How Often Do Your Children Eat Candy?

it's easy to forbid candy for 1 and 3 year olds however, yours are already in love with sweets. so, i don't know how practical this is, just throwing it out there as an idea:
if i find myself in a habit of sweets, a quick turnaround is available to me in the kitchen as a safe haven -- unsweetened chocolate. a nibble or two during a craving cures the mind-controlling desire for sweets almost completely within a day or two! (and btw, thanks mamasource for that tip a while back!!)

We limit candy in our house too. Sugarless gum is allowed daily as a reward. We do give "prizes" that are candy, but not everyday.

How to put a stop to it - stop buying it. We don't keep it in our house, except sugarfree gum and dumdums. When we do let them have candy we limit what and how much. Like another mom said, if they get a bag of M&Ms we split it up over several days.

It really is up to you on how much they get and how often. If you think they have it too much, then put your foot down. Be strong and stick to it. You are the parent, they are the kids.

I have a 14 yr old daughter. I keep a good stash of candy (and junk) in my house. Most of the time, her friends will eat some of it but I have found that none of them overdo it.

I just pitched the remains of her 15# solid easter bunny from last year....if that says anything about how much we eat. We still have a large bowl of full sized Snickers and M&M's from Halloween that have not been touched.

It is here when kids want it but I have found that my daughter will take a granola bar or piece of fruit over candy.

I never denied candy (or junk) or used it as a reward...I did, however, always stress good eating habits and I probably have one of the best eaters around. She always has been a healthy eater. A sweet treat now and then is no issue for me. She is is great shape, great teeth and has learned moderation from her parents.

My hubby LOVES the Special Dark chocolate bars. I buy the large ones and he will eat about 1/2 one a week. It is good for High Blood Pressure plus it gives him a sweet treat. As for me, I am not a chocolate or candy lover so I do not indulge often.

I think you just figure out what is right for your family and make decisions from that aspect. Every family is different.

My children were allowed a "treat" (candy, chips, can of soda etc.) every payday when we went to Target. I recommend not keeping junk food and drink in the house. My children are now grown and have always preferred fruits, vegetables, and other healthy food choices. Even as children they would often order a big salad if we went out to eat. Our one indulgence at home was homemade organic Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies for a special snack. My children have actually thanked me for teaching them to enjoy fruits and vegetables and teaching them proper nutrition, especially since they avoided the "freshman 15" pounds. Another suggestion is teach your children to drink water. More often than not in our society we "live to eat, not eat to live". That is why obesity rates are out of control in the United States.

not that often! once a day would be too much for my liking, as the sugar would make them bounce around. i don't buy it unless it's a special occassion, then i hide it and dole it in small doses as I see fit. if you don't buy it, they won't get it! it's simple. my kids think cereal bars are cookies, because that's as sugary as they get on a regular basis. LOL

I just dont buy junk food and bring it into the house. I keep fresh fruit around and use it to make smoothies and salads, parafaits,etc. If they want something different I keep a tub of napolean ice cream and offer it only as a small snack or after they have finished there meal. There are a lot of healthy options that taste good. Help your daughters develop there palet buy introducing them to other options. You all will benefit. I would just let them know you are going to make a few changes and let them participate in picking out healthy food choices. then dont give up and be consistent. It takes 30 days to make and break a habbit so keep that in mind before you even think of letting candy in the house. (Also there sugar cravings could be a sign of a vitamin deficiancy) Foods higher in protein will help them stay full longer and curve their snacking and sugary cravings.

This is an interesting question, N.. Thanks for asking it! I've been intrigued by the answers, too.

I have two girls, ages 2 and 4. We don't keep any candy in the house. I think this is why my 4 year old LOVES going to birthday parties ... the first thing she asks is "will there be cupcakes?" LOL And she has only been to 2 parties in the last 6 months.

They do love "snack time", but that is usually a few goldfish crackers or a graham cracker.

The "sweetest" thing they eat is yogurt or chocolate covered raisins which I put in there lunch about twice a week. They only get about 5 or 6 of them.

If you are trying to "wean" your kids off sweets, I have a couple of ideas I've gotten from cookbooks.

First, I would start small. Take a look at a hi-fat item and replace it a lo-fat version.

Second, get the kids involved! I find this to be extremely helpful, especially when I want my girls to try something new. I take them to the store with me, let them pick out new fruits/veggies to try, and if possible let them help me prepare the meal. It takes TIME to do this, but it is easier than trying to get a kid to eat something you've prepared AND you're less likely to toss something that wasn't touched by a picky eater.

There are wonderful cookbooks for all ages of children. I do think it's important to get them involved in the cooking so they have a variety of tastes and a knowledge of healthy eating.

Good luck, N.!

L.

Sweets are a special treat in my home. My baby eats it very little, and my 8 year old maybe has 1 or 2 pieces a week. I was allowed to just eat whatever, whenever, when I was a kid and still have troubles with my teeth because of it. I had about 10 cavities from the ages 7-15. If my daughter wants something sweet, I'll give her a piece of fruit and a graham cracker.

The only candy I keep in my house are Dum-Dum suckers and sugar-free gum. My son can have a Dum-Dum every few days and a piece of gum everyday as long as it ends up in the trash when he is finished with it. He is 5. Oh! He sometimes gets a package of M &M's for being a good helper at the grocery store and we divide the package into about 3 servings and he can have a serving a day until it is gone.

I buy my boys candy usually on weekends.we don't buy chips,coke,ice cream,cookies. If we do its usually 3 or 4 times a week. If we were to buy those things that would be gone the next day. Because they don't when to stop eating. I've tried hiding it. But they climbing and always find it. So we just do with out. Its really hard for me because I am ajunkfoodaholic. But I am doing it for my kids. So I guess I am saying just don't buy it and bring in the house.

Very very rarely does mine get candy. The times that he does have something, it's only one piece. He knows it's a treat and that it's not good for him. We never purchase candy for any reason, but he gets a small sucker after a hair cut (once a month or so), and really that's about it.

How to put a stop to it. . . don't buy any. That's the best advice I can give.