Giving Children Treats?

[Pyrrhic]

When did you start?

MIL tries to give Niamh stuff every time we see her, and says it's cruel she's never had chocolate or sweets.

She's only a year old in a couple of weeks, but people have started asking why I'm not letting her have any cake at her Birthday. To me, she doesn't know what she's missing and doesn't need it.

The sweetest thing Niamh's had so far is some organic yogurt, or fruit.

So when did you start giving treats?

 

[MoonMuffin]

Well my MIL gave Kathryn some of her milkshake when Kathryn was 9 months old (I was so pissed!), but other then MIL slipping her tastes of things, the first time I gave Kathryn anything very sweet was her 1st birthday. We had an ice cream cake (for the guests and so she could have candles) and we gave her a couple tiny bites. Since then I've given her a little piece of cookie or a little bite of ice cream or something maybe 2 or 3 times tops (MIL got so annoyed when I wouldn't let her give Kathryn a cookie at a cousin's Bar Mitzvah 2 weeks ago *rolls eyes*). Sweets are addictive and Kathryn eats so well, I don't want her to get picky and only want sweets and I don't want her getting cavities either. As she gets older she'll be allowed more sweets (like at friend's parties and such), but I don't want her having very many yet.

 

[mommyof3co]

I can't remember for sure with Landon and Casen....I'm pretty sure for all of them their first treat was their first birthday cake. But even after that they rarely got anything at all. Maybe a small taste of something every once in awhile, but nothing more than that. Hayden's almost 27mo and he does sometimes get some candy, cookies or ice cream but none of them get it very much. Landon we held off the longest, then it made it harder to hold off as long with Casen and Hayden because by then their brothers were sometimes having it lol.

 

[Bingo]

I don't have a child yet but I'm with you, if they haven't had it yet, they don't know what they're missing.

My pet hate (and this might be controversial) is seeing people in McDonald's with babies and small children feeding them that crap. As far as I'm concerned while a mother/father/carer is in charge of what a baby eats, they should be feeding them good food, not junk or sweets.

One of my rules when I have a baby will be that s/he isn't fed junk until it becomes unavoidable and that won't happen when a baby is only a year old.

Stick to your guns, she's your baby, not your MIL's.

 

[helen1234]

rosie had her first treat on her 1st birthday, and i'll let rhys have a piece for photo more than anything.

think it depends on moderation, rhys has had the odd bit of chocolate but doesnt care for it much, he's had the odd plum baby biscuit thats sweetened with grape.
he had a jar of cocoa and vanilla mouse and wolfed it down i was thinking i really dont want him to start expecting that for every desert lol

he'd much rather have a banana anyday

 

[polo_princess]

Brookes always has treats

I'll let her have a piece of her birthday cake, she's already had a piece of my practice run, she has an advent calendar too for christmas, treats routine wise though she maybe has a little something twice a week ... a gingerbread man, a biscuit or a few white buttons. I dont begrudge her them as she is a good eater anyway and will eat what she's given regardless of sweet or savoury. She prefers savoury over sweet though for sure!!

 

[Hevz]

I don't let Erin have choccy or anything like Quavers yet (although she took some choccy out of my hand on one occasion and sucked it before I took it off her). I have however let her have a bit of home-made cake when I've made one.


My kids love fruit and I don't have any probs getting them to eat healthy snacks but on rare occasions like parties or special days out they are allowed to have a sweet treat.


I would never go to a party and tell the kids they couldn't eat certain things although I won't let them have fizzy drinks.


At 1 year old I don't see why she can't have a bit of home-made cake, especially as it's her birthday cake....it certainly won't do her any harm

 

[emmajane]

We had exactly the same comments as Theo has never had any chocolate, sweets or crisps and I don´t feel he needs them as he is perfectly happy with fruit or ricecakes. When it becomes a battle with him then I will let him as I don´t want to cause him issues. A friend of mine managed to get to about 2.5 years old with her son. It was difficult with all the Xmas parties etc where cakes and chocolate are put on the tables or in the party bags but he still doesn´t mind not eating them.

 

[Pyrrhic]

At 1 year old I don't see why she can't have a bit of home-made cake, especially as it's her birthday cake....it certainly won't do her any harm

I think it's the fact I haven't given her any treats at all yet, so leaping to a birthday cake with lots of icing seems a lot for me. For instance she's never had chips before. Normally for snacks she gets fruit pieces, baby rice cakes, brown toast, veggie fingers, etc.

