Nicki’s four-year-old son seemed to have radar for sweets. “Every time we go to the grocery store, doctor’s office, or a party, he is drawn to these foods,” she said. “Now, he asks several times a day for something sweet to eat.” Sweets, and how to manage them, is becoming a top concern for parents of young children. The old advice of avoiding them is hard to follow in today’s world where you can find sweets to eat nearly everywhere you go. Lollipops at the doctor’s office, donuts at church, and cookies in day care are just some examples of where kids find sweets. In the first five years of life, food preferences are forming. Helping your child become familiar with different foods is critical to help them like them. So, if your child sees lots of vegetables and whole grains at an early age, chances are they will like these foods because they see them often and have developed a taste for them. Likewise, this is true for unhealthy foods. If your child is exposed to a lot of sweets, such as candy, cookies and soda, they’ll probably learn to like them — perhaps even more than healthier foods.
You’ll want to have a game plan for managing sweets, so they don’t become an unhealthy addition to your preschooler’s diet. Here are a few tips:
- How many? Determine how many sweets, on average, you want your preschooler to have. For some families this means one per day, for others three a week. You should have an idea of the limit, so you are able to keep them in check.
- What’s the right size? Keep sweet treats tiny in size. After all, young children are small themselves, so make the treat size match. Tiny cookies, mini ice cream sandwiches, or small treats delivered in a quarter-cup size container keep the portion size reasonable.
- Draw the line on sweets. Young children can be persistent but they can also be distracted. Change the subject when your preschooler asks for sweets, and instead ask your child if they want to take a walk, or go outside and play.
- Watch the sweet supply at home. If your cupboards are full of cookies and snack cakes it will be hard to keep them from your child. Limit the sweets you buy each week, and when you have them in your home, keep them out of sight and out of reach.
- Yes, you can. Which one? Give your child a choice between two options: for example, a cookie or a homemade frozen juice pop. Offering your child a choice will give them some control over the situation.
- Use a reminder. When your child eats a treat, remind them that there are no more treats for today. Let them know they may have a treat another day.
- Not on the menu today. If your child asks and you have decided that a break from treats is a good idea, simply say, “Treats aren’t on the menu today.”
- Go for nutrition. When selecting sweets to offer your child, go for those that have an added nutritional benefit. For example, ice cream, although high in sugar and fat, also offers nutrients like calcium. Candy only offers sugar.
- Keep it to the kitchen. Sitting at the table to eat is a good habit to start with young children, so let your preschooler enjoy their treat at the table.
- Stick to your plan. Once you’ve developed a game plan for managing your preschooler’s sweet tooth, stick to it as best you can. Being consistent is important when managing sweets.