Sugar Blasters

Catherine Morgan ponders on how best to respond when a child falls in love with sugar

- Catherine Morgan

My boys recently returned from a holiday to their grandparents’ house — with a new-found love of sugar. I can’t blame them. There is a serious lack of apple crumble and ice cream in our house, and the only biscuits they would ever get pre-breakfast would be the wooden variety from their play kitchen. It’s no wonder they thought all of their Christmasses had come at once.

Admittedly, I was a little surprised the next day when Child One requested a snack “with sugar”, and has continued to make such demands ever since. Of course, being only four, he certainly doesn’t get everything he wants — but it did make me think about the best way to deal with my sugar-addicted monster… I mean child.

Pre the grandparent visit, a very basic explanation of sugar and its effects on the body was enough to keep Child One’s sugar cravings in check — but now, he is much more concerned about pleasing his taste buds than looking after his teeth!