Candy! Candy! Candy!

Easter! Second only to Halloween in the candy department. Understandably so, parents often feel anxious about the amount of candy their child may consume. The sugar, the die, the calories, oh my! 

How we do, as parents, navigate our own anxiety around all the “unhealthy” food so our children can have a healthy relationship with, yes… even candy. 

First rule of thumb: 

Do not restrict the candy. I know it sounds counter intuitive. But when we restrict, it always, always, always creates a need for more. It may not be that day or even that week, but it will come. When children are told they cannot have a certain food, that is guaranteed to create a fixation on that type of food. 

This is why dieting doesn’t work! If you don’t believe me, how can the dieting industry be a billion dollar industry? If it worked, they’d be out of a job. 

So if we don’t restrict the candy, what do we do? Is it a free for all? 

At my house, yes. I’m a believer that when we do not restrict food, children are able to listen their bodies. 

But I know that not everyone is comfortable with this. If that is too much for you, it’s ok! You can also just make sure you provide ample opportunity. 

You can put a few pieces of candy out with each meal or with a snack. But during this candy crazy time, I would make sure they have daily access to the Easter treats. 

Second rule of thumb: 

Do not control what they eat first and how much they eat. Do not say “if you eat all of your broccoli, then you can have the candy.” This is teaching kids that certain foods are more exciting and it sets them up to rebel against the broccoli. It also creates a situation where they will ignore their hunger signals because they want the candy. 

If you put candy out with their meal and they choose to eat the candy first, THAT’S OK! You are allowing them to choose and listen to their bodies. 

If this is new to you and you have restricted treats, your child may go a little overboard in the beginning. But once they start to trust that food will be available, it should calm. 

The goal is to be able to take it or leave it. And your goal as a parent is to deal with your own anxiety around food so you don’t project it on to your child. It’s hard. But so worth it. 

"LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure." Psalm 16:5