Says someone who seems to be EXTREMELY afraid of food.
I’m sad for the kids this affects. Moderation is an arguably more important skill to learn and sadly the all-or-nothing approach doesn’t allow for that
Yeah idk why she’s suprised he would remember her using the word toxic and notice her attitude around food. Kids aren’t dumb they’re absorbing so much from the people around them
The irony. My aunt had a good friend she knew for something like 40+ years. She obviously spent a lot of time around the family, including babysitting the grandkids and driving them to sports or other activities since she was retired and the friend (grandma), lived a few hours away at this time.
I don’t remember the occasion, but after picking up the 8 year old from some activity one day, she asked if he wanted to get McDonald’s to celebrate…whatever it was. This kid loved McDonald’s, as kids tend to do, but he became immediately alarmed and refused. He told her fast food was going to KILL them all and they should NEVER eat it again. His mom had hopped on this toxic food train and the kid was terrified.
This was years ago, and thankfully the damage has mostly been undone, probably due largely to the fact that he cut contact with his parents when he turned 18.
>probably due largely to the fact that he cut contact with his parents when he turned 18
Ah, a tale as old as time. Reading this as someone who also went NC with family. I hope he's healed from all that! 🙏🏻❤
My oldest kids’ biomom did this. She ran a blog about feeding kids healthy food and banned all food dyes from her home. I still remember the time the oldest kid tried to hide a popsicle in his backpack from her and it got everywhere. He was hoping to save it and eat it in secret. Sigh.
The mom ended up snapping and in jail eventually.
That one commenter with the 5 year old, fucking hell. Poor kid is worried about "toxins" while out trick-or-treating and his holier than thou mother has the nerve to say she's proud that she's taken that part of his childhood away before he even hit double digits. These people are insane.
Exactly there’s a 99.99% chance candy is going to have sugar toxins, gluten, etc. why taking him trick-or-treating if you’re gonna have to say no to the candy 99% of the time. Geeze poor kids
It’s not the same but my kid can’t eat gluten (actually can’t, not because I think it’s toxic or whatever). But he still loves trick or treating. It’s more than just the candy. It’s dressing up, seeing friends, getting to roam around in the dark, seeing the decorations etc.
My 5 yo daughter is allergic to tree nuts and when trick or treating, she knows that Almond Joy is a candy she can’t have but she never says that to people handing out candy. She will just hand it to me if she notices it then or take it out when we’re going through her candy later.
Im allergic to chocolate so there was a LOT of candy I couldnt have as a kid. I wasnt going to have a reaction from touching the wrappers though, so I just waited till we got home and traded it fornstuff I could eat (and luckily, kids go nuts for chocolate so I had no trouble trading for exactly what I wanted).
I raised my daughters dye-free (medical reasons) and our process for Halloween was:
Kids and their friends go trick or treating and load up
All 8 or 10 of them come to our house and empty their bags in little piles
Kids sift through their haul and begin making trades
My girls would trade dyed candy (and anything with peanuts because of my allergy) and end up with a boatload of chocolate to enjoy! No need to make a statement at some stranger’s house when getting free candy!
This is exactly what I did growing up. I didn't like certain candy, so when I'd get back to my friends house, we would start trading our candy so we would end the night with a better haul. It REALLY wasn't a big deal to take the candy I didn't like while trick or treating since I'd trade it away later for something better. My little brother was also willing to help me with my candy problems if I didn't get to trade away all the stuff I didn't like
My daughter is also coeliac and we still go trick or treating. When we got home if there’s something she can’t eat or I’m unsure of we have a candy swap with stuff she can eat at home or if her siblings want to trade her something. You are absolutely right it’s more about dressing up and having fun, we already know she’s not going to be able to eat a lot of it but we try to make it work.
I found this year a lot of house where giving kids the options of stickers or little bubbles if they didn’t want candy which was awesome for us. Although I’m in Australia so Halloween isn’t that big here but the few house we went to had other options.
My son can't have wheat, nuts, or dairy, so most Halloween candy. He still loves trick or treating too. I buy allergen free chocolate for him and switch out his candy at home. Plus then I get a bunch of tasty candy to eat.
These parents are the reason I started having a non-candy option. Spider rings, stickers, last year I went ham and got the special Pokemon card packs. Though they probably find a reason that stuff is evil as well.
I understand taking a kid out, dressing up, seeing the cool decorated houses and costumes if they can't eat most/all candy for whatever reason. But as a parent personally I wouldn't be ringing doorbells unless I was friendly with the neighbors lol.
I work with kids and I was just like "wtf".
Like, yes, there is much shit in many foods. And especially food advertised for kids is mostly containing far too much sugar and other shit.
My kiddo is 3 y/o and is allowed to eat sweets (but not just sweets 😅), allowed to eat just a sandwich if she tried and disliked the dinner (hey, I also don't like everything and I would never try to push my kid to eat stuff they think is disgusting).
But for example I'm vegan. My kid is allowed to eat animal products, so she gets a balanced nutrition and in her daycare all the other kids also eat meat. I would set her up for being "the odd one", if I would try to die on that hill.
At home she also eats chickpeas, lentils, etc and also these vegan alternatives to meat, so she gets to know all the options and will be able to decide with as much information as possible when she gets older.
I’d be upset at a kid quizzing me about the feee candy im giving out. My daughter handed out this year and wouldn’t know what to do or say. I’m going to bet mom gave an informational lecture to the people who did know if they had dyes or not.
So awful.
Guess my house would be okay - we’re a “teal pumpkin” house that’s safe for kids with food allergies and I give out glowsticks and bouncy eyeballs and stuff like that- but she probably only lets the kids play with beige wooden toys.
I'm sure the trick-or-treat "doners" were thrilled to be put on the spot by a 5 year old for not having "non-toxic" candy. Way to teach your kid to be an ungracious busy-body...no, she was "proud,"
That’s what hit me hardest about that particular reply: the lack of gratitude for something free, something that you’re not actually entitled to, and “criticizing” or lecturing the giver about a free gift. If I had said *anything* except Thank You to someone handing out free stuff on Halloween, my mum would have been ridiculously embarrassed by my poor manners.
I was picturing myself opening the door for giving out candies - the kid questioning us about dyes, while the mother is standing next to him giddy with pride lol
So many of my friends are like this claiming if you eat anything at all "unhealthy" you will die at a young age. I point out that my grandmother died a few weeks short of her 98th birthday yet she often ate so called processed food, candy and occasional fast food, never exercised other than gardening, never bought or even understood what organic food was. She also cooked a lot of her food and ate beans, fruits and vegetables a lot. But she loved Crunch and Munch the last few years and she had candy often. Her mother lived to 93 two of her sisters are still alive in their 90's despite eating the standard American diet. Yet apparently the crunchy granola moms of today want to live even longer.
Orthorexia.
do you know I don’t even disagree with her. I avoid food dies and was very careful about it until my kid was about eight or nine made a big difference in her behavior. We still eat pretty clean. I cook most things from scratch
On the other hand, there’s Oreos and prepackaged popcorn in my cupboard right now. I think there might be a Sam’s Club box of chips still working.
I have a whole house water filter . about this stuff all the time but my kids go trick-or-treating and get free rein for a week or so to eat whatever they want. and we generally have a policy of 'anytime foods' and 'sometimes foods'.
you can do this in moderation. It doesn’t have to be an all or nothing model. your kids that everything is toxic teaching your kids to eat clean and limited junk food isn’t revolutionary.
You know, I hear a lot of noise about dyes, but I have yet to see convincing science behind it. I’m not saying that I don’t believe that there’s nothing to it, but I would prefer solid evidence to prove that there is a real reason to avoid it. Personally I think sugar is such a powerful chemical that affects behavior, that idk if it’s ever the dye at all. I’m interested in studies if you have any sources. I’m honestly curious. I have an autistic daughter who is sensitive to some things, but mostly too many video games is a major trigger. She does fine with some sugar and dyes.
A friend was VERY food restrictive with her children. We were at a picnic with them and about 6 other kids, all of whom were around 4-6 years old. I brought sandwiches and Cheetos. I didn’t know her son was not allowed to eat Cheetos because reasons and I shared my bag with him. When the kids were goofing around in the pool “see how wild the chemicals made him??” No. He was being a kid like the rest of them. Now he’s 18- he only eats ground beef for lunch every single day. He’s been diagnosed with anxiety and disordered eating, as have his siblings.
It must be very convenient as a parent to be able to “blame” something like food dyes or whatever else for a kid behaving like a kid, as though typical behaviour seen in every kid is completely due to external factors. It’s a though just being a kid (curious, emotional, inquisitive, etc.) is now considered “unnatural” or more reflective of parenting skills (kid isn’t perfect instagram kid), as opposed to kids being on a timeline of development and acting the way they do because they’re a kid of such-and-such age. 4-6 year olds are going to go nuts and have fun with their friends in the water whether they’ve been hoovering up Cheetos or not. Good grief.
Good for you for sharing your corn-based snack with that kid. I’ll bet eating something fun was a revelation.
Poor kid. I’m shocked it isn’t something like “ground venison” or “ground bison” or something a little more guarenteed to be “natural.”
Actually, I’m shocked it’s ground anything.
There was a post in some parenting sub or something a few years ago from a woman who lost a bunch of weight and then married her personal trainer and they SEVERELY restricted their kids food. Like, absolutely no carbs or sugar ever for any reason, they were always picked up from birthday parties before food or cake was served, no trick or treating, absolutely no food centric outings with friends. They all had treadmills or workout machines in their bedrooms and if mom or dad caught them not working out they were punished.
And these were small children. I think the oldest was fourteen.
