5 Myths About Sugar and Kids: Sugar and Diabetes Myth Vs Fact
Recently, I was on the receiving end of a vicious attack on social media where an individual bullied me for my stance on sugar and kids. If you've followed me, you know I practice and promote a stance in which sugar is legalized for children in an effort to normalize it for them and to help them have a better relationship with it, especially over the long term.
Unfortunately, my stance was completely misconstrued and misinterpreted, and people have gone as far as to accuse me of being irresponsible as a dietitian and mother for promoting the message that sugar should be allowed and kids given permission to eat and enjoy it.
This made me think about the power of diet culture to manipulate people and food, to demonize food to the point that parents are terrified, even shamed for allowing their children to eat sweets.
And the more I share about this topic, the more I understand the anger around this controversial subject, for parents, consumers and the general public alike.
Behind anger is fear, and people fear what they don't understand. And it makes sense. I've worked with so many people who are terrified of eating sweets because they never learned how to self regulate it along with other foods, who’ve heard negative messages around it, who were restricted from them or who never were trusted to eat what their bodies wanted and needed.
Many of us have grown up with trauma around food and our bodies, and when we’re unable to heal from that, it gets projected and cycled through the way we feed our own children.
If you were shamed for your body size or what you ate, you may feel the same fear for your own child. As parents we’re also under a lot of pressure. It can feel like we’re under a microscope and being scrutinized for everything we do, especially when it comes to raising and feeding kids, and all these things can influence FEAR behind feeding our children.
Empowering Parents to Raise Intuitive Eaters
So yes, I understand the anger, the frustration and the fear.
Empowering parents is the BEST way to move from a place of FEAR to TRUST in feeding your children, so that you’re not recycling old mindsets and behaviors that don’t serve your children well as they grow up into adults.
And understanding some of the myths and clearing up misconceptions can help put you in a better position and feel more confident with feeding your children and approaching these areas that might have been tough for you.
Why is this important?
I've been told that I'm causing harm. That kids will grow up to become unhealthy with these types of messages. When in reality, I work with adults who have an unhealthy relationship with food because they never learned or were trusted to self-regulate a variety of foods as a child.
I work with mothers who are struggling with real eating disorders stemming from childhood, who feel shame in their bodies and guilty about what they eat. And these issues can be generational, cycling through families for years to come.
The reality is that a restrictive approach to feeding puts children at a risk of developing an eating disorder, and this includes intentional restriction of certain foods, like sweets. Dieting, in its many forms, is the most important predictor of developing an eating disorder in adolescents. Yet we continue to demonize sugar as the problem in our society.
When will we wake up to see the real risks our children are being subjected to? The stakes couldn’t be higher, and yet, when it’s challenging to see the bigger picture, it’s easier to blame food as the culprit for everything while missing out on the real issues at hand.
I realize there is so much confusion around this topic and a lot of misconceptions, which is why I want to break down some of the most common myths I hear about children and sugar.
I want you, as a parent and caregiver, to be empowered with the TRUTH and knowledge that can support you in raising up children who are free from diet culture and who aren’t struggling with unnecessary guilt or shame about how they eat, the size of their bodies or the foods they choose to put into their bodies.
Because the reality is, guilt and shame around food are far worse for your health than any single type of food you can eat.
You and your kids deserve better.
I know I’m only one voice in the crowd, but I hope you can find some reason and truth here to better inform whatever path you decide to take.
So let’s dive into some of these myths, shall we?
5 Myths About Sugar and Children
Sugar Myth #1: Sugar is Addictive and Toxic
This is definitely something I hear being pushed on to so many parents: the claim that sugar is as dangerous as cocaine and equivalent in nature to drugs in it’s mind-altering abilities. Many purport that there is solid research that substantiates these claims (which I have yet to find a single study that supports this).
In fact, I even wrote a whole blog debunking the claim that sugar addiction is real because I saw so many families struggling with this misinformation. You can read the full post here: “Sugar Addiction: Is My Child Addicted to Sugar?”
This claim of sugar being addictive triggers overwhelming fear for parents all in itself.
I mean, what parent wants their child to be addicted to food or sweets or ANYTHING for that matter?
So of course, any parent who hears something like this is going to be terrified when they observe any behavior in their child that even slightly mimics that of an addiction. And because kids are kids, if they show interest in sweets and ask repeatedly for candy, does that mean they’re addicted to sugar?
