Grandparents feeding toddler so much junk on holiday

[TheLetterOfTheLawTheLetter]

I know it's just a holiday and I love how much they love him, but he's too young to understand the different house different rules thing as not quite two yet.

I'm not a health freak and he certainly has treats at home, honestly I give him chocolate and ice cream etc, but I try to reduce sugar in his regular meals as much as possible as its so unnecessary (porridge instead of cheerios etc). He eats so so well at home, loads of good adult meals with good appetite but here he had become a nightmare. And the worst thing is that from the point of weaning, they have been telling me he will become picky and difficult to feed, and I shouldn't get too excited at his eating (which I never outwardly did, its so tiresome) and now they think that picky time has come. Soooo frustrating. I'm finding it really hard that he is consuming over a days worth of sugar before 7am in terms of cereal, fruits, juice, but its really hard to keep stepping in (in laws) and looking like a massive cow. They know my thoughts on food but honestly I think it's a combination of thinking he's now a picky toddler, that if he eats a whole bowl of sugary cereal then he has an amazing appetite, and that I'm a control freak (which I admit I am in many ways)

Please tell me two weeks of this won't cause problems when back home? I've worked so hard to get us this far...

I don't give my 23month old refines sugars or lots of processed foods.

I let him have a of if my ice cream and then his grandad (my dad) said " oh great, next time I will felt him his own big one" which was met with "no you won't"
It's like once I give a little, everyone just goes too far. He wasn't even that fussed on it 😂😂

I think its a shame they don't respect your views, but I would stick to my guns. They are your child and your choice.

Sugary cereals and snacks are just so unnecessary at this age, they have years of sugary treats ahead of them, I really don't understand why people insist on trying to get kids to shovel in sugar as if it's a good thing for them.

So are they pouring cereal in front of you and you're not saying anything? Or are you nor around when this happens?

Because I can't picture how this works. You see the cereal and say, oh not today, it's porridge today. Thanks though. And remove cereal and produce porridge. No drama, just straightforward.

Why aren’t you getting him breakfast?

Where’s DH in all this
Get him go back you up.

But you aren’t wrong and you should stand your ground
Yes grandparents have form for giving treats but in our house that was an ice cream cone by the seaside (and I’d put my foot down at nonsense like double scoops).

For day to day good you call the shots

Lay it out as you have here-

‘GParents I’ve read lots about what is healthy for young kids and am careful about his sugar intake so no sugary cereals and fruit juice please. It’s just not necessary and he’s brilliant at eating much better options like plain oats and milk so please let’s not ruin that’. Great to have an ice cream by the beach so we all need to be on board with reducing sugar the rest of the time. If you want me to help you check the packets etc then let me know’

Then when they produce the sugary cereal say no sorry as we discussed it’s oats and no added sugar on top thanks.

Your child your rules.

Is it proper loads of obvious sugar like Frosties or more hidden sugar like Cheerios? If it’s the latter then they may very well not know how much sugar there is in it. How about getting a variety pack- that’s what we used to do on holiday.

I would pick my battles and not mention the fruit if I were you.

But they do very quickly learn about different rules in different houses, so I wouldn’t worry too much. And I speak as someone whose FIL got up in the middle of Christmas dinner to make dd some turkey dinosaurs......

Do you have porridge with you? Just say this is his breakfast, assuming they’re feeding it to him and not you. I’d not comment on the fruit, other than maybe say too much might give him a dodgy tum.

But as PP said, kids are very aware of different rules at different houses. My DS gets chocolate cereal at grandmas house (yes I know), but he’s never requested it at home

Just keep enforcing your rules, buying variety packs surely then only gives the child more sugary breakfast that OP doesn't want them to have.

On holiday my Mil and Fil like to get more hands on with DS as they get to spend time that they don't usually at home. But they still have to follow my rules and do so as that's what respect is all about.

Have another chat and say how know what damage the extra sugar can do to their teeth now so don't want them to have it, after that Just keep binning whatever they give them.

I suggested a variety pack because they are fun, small measures portions and not all of them are the really high sugar ones. And it’s something that the child can associate with gp’s house so no problem about their house/our house demarcation.

Are you at their home? Can you hide the cereal and helpfully pick up some porridge or shredded wheat? Variety packs still cause me great excitement as it reminds me of holidays!

Please don't say to them what @Yawninfinitum has suggested.
There is no need to be so patronising.

If you want to restrict his diet then you need to be the one sorting his food.
They can't give him things you don't want him to have if you're standing right there.

Personally I'm for everything in moderation. DS had lemonade every day on holiday but now we are home he's still happy with water. Nothing is out of bounds in terms of food but he has a good variety. He is 4 and is like a rake

It's a 2 week holiday, he will be fine