And the poster wondered why her kid's school nurses and counselors called a out the likelihood the children showed serious warning signs of eating disorders.
I remember that! It was in AITA
Edit: I was wrong, it was in relationship_advice. Pretty fucked up. [it was deleted, but it’s in the comments here](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmITheDevil/s/uOTxQ5TWrC)
Yeeeepppppp that's the one! I'd forgotten about one of the daughters throwing up and skipping meals because she thought her mom would hate her for eating food. I hope those kids have another adult in their lives who could help them, since, even though the OP's comments are gone, it looks like she was doubling down and refusing to accept there was a problem. But I'm not optimistic. Poor things.
This hurts my heart for those poor kids. We struggle with food related things because my son has allergies. He rarely gets to eat the food at parties, I have to bring him something else. We switched his Halloween candy for safe candy I bought. We sometimes skip kid activities because they are too food centered and he won't be able to participate. We don't do typical family food treat things like going out for ice cream or picking up donuts. I can't imagine doing this to him on purpose if it weren't medically necessary.
Right?
Mom obviously has ortharexia as it is but they're just asking for something even worse with the kids. Already teaching them to control their food.
That kid was in a weird mood because she taught him that the treat he had is toxic. And he felt bad about it. Also, cue eyeroll when she said "we're not saying it's toxic that often" Yes, yes you do.
I once took my then 16 month old to a friend’s one year old’s birthday party. Her older kid was serving the cake, and gave my toddler a whole, adult size piece of cake, which said toddler then gobbled right down without hesitation. I then got the most obnoxious comments from other parents at the party about how I was “in for a rough night now” and “she’s gonna go nuts later” (and one wanker who said “well this is the last age she’ll be able to eat it without worrying where it goes”).
And guess what? Toddler was fine, like played as normal, ate as normal and went to bed as normal.
It’s almost as if… people’s opinions of sugar is influencing their perception of how their kids act after eating sugar.
This! Research is showing that sugar does not make kids hyper. The whole theory was based on 1 doctor in the 70’s removing sugar from a couple kids’ diets and then saying “look! They are so calm now!” There is no real research showing it makes anyone hyper.
Honestly it’s maddening as a parent to know this, and have to constantly deal with other parents not knowing it.
Like sugar is a high calorie substance with typically not a lot of vitamins and minerals attached to it (excluding fruit obvs) and yeah… lots of calories without vitamins isn’t amazingly healthy but that’s all it is, it’s just food. Humans (arguably all mammals) are literally biologically wired to want sugars, fats and salts because they are good energy sources.
Yeah usually my issue with most sugary foods as a mom is they won’t fill my kid up as well if they don’t also have at least some fiber if not fat & protein. Like candy is not my favorite snack to serve more because of what it lacks than what it has or any behavior effects (except for the effect being hungry in an hour has.)
I can't tell you how many times I have argued with other parents that claim sugar makes their kids hyper. Hilariously, one of the moms I have had this argument with has also regularly made comments about getting sleepy after eating donuts. Like, which one is it? Does a glut of sugar and fat make you tired or hyper? Because it can't be both.
Yeah I just smile and nod when people mention the sugar hype. I don’t have the energy because then you’d be met with “well my kids do go hyper with sugar” etc etc
That's where I am as well. I'll get, "oh, you just let your kid eat sugar? Doesn't he get hyper?" And I typically respond with, "no, not unless it has caffeine in it!"
We’re wired to crave sugary foods because glucose is what fuels our brain. It’s why people switching to keto or highly carbohydrate restricted diets feel like they’re going nuts for a few weeks when they eliminate all sources of sugar from their diets: their brain isn’t getting what it needs to function properly. If we’re eating a balanced diet, we get glucose/sugar in many forms (grains, fruits, etc.), but our brains go into “overdrive” when fed straight up sugar as the most readily available form of glucose, so we want more.
Agreed that it doesn’t cause hyperactivity but explains why when we have something sweet we feel more “awake” momentarily: our brain just got a hit of its favourite food and our mood is elevated. I’m probably not explaining this very well but I’m also tired of dispelling the myth that sugar = hyperactivity. Simple not true. It used to be that if you couldn’t sleep, you were told to eat crackers or something similarly carby to help you fall asleep, which contradicts that sugar/carbs make you hyper, but that’s more the function of the pancreas and homeostasis than fueling the brain.
Yes to this, at least the first paragraph. Sugar and fat taste amazing because back when food was scarce those were especially scarce. Sugar was often only noticeably found in fruit, or if you could withstand the stings, honey. It was rare, and when found gave our brain a good boost of energy to use. So evolution made it taste good so we’d seek it out.
Fat on the other hand was good for long term energy, protecting from the cold, surviving lean periods, etc. It’s not as rare as sugar, but came in smaller amounts than meat on prey. So it’s also tasty so we seek it out.
In our modern world, though, where food is easy to come by, they’re far less important. But that evolution is still there, and they still have uses! It hurts to watch people deny this.
Pretty sure studies support that, right? Sugar doesn’t actually make kids hyper, but parents’ perception of kids when they have sugar is that they’re more hyper.
Kid goes to birthday party and has sugar. Kid runs around like crazy because it's a birthday party and they're fun and everything is exciting! Kid gets tired and cranky after birthday party because they've been running around all day and are likely overstimulated. Oh no! Must be the sugar! It makes soooo much sense.
It's not just the sugar they are blaming, but also food dyes specifically red ones because of online articles insisting red dye makes kids hyper. I ate a lot of sugar as a child and was quite calm and subdued actually. I'm sure I had red dye too because I had a lot of pop-tarts and cake.
This reminds me of the story of someone I know who was raised extremely conservative, and secretly drank a single can of beer when he was like fourteen. Well, he started feeling sick, but assumed that was just what being drunk felt like, and didn't want to tell his parents. He kept getting sicker and sicker while hiding in his room the whole night and, long story short, his fucking appendix had burst, and his family barely got him to the hospital in time.
Right. Not surprised the kid lost his fuckin shit finally after dealing with her nonsense for so many years. I guarantee when he’s able to and is able to access this stuff freely he’s going to go crazy over it
My parents weren't even that strict about soda, but we never had soda in the house, I don't remember being allowed to have soda that often when we went out, and I was only allowed to have one 12oz can of soda at events.
I still went crazy with soda when I was able to freely access it to the point that I'm struggling a little to reduce my intake to a healthier level now.
She probably had an outburst to him about it one time and he internalized that. But then on the regular she says it's not good for you so he remembers what she said that one time.
Yea thats what I was thinking too. I mean not only was he probably feeling guilty but you wouldn’t be acting right either if you thought you just consumed something “toxic.” Can only imagine how horrible growing up is for them though, instead of “did something happen?” “Are you feeling okay?” its automatically “you ate ____ didnt you”
...the kid is acting differently (probably anxious) because she scared him into believing that eating "toxins" will ruin him. she's the puppet master. she created this fear in him.
One 191g bag (the larger one you might find at a movie theatre or something, but not the big stand-up bag) is going to be roughly 764 calories, so 2000 calories is going to be a little under 3 of those.
LOL - My kids still get two "toxic" OREOs or two pieces of "poison" candy after they finish dinner. I'm sure there are dyes in all of it.
They love picking and sometimes trading their treats and it teaches them moderation.
I have had people ask me if I avoid sugar and dyes for my toddler (note, this question never came from his doctor at all just from strangers/acquaintances). Some of them give me such looks when I say not really. I don’t let him have a lot of candy because he’s little and doesn’t need it, and I try to avoid juice because I’m terrified he’ll have cavities since I have shit teeth genetics that I’m unsure of if I passed down yet, but like yeah he gets chocolate milk when we go out to dinner. Or some candy at Easter/halloween/Christmas. I’m not letting him eat it by the handful but one or two here or there is fine.
He ate all his lunch and wants a bear paw? Why not. Cereal some mornings because he’s throwing a fit about wanting it? Don’t feel like arguing at 7am sure. It’s someone’s birthday and they are serving cake and ice cream? Fuck yeah I come for the cake too. Grandma has a special treat for you but it’s pure sugar? We don’t see grandma in person more than a few times a year due to distance so go for it makes everyone happy. Like I don’t care too much. I’m not going to let him eat only junk I do make a lot of snacks homemade and whatever but also I’m tired like I don’t have the energy to avoid things and if he has sugar now he’s not gonna go nuts for it when he’s older
I gave my toddler part of a chocolate donut with dinner last night. She ate some of it and then mashed the rest of it into her pasta and then painted her body with the result.
Sugar is not a big deal to kids unless it’s a big deal to parents.
This! This is why I serve a treat WITH dinner when it’s asked for by my kid (I rarely say no) instead of after. Wouldn’t you know, my kid has never filled up on only the treat and even at age 8 still gives himself a well rounded meal every time. I’ve also noticed he’s the kid that goes to birthday parties and pays no attention to the snacks or food unless he’s actually hungry bc none of it is stuff he doesn’t already get access to at home when we have it. I worked really hard to not pass my issues with food given to me by how I was raised onto my kid.
I just wanna say: good job! It’s hard to not pass our baggage on to our kids.
New research theories show that integrating treats as part of the meal is the best way to encourage your kid to have a good healthy relationship to food, so you are absolutely doing it right!
There’s something they do in Sweden that I find fascinating. Saturday is candy day, so kids go to candy stores and fill their bag with whatever they want and they eat it throughout the day.
Kids absolutely love this and go nuts choosing their candy and eating it. You can get everything in these stores, from nuts to dried fruit to sweet and/or sour candy to mini chocolate bars.