I'm not adverse to her trying things next year, or her going to birthday parties and having treats. I think it's just because I normally don't have treats in the house, and don't eat them much myself I'm not sure.

I also think MIL has put me off by trying to give her chocolate since she was 6 months old

 

[polo_princess]

If your making the cake you know it wont be loaded up with crap and allsorts iykwim? A homemade cake will be a lot better for her than a shop one (as much as it can be) , plus you can always pull the fondant icing off and just let her eat the sponge and the buttercream bit (thats if your makin that kind of cake )

I pulled the fondant off when Brooke had some of her Hello Kitty cake last week

Thats if you want her too OFC, theres no rule saying you have to give them aything really

 

[mommyof3co]

I made Hayden's bday cake homemade and while I did use sugar I sweetened it mostly with applesauce...it was carrot cake and I did put cream cheese icing but I took it off of his because he couldn't have dairy...he loved the carrot cake Just an idea...if you make it homemade you can use applesauce or something else to sweeten, instead of tons of sugar you'd get in a premade

 

[Pyrrhic]

If your making the cake you know it wont be loaded up with crap and allsorts iykwim? A homemade cake will be a lot better for her than a shop one (as much as it can be) , plus you can always pull the fondant icing off and just let her eat the sponge and the buttercream bit (thats if your makin that kind of cake )

I pulled the fondant off when Brooke had some of her Hello Kitty cake last week

Thats true actually I had thought about making a carrot cake, but my family moaned at me

I will probably give her some cake tbh, but just in general I'm not sure when is ok to start giving treats. The child seems to get hyper of cows milk atm

 

[Pyrrhic]

I made Hayden's bday cake homemade and while I did use sugar I sweetened it mostly with applesauce...it was carrot cake and I did put cream cheese icing but I took it off of his because he couldn't have dairy...he loved the carrot cake Just an idea...if you make it homemade you can use applesauce or something else to sweeten, instead of tons of sugar you'd get in a premade

Oooooh I love the idea of using applesauce! Yum! I ordered some not long ago from the states, but I finished it recently Might looks for a recipe. Thanks!

 

[polo_princess]

Some people only give them when their LO's do something well or when they complete reward charts and stuff, im just playing it by ear with Brooke really but im not giving her them to just keep her quiet for the sake of it

We were spoilt as children and had a treat everyday after school, god knows how im not 20 stone by now

 

[oOKayOo]

Once a week for my girls , and they squeal with delight when they get it from the age of one i started. Ella had a few nibbles from about 9 months from an ice lolly if it got hot or a milk choc button from Carly if i wasnt looking but that was about it.

But every saturday i get them something , and MIL gets them a choc on a sunday which they eat in the week so i guess thats twice a week they love it though

 

[xxxjacxxx]

Leo has had treats already. he has a jar of baby dessert after his lunch if that counts and he's had wotsits, a choccy button or two, petit filous and today a few quavers...he loves them
I wont be making them a regular occurance though, everything in moderation is my moto.

 

[Vickie]

Everything in moderation here to. I don't deny Hannah treats but they are limited in number and most definitely not an everyday occurrence

 

[mommyof3co]

Your family doesn't like carrot cake?? Mmmmm I LOVE it!!!! My recipe is so moist and delicious...now I want some lol

 

[sabby52]

Same here everything in moderation Dec and Dan have treats once a week sometimes more if I feel they deserve it. I have a friend that totally denied her kids anything sweet at all and I was horrified when we where in her house and we gave the boys a pound each for a treat, Dan bought an ice-lolly and kept 50p her little boy (they where 8) spent the whole pound on sweets and ate them before he got home so his mum wouldnt take them Dan told me later that night that when this little boy gets pocket money from his dad he spends it all in one go, on sweets !!!!! I would just hate the thought of my child having to hide from me to have a treat

This is my experience and I am by no means saying you have to give your kids treats if you dont want to, no offence to anyone and I would never tell another mother what to do with her own child, this is just me explaining one of the reasons I prefer to give my kids treats xx

 

[candeur]

Seren doesn't get any really regular treats. Every now and again I'll give her tastes of thing that I'm having, like yesterday I let her have a couple of spoon fulls of my Ben and Jerrys.
She'll have the odd baby chocolate biscotti biscuit, and she has 1 Little Stars yogurts everyday, but other than that nothing. She didn't have any of her birthday cake either.