OK, so, like, no sugar ever?
-
- July
- 22
I recently took our oldest to a routine dentist’s visit, a new one since we’ve recently moved.
He’s a lover of all things sweet and chocolate — and like many (most?) 6.5-year-old boys needs to be prodded to brush his teeth for the full two minutes recommended — I figured a cavity or two lurked inside there. Sure enough he had a couple that will need to be filled.
Not ideal, but this doesn’t strike me on the same bad-parenting level as, say, forgetting to strap your toddler into their carseat or allowing 5-hour TV marathons.
But the dentist sternly recommended cutting out all sugar.
All sugar?
Yes, no ice cream, no chocolate, nothing.
Yikes.
What do you guys think? Too extreme?
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008 at 1:03 pm by Katie Ryan O'Connor.
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Rules like this—no sugar, ever—are actually self-defeating because no one can abide by them. It would have been better for the dentist to ask you to limit it, which might be possible for you to do.
No sugar goes against all of our evolutionary heritage—we are programmed to find the sweet, whether it’s fresh cherries and blueberries or chocolate ice cream.
I think a better answer would be: If you want an ice cream cone, we have to brush afterward.
I try to connect eating fun things with teeth brushing with my daughter. She, too, hates to brush her teeth. I say to her—do you like ham, Cheerios, apples? All those things require teeth to eat!
Plus: What’s the alternative? I MUCH prefer Pumpkin eating sugar than artificial sweetener that might someday be discovered to cause cancer or endocrine problems or some other illness.
Maybe time for a new dentist who lives in the real world…
Yes, too extreme in my opinion. I think it’s better to teach them to make healthy choices and in moderation, even if that means consuming sugar. Besides, it’s nearly impossible to completely eradicate sugar from a child’s diet.
We’ve had our share of cavities in our house so we opt for better snacks and less sugary meals. Small portions of fruit snacks or crackers are on our menu as long as veggies and fruit are eaten first. Dark chocolate rather than milk. No sugar added apple sauce, nuts, air popped popcorn, etc. The occasional piece of candy is ok, too. We follow it with a drink of water to wash away the sugar, then brush. (Not sure if the water thing actually helps or not but it gets the kids to drink more H20!)
I agree…too extreme…promoting healthly habits & choices is more reasonable than eliminating sugar completely and also teaches the child lifelong habits.
yes way too extreme.
The problem with “NO ….. EVER” is the old forbidden fruit thing. What they can’t have, they will crave. Instead, what I’ve done with my kiddos is to teach them how to make healthier choices. If we go out and they want a Coke, I don’t freak, or if they want bubble gum (as long as it doesn’t have Aspertame). Personally and professionally, I would MUCH rather they have a little bit of real sugar than poison non-sugar chemical sweeteners or HFCS. With dental hygiene, they just need to learn how to properly care for their teeth, but what’s next? No citrus or citric acid (because that is heck on the enamel too).
I really agree with the comment about “what they can’t eat they crave”. It is ok not to keep sugary junk food in the house, however if we start making our children feel different out in the world they will likely resent us and rebel. It is great for your child to be the one child who brings carrot sticks for snack when all the other kids have cookies, but if you call the teacher and tell her not to serve your child a cupcake during a party, your child will not understand. So I agree that limiting unhealthy snacks is smart for many reasons however how you go about it will impact your child’s eating habits for life.
I take umbrage to the term sugary junk food.
Nothing wrong with a twinkie or chocodile. Everything in moderation. If mom made you brownies would you call them sugary junk food and refuse to eat it? if so then just send them to my house. Listen life is WAY too short. You only die once live while you can, indulge and enjoy the different things you can only experience while you are alive. For me, as my dad taught me, good food is good food. Try it all, enjoy it all. Life aint worth living if you cant live it well.
Thats my 3 cents.
There is nothing wrong with Grandma’s brownies,Twinkies or any other “sugary junk food” however if eaten every day it could lead to many health problems. My feeling is that out in the world our children will be offered tons of these kinds of snacks. It’s ok for parents to choose not to keep them in the house. Being the one child who had fruit or vegetables when all the others had chips, I now prefer a healthier snack. As my mom taught me healthy snacks are just as enjoyable and should be encouraged.