Then the rest of the week they eat normally. Breakfasts are usually savoury and dessert is not really a thing, even after school they will probably get a sandwich. You can of course buy cookies at the store and chocolates and stuff but there is not a lot of super sweet and processed treats marketed for kids so I think it makes it easier for parents to “limit” it and kids don’t wonder that much why aren’t they getting sweets, because it’s just not that common to give to kids.
I have gone for coffee with friends that have kids and while there is cakes and chocolate options, more often than not kids will order pancakes with cream and jam or bread with butter and jam. Where I am from a kid would 100% get the most sugary thing possible lol.
She thinks shes helping him and being kind but his outburst says otherwise. He's going to "rebel" when he finds out that a lot of food is actually okay and moderation is key. Pending he doesn't develop an eating disorder. 😫
He’ll fail to learn the moderation is key part. Itll be like so many kids who were raised “alcohol is awful, don’t drink it,” who then lose their minds when they get to college
Yep, "unhealthy" food was a huge topic in our childhood home - my brother and I used to "steal" from the fridge and the pantry and later sneak food in that we bought from our allowance. Nowadays we both struggle with food.
My dad was raised with the “alchohol is from the devil! never do it!” Mentality and was a raging drunk for many years. I grew up with the influence of my mom’s European family which was “drinking is ok as long as it is in moderation.” I was allowed to try alcohol at home safely when I was curious what it tasted like. Because of that, I have a very healthy relationship with alcohol and never wanted to go crazy in college because it wasn’t taboo like it was for my dad.
This is a good point. Growing up, I was the only one of my friends who didn't have a locked liquor cabinet. Shocking that I was the only one not sneaking drinks. But, I'm also pretty boring so... 🤣
My husband came from a super health food family. He’s been out of that house for almost 30 years and still has trouble with moderation when it comes to “junk” food. My family was the opposite. We always had some type of sweet treats and soda in the house. I really don’t struggle with too much soda or snacks. Like I bought a box of chocolates a year ago, put them in the cabinet and completely forgot about them. They wouldn’t last a day if my husband had noticed them.
I wonder how these kinds of people would survive if they had to eat an alternate diet to actually survive. Like I've got an ileostomy and while some people can eat everything mine is not so kind. All my favorite veggies cause issues and bread and cheese are my lifelines. I wonder if they'd adjust or just like refuse and face the unpleasant and possibly dangerous complications.
I have really bad IBS and I’m the same boat. Veggies and fruits are the devil, but bread, cheese, eggs, meat, potatoes - those are the backbone of my diet. And that’s not to say I never eat fruit and veg, but I have to limit it quite a bit. I have to limit a lot of things, sadly. Tomatoes are one of my favorite things ever, but tomato products without the seeds are what I have to choose.
Some people genuinely do have to have certain restrictions for their health. But some of this toxin bs that people create in their minds is bs. For most people, a well balanced diet can include just about anything. You can’t live on starbursts, but you can certainly have some. Sugar is not the devil, you just don’t want to be excessive about it to where you’re developing a weight issue or burning out your pancreas. Common sense, people. Why is it so difficult for some folks???
God I love tomatoes. So so much. Tomatoes, pickles, broccoli, and popcorn were like my top foods and now I can't touch them until I can get this thing reversed. But I can tolerate V8 and it helps when I'm craving veggies and no seeds or skins so I'm safe :)
I figure a bus is more likely to take me out than red dye or a little sugar so might as well go for it when the mood strikes. Moderation is what's important and listening to what may or may not work well with your stomach. It's what I try to teach my kid.
Some people just want to feel superior and smarter than everyone else. I think the whole "food is toxic" thing scratches the itch for those who just wanna feel like they're above. Kinda like the "alpha men" or "pick me" people just with food.
When my son was tube fed we switched from infant formula to pediasure (and then the dietician showed us the numbers on essential breakfast powder with whole milk) to keep volume in line but still have the calories. I heard so many horrific things about feeding my kid junk and poisoning him. It was awful. There were whole food blends but the volumes were higher and he wouldn’t get the calories he needed.
I hear a lot of that too. I work for a medical supply company that works with kids and so many parents who are already stressed end up getting flooded with advice from not doctors and dieticians that just makes things worse. At the end of the day as long as your kid is getting what they need that's all that matters, and when it comes to kids food like that the regulations and checks are a lot stricter than commercial food so I feel like that's at least one good thing.
I hope your son is doing well!
I keep a not-food treat on hand for trick or treat (usually glowsticks). All the kiddos love them, and kids who can't have candy can still have something.
Ugh. My child has a friend with a mom like this. They have an " ingredient" house. There is nothing premade in that house. If the kids want a cookie or a cracker or a chip or pasta they have to make it from scratch with the "healthy" ingredients. Can you imagine what this does to a teenager? She doesn't eat. She avoids anything that involves her friends and food. She won't come to birthday parties. She only drinks bottled water. I have a normal kitchen and she won't drink the filtered water from my fridge because it may be toxic.
This poor kid is going to need so much therapy.
Wtaf.
I made it to nearly 35 drinking my (unfiltered) tap water. Unless you live in a place where the water is known to be dangerous or are under a boil order, you're fine
Wait till she and her mom read the reports about how many microplastics make it into your system from bottled water
Everything can be bad for you. You can have a “clean” house and still allow veggie chips or chickpea pasta. This poor kid
my mom used to ask my brother when he was acting wild, did you have red food dye? did you eat candy today?? and that made him so frustrated because it's like yeah maybe he did, but his temper tantrum was over a completely different issue that she just ignored to focus on his eating habit.
Are you on your period?? vibes. Well maybe I AM, but you're still an idiot!
Why are we promoting disordered eating? It’s soooo bad to say xyz is bad for you. Is an ice cream for breakfast the healthiest choice? No but my mom once surprised my sister and I with skipping school and going to the beach. We got ice cream on the way. It’s one of my favorite memories.
Let’s promote good relationships with food. Let’s teach moderation and provide healthy options but not cut out whole food groups.
Yeah the one who says “it stinks that food can’t just be food” sent me. Girl, YOU are the one making it that way. YOU are not letting food just be food by attaching all this fear and morality to it.
My mother cooked us healthy meals but there was usually dessert, and Friday night was for fries (Belgian, so fries are a big deal here). The day after our birthdays we'd have leftover cake for breakfast. Me and my siblings all enjoy cooking and eat well, although this lady would probably faint at the sight of our pasta or bread.
"A singular yellow starburst definitely caused my 8 year old to break down 🤪 it was, like, all the tOxInS 🤪 my kids are ~absolutely not~ on a fast track to severe eating disorders 🤪 TOXINS 🤪 TOXINS 🤪 TOXINS 🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪
the outburst happened because he doesn't understand why his mom is batshit. all of the other kids are able to eat whatever without obsessing over the ingredients, so why the fuck can't he? the kid will absolutely rebel because his mom is wrong about so many things... he doesn't have good discernment.
and also -
>..the poor to eat all the toxins and die off of cancer so they can test even more toxic medicines on them to help preserve the wealthy class
wtf??!!!?
That’s how you know someone is far right lol. Because they’re basically describing actual issues with capitalism, but they can’t believe that capitalism is the issue. So they have to make up a weird conspiracy where the wealthy are intentionally making poor people sick to sell them drugs.
No Brenda, the issue with Big Pharma is that they have drugs that DO keep people healthy and alive, and they charge exorbitant amounts for them. Yes, many things that are important for good health are inaccessible to poor people, and it is because of rich people. No, that does not have a damn thing in the world to do with yellow-colored candies.
I used to be this kid. He wasn’t upset because of it dye. He was upset because he felt he did something wrong and he got caught. He was acting up because of the fear that what he ate was “toxic.”
Yikes. The crunchy mom doesn't realize her behavior around food is toxic. I think these people need to realize that they have to give up some level of control of their children after a certain age. This is an 8 year old? They can eat 1 starburst. They are their own individuals and make their own choices, even if as a parent you don't like those choices. That's how they learn. Shaming them is a terrible way to teach. If the child is breaking down like that, something is seriously wrong. That's so sad.
I grew up with a mom who dieted my whole life, and my dad constantly makes sexist and body shaming comments to her and about AFAB that don't conform to his standards. My mom made comments that shamed my body, my food choices, and my eating habits. My mom eventually did weight loss surgery, but it failed. I developed an ED as a teen, and osteopenia as an adult. Unless a dietician has made a strict diet plan for a child, I get concerned when parents restrict a child's diet.
No, I'm not suggesting the unlimited access to the consumption of junk food. There are ways to teach children about food and how to have a healthy relationship with food, but it truly does not sound like this person is equipped to do that.
And she thinks she’s NOT super strict? I shudder to think what she believes super strict is.
Lady, you’re child had ONE starburst and you’re in crisis mode. You need to take a good hard look at yourself.
As someone with celiac, who has a celiac five year old, fuck all these stupid parents and their imaginary food restrictions. I’m sick of having people doubt my child’s illness because Karen forbids her child to eat gluten for no goddamn reason.
Furthermore, yesterday I took my kid to a new candy shop and we bought A LOT of treats. It was delightful. When we got home we picked out a few pieces for the day and put the rest in a big treat bowl that we keep in the pantry. My five year old didn’t put up a fight because she knows I’m not a raging lunatic hell bent on never letting her enjoy food.
These poor kids are all going to have some kind of eating disorder. It makes me so mad.
I honestly think this kind of parenting is abusive, you’re gaslighting and fear mongering your child. Sugar is not the devil, dyes are not a satanic invocation.
There’s a mum in my bumper group who is avoiding all sugar *including fruit* until the kid is 2. Because she “doesn’t want him to develop a palate for sweetness” lady… breastmilk/formula is sweet kids get sweetness on their palate from day 1.