Not by any means!
Yet parents can observe and misinterpret these behaviors, thereby engaging in fear-based feeding tactics that can trigger problematic behaviors around sweets.
For example, if a parent notices their child is super into candy, they might avoid buying it, keep it out of their house, or never allow their child to eat it. But what does this do? It actually backfires and puts candy up on a pedestal, likely making that child MORE preoccupied with sweets and sugar. Unlike drugs and alcohol, abstinence from sugar for children is not a solution to decreasing interest around sweets.
Though many well-intentioned people will promote the idea that kids should be restricted from sweets all together because of it’s “addictive” properties.
Another way to look at this is to understand basic nutrition and biology.
Foods break down into basic nutrients and units of energy that our bodies can utilize for various purposes in our bodies. All carbohydrates break down into glucose, the simplest and more preferred form of energy for our bodies.
And what is glucose?
Simply put, glucose is BLOOD SUGAR - the main sugar found in our blood that comes from various sources of energy. Our blood then carries glucose to all of our bodies’ cells to use for energy.
So let’s look at this a little closer. If you take an apple and you take a cookie, they will BOTH break down into glucose in the body - the simplest building blocks the body can use for energy.
Now, I’m NOT saying that an apple and a cookie are nutritionally equivalent. I understand that an apple has nutrients that a cookie may NOT, but in their most basic forms, they are breaking down into glucose in the body that can be utilized by the cells for energy.
So why would our body differentiate between the types of sugar in our blood? Does the body recognize glucose that comes from an apple versus a cookie? Does the brain absorb glucose from a cookie and get “addicted” to but doesn’t also get addicted to glucose from an apple?
If you break it all down, it doesn’t make any logical sense to make the claim that our bodies can somehow get addicted to sugar from sweets but not from other food sources.
Sugar is our body's PREFERRED form of fuel and energy and can utilize food in various forms to fuel our body’s cells.
But our brain doesn’t differentiate between sources of energy and separate out food accordingly. “Ah - here comes glucose from cookies. This is the stuff I’m addicted to. But here comes glucose from apples. This stuff is so much better for me.”
Do you see what I mean here?
The sugar that comes from an apple is not superior to the sugar that come from cookies or any other sweets. Chemically, they are exactly the same. They’re not a difference in the chemical composition of the basic unit of energy. No matter where it comes from, it breaks down to the same basic building block.
Again, I’m not saying that foods are nutritionally equivalent or you shouldn’t care about what you eat or offer your kids.
My messages have been misconstrued, and this is not what I’m saying.
Obviously an apple is going to offer other nutrients and that aren’t in a cookie. But to go as far as to say that sweets are addictive doesn’t make any sense, physiologically.
Or that there are somehow superior forms of sugar, because realistically, your body can’t differentiate between a molecule of sugar from a banana or a brownie.
Now, a person may FEEL addicted to food, and the primary reason behind this is because foods are looked at differently on an emotional level.
If something is off limits and there are rigid food rules around something, like sweets for example, you’re naturally going to feel more drawn to eating the very thing you’ve told yourself you can’t have.
Kids are the same way, even SO much more! Sweets will become so much more special and desirable when they’re not available and if they’re constantly off limits.
Let’s take a look back at the early days of the pandemic, shall we?
People were hoarding and stocking up on toilet paper. TOILET PAPER. Of all the things.
WHY?
Because there was a very real fear that there wouldn’t be enough available to go around. The media was showing images of empty shelves. We were hearing everywhere that you might not be able to buy toilet paper. So naturally, people bought more than what they needed because of fear of running out of it or not having access to it.
This may seem like a cheesy example, but it paints a picture of what we do as humans when we feel scarcity or deprivation.
We’re naturally drawn to hoarding or obsessing over it. It’s like a survival instinct. And food isn’t any different.
When kids feel that certain foods are off limits or scarce, they’ll be more preoccupied with them. And when they DO get access to sweets, let’s say, at a friend’s birthday party or around the holidays, they’ll be more likely to go crazy with them, eating way more than what they actually need to feel satisfied because they aren’t sure when they’ll be more available.
Parents might observe these types of behaviors in their children and write it off as an addiction, attempting to keep sweets away from their kids as much as possible.
A child may appear impulsive and erratic around sweets, but this may be largely due to how sweets are approached. When a child feels scarcity around sweets, it DOES trigger impulsive behavior, not because they’re addicted to it, but because they can’t trust they have reliable access to.
