Parenting Graduates, i.e. To the Experienced Mothers-
What do I do about a preschooler who sneaks food when I'm not around?
I left Anna upstairs with my ipod while I did a workout downstairs, it was great for me to be able to focus on one thing for a change, but I did hear the scampering of footsteps, sliding of chairs and, a bit later, the slamming of the garbage can lid. Based on how often I heard the garbage can, she snuck 3 fruit snacks while I was downstairs. This is not a one time offense. I asked Ben to put away the cupcakes we made yesterday, he stuck them in the oven so she wouldn't get them.
What should my reaction be? I know I did the same thing as a kid. I don't want her to think that the only way to get food she likes is to wait until i'm not around, but I would also like her to ingest a substance other than sugar.
Should I explain that I have to take them away if we want them for potty treats? A natural consequence -
Should I stop buying them or storing them where she can get to them (with the help of a chair)?
Should I just give in and allow myself an hour of quiet?
Just looking for some sage advice.
What do I do about a preschooler who sneaks food when I'm not around?
I left Anna upstairs with my ipod while I did a workout downstairs, it was great for me to be able to focus on one thing for a change, but I did hear the scampering of footsteps, sliding of chairs and, a bit later, the slamming of the garbage can lid. Based on how often I heard the garbage can, she snuck 3 fruit snacks while I was downstairs. This is not a one time offense. I asked Ben to put away the cupcakes we made yesterday, he stuck them in the oven so she wouldn't get them.
What should my reaction be? I know I did the same thing as a kid. I don't want her to think that the only way to get food she likes is to wait until i'm not around, but I would also like her to ingest a substance other than sugar.
Should I explain that I have to take them away if we want them for potty treats? A natural consequence -
Should I stop buying them or storing them where she can get to them (with the help of a chair)?
Should I just give in and allow myself an hour of quiet?
Just looking for some sage advice.
4 comments:
I don't have many answers; just the consolation that our treats box is currently in the upper reaches of my bedroom closet because the first noise I have been hearing in the mornings is the kitchen barstools being slid over to the former treat cupboard.
As a parenting expert...
I still have this urge every time I go to my parent's house so I am absolutely no help. Maybe if they just wouldn't store chocolate chips in reaching distance, I wouldn't be so tempted. It's their own fault!
Michael can smell sugar from a mile away. For many weeks now, I'll wake up to Michael sitting on the couch eating something sugary (or chips). I've had to hide everything, but he's managing to learn how to overcome these hurdles. He'll climb higher, pick a child lock (seriously!), or he's managed to learn the power of scissors to open a new bag of marshmellows.
I'm obviously not getting him in enough trouble because he keeps doing it.
I just need to get a tall gate to put in front of his bedroom door. But that costs money.
It's helped when the night before, I set out some juice, some ready to eat fruit, and a bowl of cereal (sans milk). He'll naturally go for that if it's available.
If you stop buying them --- all the power to you. Wouldn't abstinence be great? *If only we moms could handle it.
I am no parenting expert, but I read a lot about nutrition and am a Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution devotee. I think what I would try is putting healthy stuff in places she can get to easily and keep the other stuff out of SIGHT. If she knows it's there but can't get to it, it becomes a challenge - the forbidden fruit if you will. Plus, you don't want snacking to be something shameful or something she tries to hide, because that leads down a bad path, but obviously she can't keep eating cupcakes at her every whim. So make sure there are healthy snacks she CAN help herself to rather easily.
Also, trying as much as possible to have healthy foods be celebratory foods helps. It sucks, but if you can have a super yummy fruit salad to celebrate something instead of cakes and stuff, it takes the mystique and excitement out of a lot of ceremonial sweets. Tropical fruits can be really fun because it's almost like a game figuring out what they are and how to eat them. Plus they are often colorful.
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