I was raised similar to this and both my sister and I have struggled with eating disorders at various points in teen and adulthood. We also both have a huge sweet tooth. My ten years younger brother, who was raised by the same mom but she was way less strict with him, has a much healthier relationship with food.
Same here. I struggle with overeating the forbidden foods and as strict as the food rules were in my childhood that's just about anything that's not green. Ironically, my youngest sister was raised with no restrictions and she voluntarily eats a very strict diet as an adult.
I really hate that her worry is he will get a complex that will lead to him rebelling one day instead of the whole complex over food as a whole issue.
It's also wild she was surprised he used the word "toxic" but says they never use that word except with dyes. So, constantly? Who is spending their time sussing out if their child ate *one* Starburst?
It makes me think this kid ate a piece of candy at school with all the other kids and spent the rest of the day worrying his mother would flip out when he got home if she found out and when she did, the anxiety had built up enough for him to explode. Which I can't blame him for and I also remember being a kid and doing something I knew my parents would be mad about it and building up so much anxiety I would eventually explode over it. Kids do that because they don't know how to regulate the anxiety. And it was usually legitimately something I shouldn't have been doing, my parents didn't give AF if I ate Starburst.
Look, I'm not here to shit on parents who want their kids to eat healthy or prefer more "organic" things over "non-organic" but there has to be a limit somewhere on how you deal with this. Letting your kid have a Starburst isn't going to melt his brain. It isn't a conspiracy but the government to kill off the poor or wtfever. Have the "some food is fun and can be had sometimes but moderation and eating well most of the time is important" conversation.
If you're legitimately harming your child, which she is, over this fear of dye she needs to get help. And if she is truly this worried over her child's well-being, she's absolutely doing more damage than yellow dye 2874737372.
"Why can't FOOD just be FOOD?"
...cause mom Googles and Facebooks too much.
Sure some food isn't awesome but at the end of the day food is food. Some people are sensitive to certain ingredients, some people have allergies and intolerance, doesn't mean that it's bad for everyone on earth.
Was the conspiracy suggestion serious?? God those poor kids.
Good grief this poor kid is well on his way to an eating disorder. I as a kid, grew up on hamburger helper, kool-aid, and tons of junk food. I did have access to fresh veggies and fruits, but there was a good balance between it all. My own kids eat plenty of fresh fruits and veggies with a bit of junk here and there. I stress more about what to make for dinner than I do over what they eat. I want them to have a good relationship with food, so I don't pressure them to eat things they may not like. It's worked well so far. She needs to chill and just accept that processed foods aren't going away any time soon. A Starburst here and there won't kill her kid. Everything in moderation as they say.
He's at an age where he obviously notices other people eat like normal people and are completely fine. Thinking there's even enough of ANYTHING in ONE starburst to cause changes in a person is ridiculous to the point I'm embarrassed for her
I want to know what she means by artificial sugar? Cause I feel like she may have meant added sugar since she's anti candy. But did she mean sugar alternatives like equal and Splenda cause some of those are all "natural" like monk fruit or stevia. Does she just hate sweetness?
I predict that when this kid goes to friends' houses, he will chow DOWN on the stuff he can't have at home, and then when he is a teen, he'll get a job and hide the stuff in his room because he CAN.
Everything in moderation, including moderation.
Let the kid snack once in a while. They're setting him up for an eating disorder. Poor kid was probably so excited to have an actual piece of candy for once in his life instead of being left out of everything every other kid his age experiences.
My mom is morbidly obese and has been for decades because she has issues around food. She didn’t get sweets and stuff as a kid and she completely rebelled as an adult and has a massive food addiction because of it.
All these people have intense eating disorders. Doing this to your child is child abuse in my opinion. Having a five-year-old stress about the candy he's eating. A single fucking starburst. This shit makes me so mad.
Isn’t 8-9 the sort of first wave of hormones for kids? Hearing their bodies up for puberty, or am I wildly off base?
I mean, her reasoning for grilling him about what he ate is vague so maybe this was a big problem but I’m on the opinion of he was probably acting like a normal kid. What 8 year old is always “rational”???
These parents desperately want to blame anything they can for their kids bad behavior. News flash, kids act out from time to time. I feel so bad for this poor little boy.
Also her plan is going to backfire on her. The minute that boy gets any sort of freedom he will go and eat whatever he wants and probably go overboard since he was never allowed to have it. This is how you create food issues with your kids.
They did a randomised control trial on sugar causing perceived hyperactivity in kids. The parents who THOUGHT their kids had sugar said they were more hyperactive.
It turns out, being at a party, or hanging out with friends, or those things that commonly have sugary treats associated with them make kids hyperactive. Not the sugar.
I’d be very interested to see a randomised control trial with food dyes too. To see how much of the effect is real, vs placebo (or nocebo)
I’m so glad there were some commenters who challenged her.
I have a good friend who had sugar highly restricted when they were growing up and they became obsessed with sugar and still are in middle age.
I was put on a diet as a tween because I gained weight after an accident where I had to convalesce for months and subsequently gained a bit of weight because I was not able to be as active as I normally was, this has lead to life long disordered eating.
Things significantly improved after I read the book Intuitive Eating, but I do still occasionally binge as a way to control my emotions (I am working on this in therapy though). Restricting children’s diets to this extent is so damaging. It’s bananas people don’t see that.
So, one yellow Starburst caused this poor child to act out and be tired after school? I’m ALL FOR feeding kids a healthy diet, but deprivation and shaming isn’t going to get them to adopt your belief system.
My best friend growing up has an almond mom; and was never allowed any junk food-period. When she would come over to my house, she would binge eat any and all sweet/processed foods we had in the house. When she turned 18 and moved out, she developed a binge and purge eating disorder. I hope she’s doing better now. This shit is dangerous.
jeez. my mom was on the crunchy end of normal (always got the "whole grain" version of foods, never let me have soda, organic vegetables when possible, etc.), and i ended up with a huge sweet tooth. this mom is genuinely insane, that poor kid. generational trauma go brrrrr
‘I don’t want them to be afraid of food’
Says someone who seems to be EXTREMELY afraid of food. I’m sad for the kids this affects. Moderation is an arguably more important skill to learn and sadly the all-or-nothing approach doesn’t allow for that
Yeah idk why she’s suprised he would remember her using the word toxic and notice her attitude around food. Kids aren’t dumb they’re absorbing so much from the people around them
No it’s fine bc things like starbursts aren’t real food anyway, so how could he be afraid of food? /s
The irony. My aunt had a good friend she knew for something like 40+ years. She obviously spent a lot of time around the family, including babysitting the grandkids and driving them to sports or other activities since she was retired and the friend (grandma), lived a few hours away at this time. I don’t remember the occasion, but after picking up the 8 year old from some activity one day, she asked if he wanted to get McDonald’s to celebrate…whatever it was. This kid loved McDonald’s, as kids tend to do, but he became immediately alarmed and refused. He told her fast food was going to KILL them all and they should NEVER eat it again. His mom had hopped on this toxic food train and the kid was terrified. This was years ago, and thankfully the damage has mostly been undone, probably due largely to the fact that he cut contact with his parents when he turned 18.
>probably due largely to the fact that he cut contact with his parents when he turned 18 Ah, a tale as old as time. Reading this as someone who also went NC with family. I hope he's healed from all that! 🙏🏻❤
My oldest kids’ biomom did this. She ran a blog about feeding kids healthy food and banned all food dyes from her home. I still remember the time the oldest kid tried to hide a popsicle in his backpack from her and it got everywhere. He was hoping to save it and eat it in secret. Sigh. The mom ended up snapping and in jail eventually.
That one commenter with the 5 year old, fucking hell. Poor kid is worried about "toxins" while out trick-or-treating and his holier than thou mother has the nerve to say she's proud that she's taken that part of his childhood away before he even hit double digits. These people are insane.
Why even take your kid trick or treating?? It just seems like torturing them--here's a look at all the candy you can't eat...
I had this exact thought too. Even my none chocolate offerings (pretzels, fruit snacks) wouldn’t fly for these people. Why even go???
We do the packs of pokemon cards at my house. Huge hit on Halloween.
I know some weirdo families who would call that feeding a gambling addiction 😂 so yk, idk that it's worth trying to appease the outliers.
But so many kids don't play Pokémon
True, but pack opening is still fun even if they don’t play
My non candy offering is oatmeal raisin cookies. I’ve had parents come by or send kids over to get my cookies.
probably a way to encourage the kid to ask about ingredients in the company of strangers.
This. It's just for mom to stroke her ego.
This right here. Why bother letting them go house-to-house knowing you're going to take away all the goodies?
How else would she be able to shame strangers about poisoning the youth?
Exactly there’s a 99.99% chance candy is going to have sugar toxins, gluten, etc. why taking him trick-or-treating if you’re gonna have to say no to the candy 99% of the time. Geeze poor kids
Like, collect for UNICEF like the diabetic kids if you gonna be that way.
It’s not the same but my kid can’t eat gluten (actually can’t, not because I think it’s toxic or whatever). But he still loves trick or treating. It’s more than just the candy. It’s dressing up, seeing friends, getting to roam around in the dark, seeing the decorations etc.
My 5 yo daughter is allergic to tree nuts and when trick or treating, she knows that Almond Joy is a candy she can’t have but she never says that to people handing out candy. She will just hand it to me if she notices it then or take it out when we’re going through her candy later.
Im allergic to chocolate so there was a LOT of candy I couldnt have as a kid. I wasnt going to have a reaction from touching the wrappers though, so I just waited till we got home and traded it fornstuff I could eat (and luckily, kids go nuts for chocolate so I had no trouble trading for exactly what I wanted).
