To despair at the crap some people feed their kids

[Apotofrealcoffee]

Currently watching a kid who can’t be more than age 3, tuck in to a packet of ‘squashie’ sweets on the bus. No sign of a tantrum, kid seems perfectly happy looking out the window, but out come the sweets. And to pre empt the ‘snobbery’ thing, the parent seems middle class to me and certainly eloquent.

I regularly see kids tucking into chocolate bars, packets of crisps, lollies, all on the school run. Many of them toddlers in their buggies dropping off older siblings. Parents meeting kids at the school gate with full packets of Oreos, bottles of pop, doughnuts.

I’ve been trying not to judge for years and have been repeatedly told it’s ’just one snapshot of their day’ but honestly, I feel like the time for judgement has entered. I have never fed my toddlers crap like that, let alone just after breakfast. My 3 year old has never had a fizzy drink.

Why, just why! AIBU to feel there needs to be some kind of very direct public health campaign at this point? Maybe even a ‘no sweets at the school gate’ rule?

I’ve never seen this, could be the area you live in?? I’m rural so less people. But if I did see someone give their child sweets before school I wouldn’t automatically assume they did it regularly…….unless they were grandparents. My child won’t eat sweets or chocolate but is a fiend for crisps. They will be happily playing and my mum out of nowhere will ask ‘can I give them a packet of crisps?’ 🤦‍♀️. Absolutely fucking not!!! Why are you asking?!?! It drives me bonkers 😵‍💫

Sweets will provide neither. Seriously why do you think people were healthier and slimmer without this crap? How did Stone Age kids survive without Haribo to prop up their calories?

For me this would fall into the category of maybe not ideal but also not worth getting worked up about. When it's put into perspective of all the less than ideal things that can and do happen to kids. Seeing kids eat sweets on the bus and at the school gates...meh.

Truly ridiculous responses to a well recognised issue.

We drop off and pick up our grandkids from school, they never get food on the way to or from school rather at home. Always start with fruit after which they will often ask for crisps/ biscuits which we let them have, they rarely eat sweets but that’s their choice not because we won’t let them. As long as the diet isn’t 100% so called junk food,does it matter so much if they have some of it

Well a lot didnt...

If we want to talk about long term health and evidence, then we need to also mention that research shows demonising food or labeling food good and bad leads to eating disorders. So why choose to act that way OP when we know it leads to bad health outcomes?

When I think of how much NHS os spending on “lifestyle “ illnesses I do very much think it is something to get worked up about

we have normalised junk eating habits, harmful eating habits as “there’s worse things could happen”

Was this kid in question overweight? Wouldn't that be the thing which made you notice what they were eating? I'm no saint and probably would have noticed this too but I bet I also wouldn't have thought much of a healthy-sized child eating sweets in the days after Halloween. It wouldn't register so my brain would be creating this bias that I'm always seeing bigger children eating sweets, crisps, etc.

I wasn’t talking about sweets. I was replying to the poster who mentioned pastries. Hence my comment about pastries.

Bottom line here is unless you’re that child’s parent, mind your business.
It must be exhausting being so judgemental.

It's horrible. People are lazy don't even bother with a proper breakfast. I saw a schoolchild eating a bag of crisps on the way to school.

No it's everyone's business .it's right to call it out.
Always crap never fruit.

So your assuming they havent had breakfast,?

Also baffled that you think sweets don’t contain calories or carbs? Sugar is a carb, and contains calories. I’m not saying it’s healthy but your comment that they contain neither is wrong. As for the Stone Age kids, well they coped without haribo but the life expectancy was like 30 so…

I remember 20 years ago a mum pouring a bottle of Dr Pepper into a babies bottle, her child was 10 months old because she said the baby bottle was better for her child’s teeth!

I didn’t know what to say I was so shocked.

A healthy balance is best with some treats but no one needs sweets everyday or at 9 in the morning.

I love baking, I like cake, I couldn't wait to share something that i enjoy with my kids. It doesn't seem that odd to me to be looking forward to seeing if a child enjoys something that is generally considered to be enjoyable.

Sweets before school does seem a bit off though.

That said my secondary age DC bakes a cake weekly and has a slice a day for snack. Some would perhaps consider this to be unhealthy.

How is it everyones buisness
What difference do you think the Ops silent judging will to the child?

Of course it isn't everyone's business and OP is simply making a post about it on the internet. It's hardly calling anything out as people will continue to feed their kids how they like.

It’s exhausting paying taxes to an NHS which is pulling out kids teeth and wrangling our obesity crisis!

So close to Halloween I’m sure lots are trying to spread the sweets over weeks and not gorge them all in one day.

Being weird and judgemental
about food is why we have Orthorexia now and eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of all mental health issues.

If this was a secondary school child, maybe they bought them on the way in as they aren't allowed 'junk food' at home and therefore gorge on it now they have freedom. They may have had breakfast. You don't know so it is impossible to judge.

This is the mistake I made with my boys (men) I was so paranoid about tooth decay that all they drank was water/milk & sometimes diluting juice. As soon as my eldest was earning his own money, he started buying Monster drinks, he still has an addiction to that vile drink years on.

And then slagging them off online about it! I’m sure that’s made the world of difference and the NHS is counting their riches now.