Grocery shopping is a totally different experience when going with daddy. Ainsley and Ryan came home the other night with Scooby Doo graham cracker dog bones (oh what fun to have three kids crawling around barking like dogs begging for a treat), Go-gurt Italian Ices (let alone that mommy won’t even buy Go-Gurt yogurt!) and Gatorade. While drinking her glass of Gatorade Ainsley asked, “Does Gatorade have caffeine in it?”
“No,” I answered, “But it does have high fructose corn syrup.”
“… and dye,” she added.
“Yes and dye,” I sighed.
Am I ruining my kids that they know the evils of every treat?
(c) 2016 Leighann Marquiss
Comments (7)
No, when you explain the negative of the treats, the why’s behind your choices and THEN don’t make a big deal about the occasional consumption of said evils you are teaching your kids a great lesson:
everything in moderation – at least for food. Obviously there are many things that shouldn’t even be done/consumed/watched in moderation.
BTW, there is a Gatorade that is “all-natural” it has no dyes and no HFCS, though I don’t remember what sugar it does use. My kids usually only get Gatorade if they are playing/sweating for more than an hour. But again, there are always exceptions. 🙂 Usually also Daddy initiated ones.
No, you aren’t ruining your kids because they know the bad things that are in treats. I think there is a benefit in kids realizing that there are healthy treat alternatives, but that having a few less healthy things are fine once in awhile. Having fun with Dad and spending time with just him is worth a few empty calories!!
Just so you know,
G2 has less sugar than regular Gatorade. Also, I love Scooby Doo cookies, although I don’t act like a dog while having a few!!
I can hear Ainsley saying that…too funny!
No, you are not ruining your kids. Speaking as an adult with weight issues I SO wish my parents would have been more diligent when I was a child 🙂
I agree with Jennifer that the knowledge is good and so is not making a big deal about the occassional consumption.
(Long time reader, first time commenter) I don’t think G2 has high fructose. Of course, it does have dye and an obscene amount of sugar. Anyway, I don’t think you’re ruining your kids at all. My 11 year old won’t eat or drink anything if he knows it has HFCS in it (that’s how I know about G2 – he won’t go near Powerade). He also knows that some things are alright in moderation. I think that even if they binge on junk from time to time, they are still armed with valuable information when they get older – and it WILL stick.
No, not really. I wish my parents had ruined junk food for me. And taught me moderation. And told me what was a normal amount of food to eat.
Happens here too. Daddy’s picks are doughnuts, coco crap o I mean pebbles and pop tarts.. the girls say “too much of that stuff is bad for you daddy, but we still like calling you Sugar.” My nickname is Healthy foo’ .
Kelly