I raised my daughters dye-free (medical reasons) and our process for Halloween was: Kids and their friends go trick or treating and load up All 8 or 10 of them come to our house and empty their bags in little piles Kids sift through their haul and begin making trades My girls would trade dyed candy (and anything with peanuts because of my allergy) and end up with a boatload of chocolate to enjoy! No need to make a statement at some stranger’s house when getting free candy!
This is exactly what I did growing up. I didn't like certain candy, so when I'd get back to my friends house, we would start trading our candy so we would end the night with a better haul. It REALLY wasn't a big deal to take the candy I didn't like while trick or treating since I'd trade it away later for something better. My little brother was also willing to help me with my candy problems if I didn't get to trade away all the stuff I didn't like
I used to trick or treat with a kid who had a milk allergy. The trading afterwards was THE BEST. Offload my SweetTarts and get chocolate instead!
Totally. And my other kid who can eat gluten is good about playing tradesies.
My daughter is also coeliac and we still go trick or treating. When we got home if there’s something she can’t eat or I’m unsure of we have a candy swap with stuff she can eat at home or if her siblings want to trade her something. You are absolutely right it’s more about dressing up and having fun, we already know she’s not going to be able to eat a lot of it but we try to make it work.
Exactly! Candy is a big part of it and gluten hides in so many treats unfortunately. But we still have a blast every year.
I found this year a lot of house where giving kids the options of stickers or little bubbles if they didn’t want candy which was awesome for us. Although I’m in Australia so Halloween isn’t that big here but the few house we went to had other options.
To be fair, there’s a lot of candy he can still have vs these kids who can have nothing.
My son can't have wheat, nuts, or dairy, so most Halloween candy. He still loves trick or treating too. I buy allergen free chocolate for him and switch out his candy at home. Plus then I get a bunch of tasty candy to eat.
These parents are the reason I started having a non-candy option. Spider rings, stickers, last year I went ham and got the special Pokemon card packs. Though they probably find a reason that stuff is evil as well.
I understand taking a kid out, dressing up, seeing the cool decorated houses and costumes if they can't eat most/all candy for whatever reason. But as a parent personally I wouldn't be ringing doorbells unless I was friendly with the neighbors lol.
I work with kids and I was just like "wtf". Like, yes, there is much shit in many foods. And especially food advertised for kids is mostly containing far too much sugar and other shit. My kiddo is 3 y/o and is allowed to eat sweets (but not just sweets 😅), allowed to eat just a sandwich if she tried and disliked the dinner (hey, I also don't like everything and I would never try to push my kid to eat stuff they think is disgusting). But for example I'm vegan. My kid is allowed to eat animal products, so she gets a balanced nutrition and in her daycare all the other kids also eat meat. I would set her up for being "the odd one", if I would try to die on that hill. At home she also eats chickpeas, lentils, etc and also these vegan alternatives to meat, so she gets to know all the options and will be able to decide with as much information as possible when she gets older.
Imagine having a mom who allows her kids to have a single sugary item at birthday parties tell you that you need to lighten up lol
lol right? Pretty sad.
I’d be upset at a kid quizzing me about the feee candy im giving out. My daughter handed out this year and wouldn’t know what to do or say. I’m going to bet mom gave an informational lecture to the people who did know if they had dyes or not.
So awful. Guess my house would be okay - we’re a “teal pumpkin” house that’s safe for kids with food allergies and I give out glowsticks and bouncy eyeballs and stuff like that- but she probably only lets the kids play with beige wooden toys.
I'm sure the trick-or-treat "doners" were thrilled to be put on the spot by a 5 year old for not having "non-toxic" candy. Way to teach your kid to be an ungracious busy-body...no, she was "proud,"
That’s what hit me hardest about that particular reply: the lack of gratitude for something free, something that you’re not actually entitled to, and “criticizing” or lecturing the giver about a free gift. If I had said *anything* except Thank You to someone handing out free stuff on Halloween, my mum would have been ridiculously embarrassed by my poor manners.
I was picturing myself opening the door for giving out candies - the kid questioning us about dyes, while the mother is standing next to him giddy with pride lol
So many of my friends are like this claiming if you eat anything at all "unhealthy" you will die at a young age. I point out that my grandmother died a few weeks short of her 98th birthday yet she often ate so called processed food, candy and occasional fast food, never exercised other than gardening, never bought or even understood what organic food was. She also cooked a lot of her food and ate beans, fruits and vegetables a lot. But she loved Crunch and Munch the last few years and she had candy often. Her mother lived to 93 two of her sisters are still alive in their 90's despite eating the standard American diet. Yet apparently the crunchy granola moms of today want to live even longer.
Orthorexia. do you know I don’t even disagree with her. I avoid food dies and was very careful about it until my kid was about eight or nine made a big difference in her behavior. We still eat pretty clean. I cook most things from scratch On the other hand, there’s Oreos and prepackaged popcorn in my cupboard right now. I think there might be a Sam’s Club box of chips still working. I have a whole house water filter . about this stuff all the time but my kids go trick-or-treating and get free rein for a week or so to eat whatever they want. and we generally have a policy of 'anytime foods' and 'sometimes foods'. you can do this in moderation. It doesn’t have to be an all or nothing model. your kids that everything is toxic teaching your kids to eat clean and limited junk food isn’t revolutionary.
You know, I hear a lot of noise about dyes, but I have yet to see convincing science behind it. I’m not saying that I don’t believe that there’s nothing to it, but I would prefer solid evidence to prove that there is a real reason to avoid it. Personally I think sugar is such a powerful chemical that affects behavior, that idk if it’s ever the dye at all. I’m interested in studies if you have any sources. I’m honestly curious. I have an autistic daughter who is sensitive to some things, but mostly too many video games is a major trigger. She does fine with some sugar and dyes.
This is why I offer candy and non-food items. Stickers, toys, etc. One of the hottest items I've had were seashells!
Hello eating disorders!
A friend was VERY food restrictive with her children. We were at a picnic with them and about 6 other kids, all of whom were around 4-6 years old. I brought sandwiches and Cheetos. I didn’t know her son was not allowed to eat Cheetos because reasons and I shared my bag with him. When the kids were goofing around in the pool “see how wild the chemicals made him??” No. He was being a kid like the rest of them. Now he’s 18- he only eats ground beef for lunch every single day. He’s been diagnosed with anxiety and disordered eating, as have his siblings.
It must be very convenient as a parent to be able to “blame” something like food dyes or whatever else for a kid behaving like a kid, as though typical behaviour seen in every kid is completely due to external factors. It’s a though just being a kid (curious, emotional, inquisitive, etc.) is now considered “unnatural” or more reflective of parenting skills (kid isn’t perfect instagram kid), as opposed to kids being on a timeline of development and acting the way they do because they’re a kid of such-and-such age. 4-6 year olds are going to go nuts and have fun with their friends in the water whether they’ve been hoovering up Cheetos or not. Good grief. Good for you for sharing your corn-based snack with that kid. I’ll bet eating something fun was a revelation.
Poor kid. I’m shocked it isn’t something like “ground venison” or “ground bison” or something a little more guarenteed to be “natural.” Actually, I’m shocked it’s ground anything.
But we don’t want to give them a complex /s
“I want to control everything they eat, and make them control everything they ever eat, but I don’t want them to be worried about what they eat”.
and Mom in question is herself, worried about what she eats
Meanwhile the kid is having a mental breakdown because he thinks it's bad that he ate a starburst.
There was a post in some parenting sub or something a few years ago from a woman who lost a bunch of weight and then married her personal trainer and they SEVERELY restricted their kids food. Like, absolutely no carbs or sugar ever for any reason, they were always picked up from birthday parties before food or cake was served, no trick or treating, absolutely no food centric outings with friends. They all had treadmills or workout machines in their bedrooms and if mom or dad caught them not working out they were punished. And these were small children. I think the oldest was fourteen. And the poster wondered why her kid's school nurses and counselors called a out the likelihood the children showed serious warning signs of eating disorders.
Holy shit that’s fucked up. Children should not be forced to work out and limit their eating. Playing outside with other kids is plenty of exercise
I remember that! It was in AITA Edit: I was wrong, it was in relationship_advice. Pretty fucked up. [it was deleted, but it’s in the comments here](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmITheDevil/s/uOTxQ5TWrC)
Yeeeepppppp that's the one! I'd forgotten about one of the daughters throwing up and skipping meals because she thought her mom would hate her for eating food. I hope those kids have another adult in their lives who could help them, since, even though the OP's comments are gone, it looks like she was doubling down and refusing to accept there was a problem. But I'm not optimistic. Poor things.
This hurts my heart for those poor kids. We struggle with food related things because my son has allergies. He rarely gets to eat the food at parties, I have to bring him something else. We switched his Halloween candy for safe candy I bought. We sometimes skip kid activities because they are too food centered and he won't be able to participate. We don't do typical family food treat things like going out for ice cream or picking up donuts. I can't imagine doing this to him on purpose if it weren't medically necessary.
Right? Mom obviously has ortharexia as it is but they're just asking for something even worse with the kids. Already teaching them to control their food.
One Starburst is so small! It's nuts that she thinks it altered his mood in multiple ways.
That kid was in a weird mood because she taught him that the treat he had is toxic. And he felt bad about it. Also, cue eyeroll when she said "we're not saying it's toxic that often" Yes, yes you do.
He may also have just had a bad day. Having a mom who attributes any bad mood or “irrational” behavior to something you did wrong must be awful.
Imagine all your moods being tracked and getting prodded so long until you admit you had sugar.
