How can I break the too many 'treats' cycle with our 3.5yo? my fault not hers!

[stellamel]

Took my 3.5yo to the park yesterday and while there she had an icecream. Once we were sat down, and she was absorbed in eating, I started to think about how many 'treats' she has and was horrified to realise that she has bloody loads! Something chocolately etc every day. Also she now mainly drinks Vimto, instead of water (which was all she used to have, or milk).

I am ashamed to say I have no idea how I have managed to slip slowly down this road with her . I do know it's been a slow and steady thing. She was an Annabel Karmel puree baby, no sweet stuff etc, all organix this and that . But she started to get quite fussy about 8 months ago and I think that is when the bad habits started.

I am desperate to break this, but feel if I just go and chuck all the junk in the bin, and say no icecream etc it'll be too much for her.

Does anyone have any tips about how to break this cycle and get back to proper food and drink, and the occasional treat?

I feel like the crappiest mum in the world at the moment!

(btw the vimto thing is bad cos she's a real hamster and has a tendency to hold drink and food in her mouth longer than necessary)

First of all, the easiest thing to do is not buy any more junk like vimto. If you don't have any in the house she can't have any.

Don't mention it to your DD, don't say anything like "we're not having vomto any more", just offer the laternative without draewing attention to what's not there.

Ans start using non food items as treats, do you really want your DD to grow up relating food to rawards? It's quite warped thnking really.

You don't need to throw out whatever you've already got in the house, but you can offer it much more rarely. Most things are ok when they are an occasional treat, the problem is that you have drifted into her having "treats" constantly!

So, Vimto maybe once or twice a week until the bottle runs out, then "we don't have any". And offer milk or water other times.

Same with the chocolate - only offer it now and then, and have plenty of other healthy snacks to offer all the other times. And get out of the habit of it always being around the house.

Icecream at the park - well I guess it depends how often you go to the park, but if you're there quite often, then just don't offer it, and have healthy snacks in your bag/pocket to offer instead.

And you can answer questions about "Why can't I have it?" with healthy eating advice. "Fruit is full of lovely vitamins", "Too many sweet things are bad for your teeth" etc.

i started calling other things treats and they really are like chopped dates they are so sweet or yougurt covered rasins or pretzels or vanilla yougurt with a bit of maple syrup or honey, warm milk and honey is our special drink and a juice box with no added sugar that is a mix of veggie and fruit juice i think sometimes it is just retraining the treat thing they dont read the labels so we have had yrs and yrs of what a treat is but to them it is anything new or that they cant have a lot so even a small bag of natural chips can be a special treat or even olivies with the pitt out they can put on there fingers! doesnt always have to be a sweet treat just make it sound exciting! sorry i keep rambling but i love the food ??'S,

sorry, also maybe have her go to the store with you to pick out her own special fruits to eat at the park or fun things to eat as a picnic.

Swap vimto for milk or water.Make that a compulsory thing because it will be wrecking her teeth (and surprisingly Vimto is more full of additives than some supermarket brands!)

make the treaty food an out and about thing, and get round this by not having any in the house.

Re the olives - children generallyadore anything they can make into finger-hats. Raspberries make good finger-hats too.

Good advice folks, thanks

What other snacks are good to have? she likes olives, bananas, grapes, raisins, organix 'crisps'.

Mine like breadsticks, and will eat more fruit if I cut it up first rather than hand them it whole, IYSWIM. I sometimes mix in chopped up hard cheese with the fruit too.

hard boiled eggs, nuts, salsa and chips, hummus carrots/celery, pretzels, veggie booty, apricots, dried mango, string cheese, bananas with pb.
I always leave a bowl of raisins, nuts and dates in the living room so she can grab snacks anytime. Also all her good snacks are in an easy to grab place so i don't have to always be offering "healthy snacks" cause she feels so big being able to get her own food

My dd (2.7) regards those Humzinger fruit bars as treats, mainly because they come in brighly coloured foil packets, I think.

My kids ADORE dippers with dip. I use all sorts as the dip. And they will eat carrots, celery, peppers, breadsticks, biscuits.

And they love anything they have made.

Agree with comment about using non-food things as treats - e.g. books. A magazine. A trip to the library.

Don't beat yourself up about being a bad mum. It's easy to end up giving them lots of treats. Just stop/reduce without making an issue out of it with DD. It's surprising how easily they asjust to a new 'normal'

Thanks everyone.

Started last eve with only water or milk for a drink at tea time. She didn't moan either, asked for Vimto this morning to go with her breakie and I said no, she went aw for about a second and that was it.

Thanks for the ideas, I like the suggestion of a bowl of nuts and fruits, and also the dips.

Cheers