For a household that doesn’t typically have much sugary, sweet stuff around, there seems to be aplenty lately…
Ok, I usually have chocolate in the house. Good quality, Swiss chocolate made with cocoa butter, not just corn syrup. But we are not [huge] dessert people. Or heavily into the packaged goods like cookies and doughnuts. The kids eat candy because of Halloween and Valentine’s day and, well, Christmas. For some reason, living in North America means you celebrate everything with candy.
(Aside note: I analyzed the ingredients in a Twizzler candy once. Rather, um, appetizing…)
However, ’tis the season for sugar plums and candy canes, and I happen to have quite a bit of treats lying about the house. Homemade cookies, candy canes from school friends, endless treats from nice people who love us and our children…
So naturally, the 4yo constantly asks me for something.
Can I have a cookie?
Can I have some smarties?
Can I have a candy cane?
Can I have some gummy bears?
Can I have…
Makes me edgy, the never-ending demands.
So today, I decided on a method to ration their daily intake of Christmas-cheer. So to speak.
I said to the children:
What you see on this plate is what you get for today. There are a few rules:
1. You can have everything on this plate anytime of the day after you finish your breakfast.
2. Once it’s gone, do not bother asking me for more. The answer is and will remain no.
3. If you do not eat your meals at mealtime because you are full of all the treats, tomorrow’s plate will have less treats on it.
Doesn’t sound unreasonable to me. After all, it IS Christmas time…
Added later: By lunchtime the boy’s plate was empty. And we had left the house for an hour and a half…This is going to be a long afternoon.