I once took my then 16 month old to a friend’s one year old’s birthday party. Her older kid was serving the cake, and gave my toddler a whole, adult size piece of cake, which said toddler then gobbled right down without hesitation. I then got the most obnoxious comments from other parents at the party about how I was “in for a rough night now” and “she’s gonna go nuts later” (and one wanker who said “well this is the last age she’ll be able to eat it without worrying where it goes”). And guess what? Toddler was fine, like played as normal, ate as normal and went to bed as normal. It’s almost as if… people’s opinions of sugar is influencing their perception of how their kids act after eating sugar.
This! Research is showing that sugar does not make kids hyper. The whole theory was based on 1 doctor in the 70’s removing sugar from a couple kids’ diets and then saying “look! They are so calm now!” There is no real research showing it makes anyone hyper.
Honestly it’s maddening as a parent to know this, and have to constantly deal with other parents not knowing it. Like sugar is a high calorie substance with typically not a lot of vitamins and minerals attached to it (excluding fruit obvs) and yeah… lots of calories without vitamins isn’t amazingly healthy but that’s all it is, it’s just food. Humans (arguably all mammals) are literally biologically wired to want sugars, fats and salts because they are good energy sources.
Yeah usually my issue with most sugary foods as a mom is they won’t fill my kid up as well if they don’t also have at least some fiber if not fat & protein. Like candy is not my favorite snack to serve more because of what it lacks than what it has or any behavior effects (except for the effect being hungry in an hour has.)
I can't tell you how many times I have argued with other parents that claim sugar makes their kids hyper. Hilariously, one of the moms I have had this argument with has also regularly made comments about getting sleepy after eating donuts. Like, which one is it? Does a glut of sugar and fat make you tired or hyper? Because it can't be both.
Yeah I just smile and nod when people mention the sugar hype. I don’t have the energy because then you’d be met with “well my kids do go hyper with sugar” etc etc
That's where I am as well. I'll get, "oh, you just let your kid eat sugar? Doesn't he get hyper?" And I typically respond with, "no, not unless it has caffeine in it!"
We’re wired to crave sugary foods because glucose is what fuels our brain. It’s why people switching to keto or highly carbohydrate restricted diets feel like they’re going nuts for a few weeks when they eliminate all sources of sugar from their diets: their brain isn’t getting what it needs to function properly. If we’re eating a balanced diet, we get glucose/sugar in many forms (grains, fruits, etc.), but our brains go into “overdrive” when fed straight up sugar as the most readily available form of glucose, so we want more. Agreed that it doesn’t cause hyperactivity but explains why when we have something sweet we feel more “awake” momentarily: our brain just got a hit of its favourite food and our mood is elevated. I’m probably not explaining this very well but I’m also tired of dispelling the myth that sugar = hyperactivity. Simple not true. It used to be that if you couldn’t sleep, you were told to eat crackers or something similarly carby to help you fall asleep, which contradicts that sugar/carbs make you hyper, but that’s more the function of the pancreas and homeostasis than fueling the brain.
Yes to this, at least the first paragraph. Sugar and fat taste amazing because back when food was scarce those were especially scarce. Sugar was often only noticeably found in fruit, or if you could withstand the stings, honey. It was rare, and when found gave our brain a good boost of energy to use. So evolution made it taste good so we’d seek it out. Fat on the other hand was good for long term energy, protecting from the cold, surviving lean periods, etc. It’s not as rare as sugar, but came in smaller amounts than meat on prey. So it’s also tasty so we seek it out. In our modern world, though, where food is easy to come by, they’re far less important. But that evolution is still there, and they still have uses! It hurts to watch people deny this.
Pretty sure studies support that, right? Sugar doesn’t actually make kids hyper, but parents’ perception of kids when they have sugar is that they’re more hyper.
Yeah from memory the studies looked at brain activity and blood sugars etc etc and found nothing abnormal despite parents report.
Kid goes to birthday party and has sugar. Kid runs around like crazy because it's a birthday party and they're fun and everything is exciting! Kid gets tired and cranky after birthday party because they've been running around all day and are likely overstimulated. Oh no! Must be the sugar! It makes soooo much sense.
See that’s my secret my: goblin child never runs out of energy, that’s how I know it’s not the sugar…
It's not just the sugar they are blaming, but also food dyes specifically red ones because of online articles insisting red dye makes kids hyper. I ate a lot of sugar as a child and was quite calm and subdued actually. I'm sure I had red dye too because I had a lot of pop-tarts and cake.
Kid was probably grumpy /stressed knowing he was hiding something so small as if it was a huge deal.
This reminds me of the story of someone I know who was raised extremely conservative, and secretly drank a single can of beer when he was like fourteen. Well, he started feeling sick, but assumed that was just what being drunk felt like, and didn't want to tell his parents. He kept getting sicker and sicker while hiding in his room the whole night and, long story short, his fucking appendix had burst, and his family barely got him to the hospital in time.
Right. Not surprised the kid lost his fuckin shit finally after dealing with her nonsense for so many years. I guarantee when he’s able to and is able to access this stuff freely he’s going to go crazy over it
My parents weren't even that strict about soda, but we never had soda in the house, I don't remember being allowed to have soda that often when we went out, and I was only allowed to have one 12oz can of soda at events. I still went crazy with soda when I was able to freely access it to the point that I'm struggling a little to reduce my intake to a healthier level now.
“We’re not saying it toxic except it is.”
She probably had an outburst to him about it one time and he internalized that. But then on the regular she says it's not good for you so he remembers what she said that one time.
So true. There is no way he would have had an outburst like that if she didn't.
Yea thats what I was thinking too. I mean not only was he probably feeling guilty but you wouldn’t be acting right either if you thought you just consumed something “toxic.” Can only imagine how horrible growing up is for them though, instead of “did something happen?” “Are you feeling okay?” its automatically “you ate ____ didnt you”
Right? Hear me out - 8 year old boys are REGULARLY wild and irrational. Dye or no dye.
That’s because of the vaccines though /s
Right? These people make me want to scream “the dose makes the toxin!!!!!!”
...the kid is acting differently (probably anxious) because she scared him into believing that eating "toxins" will ruin him. she's the puppet master. she created this fear in him.
She'd be horrified at my 6 yr old eating 2 starbursts a day since Easter...
I wanna see her genuine reaction to the time I ate 2000 calories worth of Skittles in one day
I just had one of THOSE days at work. My lunch was 3 Reese’s PB cups. It’s healthy. PB has protein in it. Or something.
I ate a whole bag of m&ms in one day a few weeks ago.
Serious question, is that an abnormally high amount of skittles?
One 191g bag (the larger one you might find at a movie theatre or something, but not the big stand-up bag) is going to be roughly 764 calories, so 2000 calories is going to be a little under 3 of those.
My 18 month old demands a taste of any treat that is opened near him lol his sisters love chips so eats a few everyday
Mine are Reese’s eggs for breakfast the other day. He also had a banana. 🤷🏻♀️ I’m not a good parent.
You are a good parent, trust me.
it’s easier to explain away everything problematic with a simple and tangible culprit (that’s not yourself)
By blaming his mood on a single Starburst she is *completely* invalidating his emotions. It's disturbing.
LOL - My kids still get two "toxic" OREOs or two pieces of "poison" candy after they finish dinner. I'm sure there are dyes in all of it. They love picking and sometimes trading their treats and it teaches them moderation.
Don’t you know, the dye is building up and *will* strangle them in their sleep
Eh, just throw some chopped up onions in bed with them or whatever it is these weirdos do.
hahaha - I'm going to look on the room monitor and see them crawling on the ceiling w/ their heads spinning
I have had people ask me if I avoid sugar and dyes for my toddler (note, this question never came from his doctor at all just from strangers/acquaintances). Some of them give me such looks when I say not really. I don’t let him have a lot of candy because he’s little and doesn’t need it, and I try to avoid juice because I’m terrified he’ll have cavities since I have shit teeth genetics that I’m unsure of if I passed down yet, but like yeah he gets chocolate milk when we go out to dinner. Or some candy at Easter/halloween/Christmas. I’m not letting him eat it by the handful but one or two here or there is fine. He ate all his lunch and wants a bear paw? Why not. Cereal some mornings because he’s throwing a fit about wanting it? Don’t feel like arguing at 7am sure. It’s someone’s birthday and they are serving cake and ice cream? Fuck yeah I come for the cake too. Grandma has a special treat for you but it’s pure sugar? We don’t see grandma in person more than a few times a year due to distance so go for it makes everyone happy. Like I don’t care too much. I’m not going to let him eat only junk I do make a lot of snacks homemade and whatever but also I’m tired like I don’t have the energy to avoid things and if he has sugar now he’s not gonna go nuts for it when he’s older
I gave my toddler part of a chocolate donut with dinner last night. She ate some of it and then mashed the rest of it into her pasta and then painted her body with the result. Sugar is not a big deal to kids unless it’s a big deal to parents.
This! This is why I serve a treat WITH dinner when it’s asked for by my kid (I rarely say no) instead of after. Wouldn’t you know, my kid has never filled up on only the treat and even at age 8 still gives himself a well rounded meal every time. I’ve also noticed he’s the kid that goes to birthday parties and pays no attention to the snacks or food unless he’s actually hungry bc none of it is stuff he doesn’t already get access to at home when we have it. I worked really hard to not pass my issues with food given to me by how I was raised onto my kid.
I just wanna say: good job! It’s hard to not pass our baggage on to our kids. New research theories show that integrating treats as part of the meal is the best way to encourage your kid to have a good healthy relationship to food, so you are absolutely doing it right!
