If you are very firm and restrict your child's intake of sweets and chocolate they will crave them and become obsessed with them ..

[roisin]

I've heard this lots of times, and it's complete rubbish.

My boys have always had a severely restricted intake of sweets/chocs. (e.g. under 4 I would buy them 5p of penny sweets about once every 2 or 3 weeks, remove most of the contents of bulky party bags, that sort of thing ...)

They are by now 7 and 9 and occasionally have sweets/chocs. Sometimes they get given a 'big heap', and almost invariably they eat just a few, then decide to 'save' the rest for later and put them on the side (in full view) ... and forget about them! I've lost count of the number of times I have chucked away (or eaten!) bowls/packets of sweets that are languishing on a shelf in the breakfast room.

So they're hardly obsessed with sweets, are they?

Your not really drastically restricting their intake Roisin, your just being sensible.

Now if someone forbid their children from ever having sweets then I think the title statement may come into effect.

actually I think the point is roisin that you haven't restricted it .. you have monitored it .. and been sensible .. I think when people say this they are talking about children who are NEVER allowed sweets etc and suddenly when they get the kind of freedom that pocket money and walking to school on your own gives they Can go wild

that's what I think

I don't restrict that much - never before lunch is the main one - my kids will choose apples over sweets (on occasion) - and they know about teeth brushing

I think if you can't have sweets as a child when can you - sweets are a glorious invention

Agree with Hattie -- I think it's making it an issue that is generally warned against, rather than just being sensible as part of normal life.

I was only allowed few sweets and cakes (we had no money). I am terrible for buns and cakes now, and sometimes buy loads and hoard them, it makes me feel safe...don't know why.....