“they are children and should not be left to make grown up decisions”

That sums up our Red Pill Philosophy across the board, not just about food, but about everything! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and I hope you continue to do so.

I teach my sons by example. Everything in moderation, including sugar and I say no much more often then I say yes to the unending request for treats.

As I get closer to sending my eldest to Public School I dread the idea of vending machines hawking sugar treats for spare change. I am a grown person who has learned, with the help of her own Mother, to deny myself the pleasure of a candy bar except on rare occassion but I do not think my 4 year old should be placed, daily, in a situation where he needs to decide between candy or no candy. He still needs a hand to hold when making decisions of self denial. This is a eat desert first kind of kid.

We have a rule in our home that dinner must be eaten in full and with decent table manners before a treat is allowed. As often as not he either doesn’t finish dinner (just doesn’t have much appetite at night) or refuses to use his fork (ongoing battle) and, as often as not he doesn’t argue when the treat is denied. He understood what he needed to do to get the treat, and he understood that he did not do those things…I am hoping he is also learning that if he is not hungry enough to eat dinner then he is not hungry enough to eat a treat. If I weren’t there and the treat were not hindered by caveats of behavoir and parental supervision, dollars to donuts, this kid would eat the treat, and he would eat it before he ate anything of nutritive value.

So by all means I am teaching my sons the power and benifit of “No” but I also respect the fact that they are children and should not be left to make grown up decisions.

I have a whole different diatriabe regarding how grown up Americans eat, and even worse, how we feed our children, but I only have so much preach to the choir in me on a word say.

Peace,

Karen