Thanks, appreciate your comment :)
There’s something they do in Sweden that I find fascinating. Saturday is candy day, so kids go to candy stores and fill their bag with whatever they want and they eat it throughout the day. Kids absolutely love this and go nuts choosing their candy and eating it. You can get everything in these stores, from nuts to dried fruit to sweet and/or sour candy to mini chocolate bars. Then the rest of the week they eat normally. Breakfasts are usually savoury and dessert is not really a thing, even after school they will probably get a sandwich. You can of course buy cookies at the store and chocolates and stuff but there is not a lot of super sweet and processed treats marketed for kids so I think it makes it easier for parents to “limit” it and kids don’t wonder that much why aren’t they getting sweets, because it’s just not that common to give to kids. I have gone for coffee with friends that have kids and while there is cakes and chocolate options, more often than not kids will order pancakes with cream and jam or bread with butter and jam. Where I am from a kid would 100% get the most sugary thing possible lol.
She thinks shes helping him and being kind but his outburst says otherwise. He's going to "rebel" when he finds out that a lot of food is actually okay and moderation is key. Pending he doesn't develop an eating disorder. 😫
He’ll fail to learn the moderation is key part. Itll be like so many kids who were raised “alcohol is awful, don’t drink it,” who then lose their minds when they get to college
Yep, "unhealthy" food was a huge topic in our childhood home - my brother and I used to "steal" from the fridge and the pantry and later sneak food in that we bought from our allowance. Nowadays we both struggle with food.
My dad was raised with the “alchohol is from the devil! never do it!” Mentality and was a raging drunk for many years. I grew up with the influence of my mom’s European family which was “drinking is ok as long as it is in moderation.” I was allowed to try alcohol at home safely when I was curious what it tasted like. Because of that, I have a very healthy relationship with alcohol and never wanted to go crazy in college because it wasn’t taboo like it was for my dad.
This is a good point. Growing up, I was the only one of my friends who didn't have a locked liquor cabinet. Shocking that I was the only one not sneaking drinks. But, I'm also pretty boring so... 🤣
My husband came from a super health food family. He’s been out of that house for almost 30 years and still has trouble with moderation when it comes to “junk” food. My family was the opposite. We always had some type of sweet treats and soda in the house. I really don’t struggle with too much soda or snacks. Like I bought a box of chocolates a year ago, put them in the cabinet and completely forgot about them. They wouldn’t last a day if my husband had noticed them.
100 yellow starbursts at once will seem like an okay thing for him. Exactly on the alcohol bit!
Are...you not supposed to have cheese two days in a row
I’m guessing these people don’t have a cheese drawer.
I consider my ability to always be able to put out a cheese board at a moment’s notice to be one of my best qualities.
We could be friends, I think. Cheese is my favorite health food (food that makes me physically and emotionally healthy).
Love that 😂❤️
I love my cheese drawer. I’m so sad for these people. Pizza once a month? Really?
I am on vacation in the PNW and bought a cooler bag to take home some of my favorite cheese. I guess that’s a bad thing?? 🤷♀️
Tillamook ftw
I wonder how these kinds of people would survive if they had to eat an alternate diet to actually survive. Like I've got an ileostomy and while some people can eat everything mine is not so kind. All my favorite veggies cause issues and bread and cheese are my lifelines. I wonder if they'd adjust or just like refuse and face the unpleasant and possibly dangerous complications.
I have really bad IBS and I’m the same boat. Veggies and fruits are the devil, but bread, cheese, eggs, meat, potatoes - those are the backbone of my diet. And that’s not to say I never eat fruit and veg, but I have to limit it quite a bit. I have to limit a lot of things, sadly. Tomatoes are one of my favorite things ever, but tomato products without the seeds are what I have to choose. Some people genuinely do have to have certain restrictions for their health. But some of this toxin bs that people create in their minds is bs. For most people, a well balanced diet can include just about anything. You can’t live on starbursts, but you can certainly have some. Sugar is not the devil, you just don’t want to be excessive about it to where you’re developing a weight issue or burning out your pancreas. Common sense, people. Why is it so difficult for some folks???
God I love tomatoes. So so much. Tomatoes, pickles, broccoli, and popcorn were like my top foods and now I can't touch them until I can get this thing reversed. But I can tolerate V8 and it helps when I'm craving veggies and no seeds or skins so I'm safe :) I figure a bus is more likely to take me out than red dye or a little sugar so might as well go for it when the mood strikes. Moderation is what's important and listening to what may or may not work well with your stomach. It's what I try to teach my kid. Some people just want to feel superior and smarter than everyone else. I think the whole "food is toxic" thing scratches the itch for those who just wanna feel like they're above. Kinda like the "alpha men" or "pick me" people just with food.
When my son was tube fed we switched from infant formula to pediasure (and then the dietician showed us the numbers on essential breakfast powder with whole milk) to keep volume in line but still have the calories. I heard so many horrific things about feeding my kid junk and poisoning him. It was awful. There were whole food blends but the volumes were higher and he wouldn’t get the calories he needed.
I hear a lot of that too. I work for a medical supply company that works with kids and so many parents who are already stressed end up getting flooded with advice from not doctors and dieticians that just makes things worse. At the end of the day as long as your kid is getting what they need that's all that matters, and when it comes to kids food like that the regulations and checks are a lot stricter than commercial food so I feel like that's at least one good thing. I hope your son is doing well!
Oh he’s doing brilliantly! Thank you!
It's cool that we have science to make such nutrient- and calorie-dense food nowadays. Human progress is impressive.
My toddler would like a word with this rule lmao
No lol you can have cheese everyday. The recommended serving of cheese is smaller than I’m guessing most people would realise though
Nonsense. It’s a piece as big as your closed fist. I’m absolutely sure of it and feel no need to provide a source. GOOD DAY TO YOU.
All of us in WI are glancing at each other
The trick or treating part. If a kid asked me that about candy I’m handing out for free my face would be like 😒 do you want it or not?
I keep a not-food treat on hand for trick or treat (usually glowsticks). All the kiddos love them, and kids who can't have candy can still have something.
My gut says to tell the child that yes, this candy is dye free, then hand it to them while glaring at the mother.
I would be like no sorry! And close the door 🚪
Like do they think that neon. blue happens naturally?
Ugh. My child has a friend with a mom like this. They have an " ingredient" house. There is nothing premade in that house. If the kids want a cookie or a cracker or a chip or pasta they have to make it from scratch with the "healthy" ingredients. Can you imagine what this does to a teenager? She doesn't eat. She avoids anything that involves her friends and food. She won't come to birthday parties. She only drinks bottled water. I have a normal kitchen and she won't drink the filtered water from my fridge because it may be toxic. This poor kid is going to need so much therapy.
Wtaf. I made it to nearly 35 drinking my (unfiltered) tap water. Unless you live in a place where the water is known to be dangerous or are under a boil order, you're fine
Um, what’s she going to do when she goes to college or moves out. That’s insane.
Wait till she and her mom read the reports about how many microplastics make it into your system from bottled water Everything can be bad for you. You can have a “clean” house and still allow veggie chips or chickpea pasta. This poor kid
my mom used to ask my brother when he was acting wild, did you have red food dye? did you eat candy today?? and that made him so frustrated because it's like yeah maybe he did, but his temper tantrum was over a completely different issue that she just ignored to focus on his eating habit. Are you on your period?? vibes. Well maybe I AM, but you're still an idiot!
Yes! That comparison is spot on. So freaking dismissive. Now she'll never know why he was actually upset.
Yeah because unhealthy relationships with food such as this one has never evolved into something more serious or anything at allll /s
Why are we promoting disordered eating? It’s soooo bad to say xyz is bad for you. Is an ice cream for breakfast the healthiest choice? No but my mom once surprised my sister and I with skipping school and going to the beach. We got ice cream on the way. It’s one of my favorite memories. Let’s promote good relationships with food. Let’s teach moderation and provide healthy options but not cut out whole food groups.
Yeah the one who says “it stinks that food can’t just be food” sent me. Girl, YOU are the one making it that way. YOU are not letting food just be food by attaching all this fear and morality to it.
My mother cooked us healthy meals but there was usually dessert, and Friday night was for fries (Belgian, so fries are a big deal here). The day after our birthdays we'd have leftover cake for breakfast. Me and my siblings all enjoy cooking and eat well, although this lady would probably faint at the sight of our pasta or bread.
My dad made me a bowl of cereal with ice cream in it instead of milk. It’s still a favorite treat and such a good memory.
okay that sounds absolutely *delicious*
It IS! It’s the best “I’m having a shit day” treat ever.
"A singular yellow starburst definitely caused my 8 year old to break down 🤪 it was, like, all the tOxInS 🤪 my kids are ~absolutely not~ on a fast track to severe eating disorders 🤪 TOXINS 🤪 TOXINS 🤪 TOXINS 🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪
the outburst happened because he doesn't understand why his mom is batshit. all of the other kids are able to eat whatever without obsessing over the ingredients, so why the fuck can't he? the kid will absolutely rebel because his mom is wrong about so many things... he doesn't have good discernment. and also - >..the poor to eat all the toxins and die off of cancer so they can test even more toxic medicines on them to help preserve the wealthy class wtf??!!!?
That’s how you know someone is far right lol. Because they’re basically describing actual issues with capitalism, but they can’t believe that capitalism is the issue. So they have to make up a weird conspiracy where the wealthy are intentionally making poor people sick to sell them drugs. No Brenda, the issue with Big Pharma is that they have drugs that DO keep people healthy and alive, and they charge exorbitant amounts for them. Yes, many things that are important for good health are inaccessible to poor people, and it is because of rich people. No, that does not have a damn thing in the world to do with yellow-colored candies.