So unlike TRUE addictions, like alcoholic and drug addictions, abstinence doesn’t WORK. It will only make the problem worse. And unlike alcohol and drugs, glucose is essential for survival, whereas alcohol and drugs obviously aren’t essential.
This is a big reason why I’m an advocate for normalizing sugar and legalizing it in the home.
When it’s not off limits, children will feel less impulsive around it. It’s taking an approach to food that says all foods are emotionally equivalent, even though there are nutritional differences.
Sugar Myth #2: If You Allow Your Children to Have Sweets, You Don’t Care About Their Health
As I mentioned earlier, parents and caregivers are under enormous pressure in regards to how they’re raising and feeding their children.
Parents are shamed for how and what they feed their kids. I’ve experienced this first hand too, both subtle and directly, from strangers to trusted family members. Everyone has an opinion about how and what you should feed your children from the time they are babies. Actually, I take that back, from BEFORE they’re even born, you’ll start getting ALL the unsolicited advice. What the serious heck?
So many parents are told: “Don’t let your kids have any sugar, they’ll just get addicted to it!” → See myth #1 for reference. And if your kids DO get sugar, you’re likely going to feel guilty about it because of all the stuff you’ve been told, both from people in your inner circle and society at large.
Well, let me tell you something. How and what you feed your kids and what your children eat does not define your worth as a parent.
Kids gravitate toward sweets and sugar because it tastes good and it’s enjoyable.
Think about it: Breastmilk and/or formula, which is a baby’s first food, is naturally sweet.
We’re born with preferences toward sweeter foods. Now, this doesn’t mean I’m saying you should ONLY ever feed your child sweets or not expose them to a variety of foods, because children do learn how to eat and enjoy a range of foods and flavors. But it’s an example of a sweet disposition, and this is not inherently a BAD thing!
If you make the effort to incorporate sweets in your home and legalize sugar with your children, you might feel like a bad parent. Like you’re doing something wrong or hurting their health.
But you’re legalizing sugar because you care, because you’re focusing on the big picture and want them to develop a positive relationship with all foods. Because you’re striving to make foods emotionally equivalent.
There is a difference between unconditional permission to eat and giving unlimited treats.
When I say give unconditional permission to eat, I mean, giving our kids opportunities to have sweets without any rules or stipulations attached, such as having to eat a certain number of bites from dinner or vegetables first before having dessert.
To me, allowing kids to have sweets is not equivalent to "not caring". We offer and integrate sweets for our kids because we care and because we want our kids to grow up to have a healthy relationship with all foods. This is possible when kids have regular exposure to sweets and opportunities to learn how to eat them alongside other foods.
Sugar Myth #3: Legalizing Sugar Means Kids Should Get Access to Sweets Anytime
This is one of the biggest pushbacks I get when I share my stance on normalizing sugar for children. But normalizing sugar for children does not equate to not caring or just letting your children have access to sugar and sweets whenever the heck they want it.
No. That’s not what I mean by normalizing sugar.
Children need structure and a supportive approach to food.
I mean, think about it like this: If you just let your children decide to sleep whenever they want and go to bed anytime they wanted, would that be beneficial? If I left it up to my toddler to decide on when she wanted to go to bed, she’d stay up just as long as her little body would let her.
But that doesn’t mean it would support the positive environment she needs to grow and thrive. As her mother, I know she does better when there are structures in place. I know that having a bedtime routine helps her understand bedtime is coming and wind down in preparation for falling asleep.
We try our best to help her get to bed at roughly the same time every night, because we understand this helps her body fall asleep easier and get better rest. And when she sleeps better, she has a better day, and we ALL benefit from a toddler who’s well rested versus a toddler who’s not.
Going back to food and sweets, children need a similar routine and predictability around food.
Creating a meal and snack rhythm throughout their day helps them trust that food is reliable and that they are being provided for regularly.
This supports the building of a trusting feeding relationship with their primary caregivers.
Within that structure, foods feel safer, and within the context of offering regularly meals and snacks can sweets be incorporated.
Now, let’s talk about what normalizing sweets means for your children and what it doesn’t mean.
Like I shared earlier, it doesn’t mean giving your child the green light to get whatever sweets they want from the pantry or fridge at any time of the day, nor does it mean they get free rein of the sweets in the house. I mean, let’s be real - that would likely make for a chaotic situation in the home and unhealthy boundaries.
