5 year old ate my Mother's Day chocs

[fishstiks]

Just found DD has sneakily been getting my Mother's Day box of chocolates from my bedside drawer and has eaten 3 out of the box. We only allow sweets once a week and never have dessert. Obviously the temptation was too much! A few weeks ago she found a large bar of chocolate belonging to DH and ate more than half! When we found it she owned up straight away and we banned all sweet treats and chocolate for a week (no chocolate spread, no sweets or chocolate, no biscuits and no milkshakes)

Should I punish her for the latest chocolate stealing? Are we too strict overall with sweet stuff?

She's a really picky eater she survives on crumpets with sugar free chocolate spread (we only introduced the chocolate spread as she won't eat butter and then will eat no toast or crumpets etc) berries, tofu, rice, pasta and cucumber mostly.

Any advice on the picky eater stuff or appropriate discipline would be appreciated

Changing your routine in such an extreme way (removing desserts) was an overreaction. All children go through fussy stages. Is it frustrating as a parent, hell yes, but we don’t get to control what our children eat. Doing anything they perceive to be controlling will result in them reacting badly.
A good parent offers a wide variety of healthy food, including a small amount of sweet food. It is up the child what they eat.
I suspect if you had ignored her fussiness it would’ve passed. I wouldn’t say anything about the food stealing and I would go back to your old food habits. I was given chocolates for mother day and I left them in the kitchen for everyone to help themselves to, within reason. It is not normal to have food hidden, this is the behaviour of people with disordered eating.

You're way to strict, I don't blame her and I really hope she enjoyed them! I'm sure she did and don't you dare punish her! Treats in moderation so they don't steal them maybe,it's not rocket science jeez 😳

First world problem, 🤦

She's been fussy for 3 years. How long do I wait?

This evening for dinner she refused everything we offered, didn't even eat her pasta, asked for a banana said it was "too wet" and then ate 3 slices of Vienetta

What’s wrong with a banana? It sounds like mealtimes are stressful and she is reacting. To have any chance of getting her back on track you need to relax and go with it.

'This evening for dinner she refused everything we offered, didn't even eat her pasta, asked for a banana said it was "too wet" and then ate 3 slices of Vienetta'

She's learned from you that food is an emotive issue and can control reactions just like you have been doing to her.

Mealtimes will now be one big battle. Well done. Sarcasm.

God mealtimes have been a hard since she was two, but have actually improved since we banned high sugar food. She's been eating more at dinner time than she has previously so no, they are not a battle ground.

Tbh I can't help but think really the most of you have a warped view of things, free access to high sugar foods surely promotes healthy eating, and while I need to look at her pickiness which I will do with a doctor as other have suggested kids do not need sweets and chocolate freely and restricting them is not abuse

🙄

I agree sweets everyday is unnecessary.

But I wouldn’t go too harsh on a 5 year old for succumbing to the temptation of chocolates in this case. I’d focus more on the fact it was a present to you.

You bring the vienetta out, a small piece of it- and put it on the table with a safe food she will eat and two things you would like her to try. All at the same time.

stop making it a forbidden fruit

Imagine posting this, clearly not bothering to read the full thread or OP's posts ....

I sympathise. We had a fussy eater, who eventually straightened out when older. I don't have a sweet tooth so we never had the culture of puddings or desserts after meals. We had sweet things but, not as part of the day to day plan.
If we had done desserts she would have done exactly the same with the vienetta!

I’d also question the concept of sugary stuff as a “treat”. Why condition children to that? It’s a really odd idea.

then ate 3 slices of Vienetta

Why did you give her 3 slices?!

Because she asked for more I gave her one and she asked for more and she asked twice again

There is a big difference between banning sweet stuff from the house and allowing a 5 year old free access to it. It should also never be a reward or punishment. Stopping puddings because she wasn’t eating as you wished broke that rule.
Whether she eats her main course or not she should be allowed a small portion of sweet food if that is what everyone is having. Three slices of Venetia is too much.

I was using the word treat as a collective noun for high sugar foods

Because she asked for more I gave her one and she asked for more and she asked twice again

OP, you're confusing me! I've tried to be supportive but this is mad!

Why wouldn't you say no after 1 slice?

I'm really beginning to wonder about this thread!

Exactly.

Agreed. You've been super supportive here so I'd hate for it to all be in vain but this is next level ridiculous.

But nobody else was having dessert, my husband and I don't have dessert if she's not having some. Both kids get offered yogurts she refuses and my son has his every evening. We don't eat high sugar foods in front of her. I occasionally have a chocolate while in bed feeding the baby that's why they were in my drawer.

I agree 3 slices of Vienetta is too much but I allowed it almost as a test to see what she would eat tonight and she ate none of her dinner, requested a banana, didn't eat it then ate loads of ice cream

I wasn’t referring to you OP, but all the posters on the threads who maintain “sweet” = “treat” and compulsory.

but I allowed it almost as a test to see what she would eat tonight and she ate none of her dinner, requested a banana, didn't eat it then ate loads of ice cream

If you are being serious - any (or nearly any!) 5 yo will eat loads of Icecream if unchecked! That's our job as parents.

Come on OP. Are you being serious here?

Jesus Christ! You’ve gone from one extreme to another. She got a dessert and sweet ban for eating 3 chocolates but you’ve just given her 3 slices of Vienetta!

Get her to do her own meal plan.