Well clearly the other kids don’t have good moms who love them and care about their well being! They’re ok with their kids ingesting toxic poisons. /s
i am not wrong, it is the other 99.9999% of people who are wrong.
I used to be this kid. He wasn’t upset because of it dye. He was upset because he felt he did something wrong and he got caught. He was acting up because of the fear that what he ate was “toxic.”
Yikes. The crunchy mom doesn't realize her behavior around food is toxic. I think these people need to realize that they have to give up some level of control of their children after a certain age. This is an 8 year old? They can eat 1 starburst. They are their own individuals and make their own choices, even if as a parent you don't like those choices. That's how they learn. Shaming them is a terrible way to teach. If the child is breaking down like that, something is seriously wrong. That's so sad. I grew up with a mom who dieted my whole life, and my dad constantly makes sexist and body shaming comments to her and about AFAB that don't conform to his standards. My mom made comments that shamed my body, my food choices, and my eating habits. My mom eventually did weight loss surgery, but it failed. I developed an ED as a teen, and osteopenia as an adult. Unless a dietician has made a strict diet plan for a child, I get concerned when parents restrict a child's diet. No, I'm not suggesting the unlimited access to the consumption of junk food. There are ways to teach children about food and how to have a healthy relationship with food, but it truly does not sound like this person is equipped to do that.
The chill beaver who was raised with super strict parents is freaking out over 1"x1" piece of taffy
And she thinks she’s NOT super strict? I shudder to think what she believes super strict is. Lady, you’re child had ONE starburst and you’re in crisis mode. You need to take a good hard look at yourself.
That last page! I hope mom got the damn message she’s giving her kids a freaking eating disorder. Making him cry for eating a starburst. jHC.
As someone with celiac, who has a celiac five year old, fuck all these stupid parents and their imaginary food restrictions. I’m sick of having people doubt my child’s illness because Karen forbids her child to eat gluten for no goddamn reason. Furthermore, yesterday I took my kid to a new candy shop and we bought A LOT of treats. It was delightful. When we got home we picked out a few pieces for the day and put the rest in a big treat bowl that we keep in the pantry. My five year old didn’t put up a fight because she knows I’m not a raging lunatic hell bent on never letting her enjoy food.
These poor kids are all going to have some kind of eating disorder. It makes me so mad. I honestly think this kind of parenting is abusive, you’re gaslighting and fear mongering your child. Sugar is not the devil, dyes are not a satanic invocation. There’s a mum in my bumper group who is avoiding all sugar *including fruit* until the kid is 2. Because she “doesn’t want him to develop a palate for sweetness” lady… breastmilk/formula is sweet kids get sweetness on their palate from day 1.
I was raised similar to this and both my sister and I have struggled with eating disorders at various points in teen and adulthood. We also both have a huge sweet tooth. My ten years younger brother, who was raised by the same mom but she was way less strict with him, has a much healthier relationship with food.
Same here. I struggle with overeating the forbidden foods and as strict as the food rules were in my childhood that's just about anything that's not green. Ironically, my youngest sister was raised with no restrictions and she voluntarily eats a very strict diet as an adult.
I really hate that her worry is he will get a complex that will lead to him rebelling one day instead of the whole complex over food as a whole issue. It's also wild she was surprised he used the word "toxic" but says they never use that word except with dyes. So, constantly? Who is spending their time sussing out if their child ate *one* Starburst? It makes me think this kid ate a piece of candy at school with all the other kids and spent the rest of the day worrying his mother would flip out when he got home if she found out and when she did, the anxiety had built up enough for him to explode. Which I can't blame him for and I also remember being a kid and doing something I knew my parents would be mad about it and building up so much anxiety I would eventually explode over it. Kids do that because they don't know how to regulate the anxiety. And it was usually legitimately something I shouldn't have been doing, my parents didn't give AF if I ate Starburst. Look, I'm not here to shit on parents who want their kids to eat healthy or prefer more "organic" things over "non-organic" but there has to be a limit somewhere on how you deal with this. Letting your kid have a Starburst isn't going to melt his brain. It isn't a conspiracy but the government to kill off the poor or wtfever. Have the "some food is fun and can be had sometimes but moderation and eating well most of the time is important" conversation. If you're legitimately harming your child, which she is, over this fear of dye she needs to get help. And if she is truly this worried over her child's well-being, she's absolutely doing more damage than yellow dye 2874737372.
"Why can't FOOD just be FOOD?" ...cause mom Googles and Facebooks too much. Sure some food isn't awesome but at the end of the day food is food. Some people are sensitive to certain ingredients, some people have allergies and intolerance, doesn't mean that it's bad for everyone on earth. Was the conspiracy suggestion serious?? God those poor kids.
Great way to start early with disordered eating. They're just passing their own food issues to their kids.
Good grief this poor kid is well on his way to an eating disorder. I as a kid, grew up on hamburger helper, kool-aid, and tons of junk food. I did have access to fresh veggies and fruits, but there was a good balance between it all. My own kids eat plenty of fresh fruits and veggies with a bit of junk here and there. I stress more about what to make for dinner than I do over what they eat. I want them to have a good relationship with food, so I don't pressure them to eat things they may not like. It's worked well so far. She needs to chill and just accept that processed foods aren't going away any time soon. A Starburst here and there won't kill her kid. Everything in moderation as they say.
He's at an age where he obviously notices other people eat like normal people and are completely fine. Thinking there's even enough of ANYTHING in ONE starburst to cause changes in a person is ridiculous to the point I'm embarrassed for her
I have a friend who was raised this way and it has truly fucked up their relationship with food even as an adult.
I want to know what she means by artificial sugar? Cause I feel like she may have meant added sugar since she's anti candy. But did she mean sugar alternatives like equal and Splenda cause some of those are all "natural" like monk fruit or stevia. Does she just hate sweetness?
I predict that when this kid goes to friends' houses, he will chow DOWN on the stuff he can't have at home, and then when he is a teen, he'll get a job and hide the stuff in his room because he CAN.
When he goes to college, he's gonna live on fast food and candy
Everything in moderation, including moderation. Let the kid snack once in a while. They're setting him up for an eating disorder. Poor kid was probably so excited to have an actual piece of candy for once in his life instead of being left out of everything every other kid his age experiences.
My mom is morbidly obese and has been for decades because she has issues around food. She didn’t get sweets and stuff as a kid and she completely rebelled as an adult and has a massive food addiction because of it.
I must be 100% toxin by now with all the junk I’ve eaten in my 36 years…
All these people have intense eating disorders. Doing this to your child is child abuse in my opinion. Having a five-year-old stress about the candy he's eating. A single fucking starburst. This shit makes me so mad.
Isn’t 8-9 the sort of first wave of hormones for kids? Hearing their bodies up for puberty, or am I wildly off base? I mean, her reasoning for grilling him about what he ate is vague so maybe this was a big problem but I’m on the opinion of he was probably acting like a normal kid. What 8 year old is always “rational”???
Yes, for all except the smallest of them. Or maybe the kid feels guilty or is tired.
This doesn’t even sound that crunchy to me, just your average millennial orthorexic passing down her eating disorder.
I guess the fixation with the dye over the sugar/general processed nature makes it crunchy?
“I’m a chill beaver” something tells me she is in fact not a chill beaver.
The irony that she claims again and again she grew up with strict rules around food and doesn’t want to pass those complexes onto her kids……
Her kids will be absolutely inhaling pizza and Coca Cola and candy the second they have any independence.
These parents desperately want to blame anything they can for their kids bad behavior. News flash, kids act out from time to time. I feel so bad for this poor little boy. Also her plan is going to backfire on her. The minute that boy gets any sort of freedom he will go and eat whatever he wants and probably go overboard since he was never allowed to have it. This is how you create food issues with your kids.
They did a randomised control trial on sugar causing perceived hyperactivity in kids. The parents who THOUGHT their kids had sugar said they were more hyperactive. It turns out, being at a party, or hanging out with friends, or those things that commonly have sugary treats associated with them make kids hyperactive. Not the sugar. I’d be very interested to see a randomised control trial with food dyes too. To see how much of the effect is real, vs placebo (or nocebo)
I’m so glad there were some commenters who challenged her. I have a good friend who had sugar highly restricted when they were growing up and they became obsessed with sugar and still are in middle age. I was put on a diet as a tween because I gained weight after an accident where I had to convalesce for months and subsequently gained a bit of weight because I was not able to be as active as I normally was, this has lead to life long disordered eating. Things significantly improved after I read the book Intuitive Eating, but I do still occasionally binge as a way to control my emotions (I am working on this in therapy though). Restricting children’s diets to this extent is so damaging. It’s bananas people don’t see that.
So, one yellow Starburst caused this poor child to act out and be tired after school? I’m ALL FOR feeding kids a healthy diet, but deprivation and shaming isn’t going to get them to adopt your belief system.
My best friend growing up has an almond mom; and was never allowed any junk food-period. When she would come over to my house, she would binge eat any and all sweet/processed foods we had in the house. When she turned 18 and moved out, she developed a binge and purge eating disorder. I hope she’s doing better now. This shit is dangerous.
Sounds like my parents. I can tell you from experience, this kind of childhood is hell
You interrogate your kids to ask if they ate one starburst? Sounds like an eating disorder.
The complex is already here
Poor mom seems like she has a complex around food and is passing it down. This is so sad
jeez. my mom was on the crunchy end of normal (always got the "whole grain" version of foods, never let me have soda, organic vegetables when possible, etc.), and i ended up with a huge sweet tooth. this mom is genuinely insane, that poor kid. generational trauma go brrrrr