you know the ones you buy in a pack of 20), everyday for his dessert with his yoghurt and fruit after dinner. It’s not a treat for anything it’s just part of his balanced diet, he still gets it regardless of whether or not he finishes all his broccoli (which tbf he does as he loves veg 😂) his grandparents think this is shocking but I want him to grow up knowing that things like this are fine in moderation and a normal part of a balanced diet

I know I didn’t make the original comment but I was thinking the same thing, that maybe you have guilt over eating those things yourself and have a negative association with them, like perhaps growing up there was some shame in eating those kinds of things. I might be totally off the mark but I’m just speculating!

I dont label food as treats etc in general.

My son is allowed biscuits, chocolate, crisps even sweets everyday. All in moderation as part of a balanced diet.

Seems to be working fine as he isn't overly bothered by any food and often chooses fruit first. He's a good weight, really fit and no dental issues.

I've struggled with my relationship with food all my life so seeing my child have a healthy and balanced attitude is such a great feeling!

Wow! I thought I was strict when my DS was little 😆

Try one with butter, cheese and a crisp slice of apple on top - game changing I tell you!

Thinking back (my DS is now 25) I was strict about him only occasionally eating sugary stuff that would be in his mouth for ages (and therefore coating his teeth). Eg Chupa Chup type lollies or hard boiled type sweets. I was also strict about no fizzy drinks except occasionally. Luckily he was a massive milk drinker.

I was much more relaxed about chocolate and biscuits (he didn't eat cake as he had an egg allergy).

I also had a no sweet stuff until after lunch rule but that rule didn't apply on holidays. I also only allowed boring cereals but that rule was relaxed on holiday too and if self-catering he would have the little selection pack cereals.

God I sound like a barrel of laughs 😆

A biscuit is a treat to some people.

I don't give "treats" every day, but I don't apply a limit to it either. I try to do a bit of gentle linking between need and type of food.

E.g. needing ice lollies to keep cool, going to do exercise so might be more hungry etc.

I try to balance between it not being a big deal and not being a habit either.

What is it then?

A staple food like bread, rice or potatoes?

YANBU OP, nothing wrong with a daily treat.

It's a biscuit. There's no need to use terms like treat over a biscuit. It's food in the same way fruit is food.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Says who?

Agree. After a ten mile run and a cold shower!

Mate, feed them on a diet of mars bars if you like. They are your children, it’s none of everyone else’s business.

(“But the NHS is everyone’s business if they get so fat they have to be cut out of the r house and carted off in a jumbulance get ill” there, saved some one of you typing it).

I don’t every day, DD knows where the junk cupboard is and can help herself but the problem is one biscuit is ok now, but when you get older you want the whole pack. I can’t be trusted with crisps, DH can’t be trusted with cakes.
I can remember the dentist telling me what you give the child now, means they’ll always crave it. I don’t know anyone craving a salad- it’s not that I have anything against treats, but they’re all so over processed now. High quality treats, chocs etc can be expensive too.
But a biscuit a day is also fine.

Totally fine to have a biscuit, small cake or ice cream etc each day.

Once every two years, surely. Not every birthday anyway, you don't want them getting greedy.

Yeah my sister was very restrictive over her children’s diet. as young adults, one has anorexia and one is obese. Both blame her.

So hey, she did manage to cover both ends of the ED spectrum with her batshittery over food. Yet my children, who I didn’t give a shit if they ate sweets and didn’t think any food was bad or a treat, are all healthy, mentally and physically.

I agree with you. Something being normalised doesn’t make it right. Biscuits are considered ultra processed foods with no/very little nutritional value and should be limited