i used dd1 as an experiment

[nailpolish]

i am one of these people who 'agree' that additives, sweetners, e nos., whatever you want to call them, are bad for you. but ive never really thought about it for too long, or much. but i was getting really fed up with dd1's mood swings - on minute she was nice as pie, next lashing out. one minute sitting reading a book, next minute furiously scribbling crayon all over her baby sister, etc etc etc

one day we were going for a walk and to get to the swings we have to walk past the local shop (which i dont like) (the shop i mean)

on the way back from the swings i usually go in for odds and ends, and i usually get dd1 a treat if she has been good. this, i am embarrassed to say, was sometimes jelly sweets or chewits or something similar.

one day i saw that she had been lots of fun, playing nicely at the swings, then she ate her sweets on the way home, then when we got home for the rest of the afternoon she was a horror. (she had also had some cheapo juice)

for the next fortnight i didnt give her any of those kind of sweets or crisps, and only water (sometimes fizzy, which i pretended was lemonade) and she has been a lovely girl, which has meant more fun for everyone

anyway, just wanted to tell you. say i told you so if you want, i dont care anymore, i have a nice dd1!

just a wee question though, are they any sweets/treats that are ok to give?! i have discovered the local chemist has sugar free lollies, but are they still full of shit?

please and thank you

Will tell my brother his dd is a total brat aged 4 and well spoilt. She is always eating sweets and drinking pop.

Brother won't listen of course

white choclate is meant to be btter as it obviosuly isnt colouredwith anything nasty.

what about the baby organix chew bars and crisps?? www.goodies.co.uk i think.

will your DD eat raisins or dried apricots? my DD loves these and calls then sweeties, chocolate is much better than 'sweets' so maybe a freddo bar or buttons.

the otherone which always works on DD is a combo of the above choccy coated raisins and she also likes yogurts covered apricots and bananas.

oh yes - she loves cereal bars. fruit and fibre one is the fave at the moment. shes not keen on chocolate though, misdee

np, there are some nice organic bars you can get with fruit and oats and no crap in them. You're preaching to the converted here, but I'm glad you had a result!

We found exactly the same thing with dd2! dd1 could eat anything and was still a chilled out, polite child but dd2 turns into a loony after a few jelly type sweets - dd1 brought some cola bottles home from a party once and dd2 ate them and was charging up and down the room like a rhino!

If we want a treat now, we stick to them sharing a mini bag of something like Magic Stars or Chocolate buttons - additives are scary!

And organic ice cream and strawberries or freeze a banana on a stick (it's like ice cream) or frozen fruit juice as lollies.

shes gone off raisins as i think i overloaded her with them. she will gobble down a bunch of grapes, strawbs, rasps, etc etc though

what about nuts?

And decent chocolate is fine imo too.

nuts are good.

And seeds, like pumpkin and sunflower.

Would ahve thought sugerfree lollies have even more crap in, as something has to make them taste sweet, IYSWIM.

frozen banana on a stick?

how gorgeous does that sound???

now, how do i get the cm to stop giving her sweets? one day i found a huge biscuit tin full of shite sweets - i was not very happy, but didnt say anything at the time. then i knew why dd1 is a nightmare after a day at cm's

true, don't go for stuff with aspartame etc.

Skittles send my dd hyper. Smarties do it for one of her friends.

skittles disintegrate your teeth they are so sugary - yuck

so no to the lollies in the chemist then?

The cm just has to not do it. Tell her you're experimenting and you will know and that your dd's been told she's not getting any of the usual stuff but some nicer new stuff. Like frozen banana on a stick, which is lovely!

am freezing the bananas as we speak - yum

is there an easy way to dry your own fruit? like apples? i thought apple rings (apples her fave)

bananas, etc

anyone?

Re drying fruit - I have awonderfu cookbook all about preserving fruit and veg (although I've never actually tried anything!) and I checked it last night:
drying fruit - need to dip them in a solution of 6 tablespoons lemon juice mixed with 1.5 pints warm water.
Drain well.
Place on a wire rack in a foil lined baking tray and put in a pre-heated oven (110 deg c)- leave door sligtly ajar.
Apples - sliced into rings about 5 mm thick - 6-8 hours
Bananas - sliced lengthways - 10 - 12 hours

In the cookbook "Happy Days with teh Naked Chef" he suggests putting dried fruit in a processor until it's a smooth paste and spreading it on a baking tray and cooking - then chopping the result into different shapes so it looks like fruit gums! Sounds interesting - but I've never tried it.

thanks scotlou - that sounds brilliant! (mainly cos its dead easy!)