Prevent the sugar addiction like a boss

This is somewhat of a followup to the childhood obesity post I wrote a few weeks ago.

It's hard to break a habit, whether it's biting your nails or eating junk food every day. It takes self-determination, will power, and time. If you think it's hard for adults, it's even harder for kids. They don't have the same self-determination adults do and time is the enemy of all children. What 5-year-old is going to make a goal to keep his hand out of the cookie jar? And for many children, the only concept of time they understand is the present. Seeing how bad habits will affect their future is not exactly a strong-suit of theirs. While it might sound like I'm bashing children, I'm just explaining characteristics that make them kids. And it's not always a bad thing. I can't imagine what I would do if my already-trouble-making toddler suddenly got a super burst of extra willpower. My point is that if you think as an adult it's hard to break a habit, it's going to be even harder for a child to do it alone.

So what should parents do? We prevent the bad habit from forming.

The bad habit I'm referring to is sugar addiction. I'm not a parenting expert (if that were so, I'm sure I wouldn't have woken up to a cup of red Gatorade spilled on my floor this morning). I'm not judging other parents. I simply have some experiences with healthy eating and children that I want to share with you all. Maybe it works for you, maybe it doesn't. All I know is that the steps I took with my child to prevent him from becoming addicted to sugar has made a profound difference in our lives.

I started worrying about sugar addiction before Cage was even born. That's really saying something, since I was eating ice cream every night during his pregnancy. It started one day at church. I was in my third trimester. And with our church meetings being 3 hours long, it meant I was using the bathroom at least 6 times. On one of these bathroom trips, I saw a parent in the hall with their toddler. The child was screaming, "I WANT A DOUGHNUT! GIMME A DOUGHNUT!" Oddly enough, it wasn't the yelling or rudeness of the child that bothered me. It was the content of his yelling. Kid was going ballistic because he needed a doughnut. And the mother just sighed and handed over a bag of doughnuts she had brought with her. Now, maybe I just caught these two on a bad day. But regardless, that scene had a lasting impression on me. When I returned to the church pew, I couldn't stop thinking that I didn't want my child to be that way. I didn't want to bring bags of sugar-filled treats with me everywhere. And I most certainly did not want my child so addicted to sugar that he couldn't go a few hours without it. So Dave and I started doing some serious thinking.

Then we remembered our friends Matt and Diane from Florida. They had an unusual rule for each of their children- no sugar until they were 2. Dave and I kind of though that was crazy at first, until we spent more time with their family. Their 2 boys preferred bananas over cookies. When they tasted soda, it was so sugary they didn't want to drink it. They were constantly asking for apples as a snack- not Twinkies! It didn't take long before we decided that we wanted our boy to have the same experience. So we set the rule. Cage would not have sugar until he turned 2. Now, I realize that there's pretty much "sugar" in everything- fruit, breads, cereals, etc. And we weren't going to stop the kid from having things like pasta. By "sugar", we mean any kind of sweet treat or dessert that was mostly processed, refined sugar. No cookies, no cake, no ice cream, no soda, no chocolate pudding, you get the picture.

I will tell you that we were mocked RELENTLESSLY for having this rule. We heard every possible negative statement- "That's ridiculous" "Do you really think you can keep that up for 2 years?" "Having sugar is just part of being a kid", etc. But guess what? We did it. Yup, the whole two years. Let me tell you about the results.

Cage has now been allowed to eat sugar for 6 months. He eats more produce than any other kid I know. When we visited my family for Christmas, he sat down with a bowl of carrots while we all had popcorn. By his own choice. He loves green beans so much that we use them as bribery so he'll eat his dinner. He will eat apples and oranges all day long if I let him. At his second birthday party, he wanted watermelon instead of cake. We have a shelf full of water bottles in our fridge and he, on his own, will drink 1-2 of those a day. I'll let you be the judge-- was it worth it? Absolutely. Are we going to do it again with our second kid? You bet.

My boy is down with some celery and peanut butter

Now, does Cage even like sugar? Oh yes. He's a boy after my own heart. In fact this morning he asked me to make cookies (instead I made oatmeal). But is he addicted to sugar? No. He doesn't ask for candy all day long. He won't throw a hissy-fit if I tell him "no" when it comes to ice cream. In fact, he'll gladly take the strawberries instead, even prefers them sometimes. Part of it could be that I just have a really easy going kid. Part of it could be that it's in his genes to like healthier foods. But you know what? Part of it could be that he didn't eat sugar for two years.

But we didn't just hit sugar mode full-on once he turned 2. His sugar content is still moderated and limited, like ours.He gets dessert twice a week with me and Dave, no more. We don't keep sugary junk food in our house, so those options aren't even there to tempt him. He eats pretzels and celery sticks for snacks. And when he does get something sweet, he sees it for what it should be-- a special treat that you get to have every once in a while. Not something Mom carries around in her purse everyday.

Ok, so you might be thinking that I really am crazy for depriving my child of sugar for 2 years. Let me remind you that this is simply the road I chose to take with my child. You don't have to have the same rule I did. It's the principle that matters- do something to prevent your children from becoming addicted to sugar. I started from birth with Cage because it's easier to limit a 1 year old's sugar content than a 10 year old who's had a soda a day since he was 5. And I truly do think that there is an addictive quality to processed sugared foods. If your children become used to the taste of sugary foods when they're little, they aren't going to want less sugar, but only more. Because that's what they're taste buds register as normal. If all their taste buds know are fruits and veggies, that's what they'll want and a cupcake will be overload!

You can take simple steps to prevent a sugar addiction before it gets bad- don't keep junk food in the house, have plenty of fruits and veggies on hand, limit dessert nights at your home. My sister-in-law has 6 children and I haven't once seen a cookie jar at her house. All her jars contain nuts and goldfish, and she has always has a bowl of apples on the table that her children eat at will. She didn't have a "no sugar" rule like I did, and yet, she taught her children good habits by giving them healthy options for snacking.

I think prevent our children from having a sugar addiction not only encourages them to eat healthier younger, but it gives them a huge advantage over childhood obesity. I hope that my experiences haven't irritated you, but have encouraged you to make a change in your home for your kids. And there is a wonderful thing that happens when you throw out the soda and zebra cakes-- your kids change their habits and you do too!