Instead, let’s zoom out and see the big picture here.
Normalizing sweets for your children means you don’t put them up on a pedestal or give them more power than any other foods your child is eating. It means you’re intentionally incorporating them into your children’s meals/snacks so they can trust they have frequent access to them (thus, preventing feelings of deprivation and scarcity around them) and giving them permission to eat what they want from the amounts you do provide.
It’s learning to trust your children to self-regulate how much they want to eat from the sweets you DO offer. Normalizing sugar means you’re not demonizing these foods and helping your children know they are safe to eat a variety of foods and can be trusted to eat.
But again, as a parent and caregiver, YOU are in charge of your family’s menu, not your child.
This doesn’t mean you can’t take preferences into account and be considerate of your children’s needs to feel safe at the table. Your child needs you to take responsibility for deciding what and when you’re offering at meals and snacks. Leaving these duties to a child wouldn’t make it easy for them to learn about food and eating.
Part of normalizing sugar is being intentional about incorporating these foods into your meals and snacks so that your child can learn how to eat and self-regulate within the safe context of your home and mealtime routine.
A child who frequently sees sweets alongside other foods they’re eating and trusts that desserts in the home are not a “feast or famine” type of situation (i.e. “Wow, we get to have ice cream today! This is so yummy, and I don’t know when I’ll get to eat this again. I’m going to eat as much as I can now because I might not get another chance to have this.”) can learn to self-regulate and leave what they don’t want behind.
I see this in my own children all the time.
We have sweets everyday, sometimes multiple times per day.
But this is what it might look like: They’ll get a couple cookies to eat alongside lunch and some candy with fruit/milk at snack time. Sometimes, we have ice cream after dinner. There’s always a rotation of sweets in our home.
And you know what?
Because my kids are used to seeing them, sweets are emotionally equivalent to the other foods they have.
My kids are equally excited about strawberries and roasted broccoli as they are about having cookies and candy. They frequently leave behind portions of their dessert or sweets that were offered at a meal or snack because they’re able to listen to their bodies and aren’t just eating because it’s there.
When sweets are emotionally equivalent to other foods, a child will eat it if desired but won’t feel the pressure of having to eat it all because they’ll trust it will be available again in the future.
Normalizing sugar has more to do with the approach, not necessarily the frequency of eating.
How is it talked about in your home? Is it approached as toxic, bad or unhealthy? What is the energy of sugar and sweets in your home? Is there any guilt or shame around it? Does your child feel the need to eat in secret or seem preoccupied with it?
When sweets are forbidden or restricted, they instantly become more desirable in a child’s mind.
Another way we can help normalize sweets is through self-modeling.
If our children see us enjoying sweets without guilt or shame, or making any added comments, such as, “I’m so bad, I’m eating this cake tonight”, or, “I’ve been so good, I’m staying away from all sugar”, this can help normalize these foods, too - making them emotionally equivalent and learning to listen to their bodies as the best guide of what they need.
Within the context of a supportive structure around meals and snacks for your children, you can be more intentional about incorporating sweets to help normalize them for your children and create emotional equivalence around all foods.
For more help around this topic, be sure to check out this post here: “7 Practical Reasons Why To Offer Your Kids Dessert With Dinner”
Sugar Myth #4: Can a Child Develop Diabetes From Eating Too Much Sugar?
This is another common question I hear: “Can a kid get diabetes from eating too much sugar?”
This is an interesting one to explore. Sugar is blamed as the culprit of most diseases and ailments today, which of course, makes it out to be like poison in the body.
Health professionals and policymakers have been sounding the alarm on children and type 2 diabetes while ignoring the damaging effects of fear-mongering around sugar.
Take this excerpt from the book Body Respect: What Conventional Health Books Get Wrong, Leave Out, and Just Plain Fail to Understand About Weight by Lindo Bacon and Lucy Amphramor:
“...a child is 242 times more likely to have an eating disorder than type 2 diabetes - yet which of these gets more media attention? And consider this: It is not a coincidence that eating disorders are so high in a climate of fat fearmongering.”
Can eating sugar or allowing a child to eat sweets over time be the cause for the development of diabetes?
Let’s look closer at what diabetes is first.
In a nutshell, diabetes is a malfunction in how the body regulates and uses glucose, or sugar, as fuel. Remember what we talked about earlier, how glucose is the body’s preferred source of energy?
When someone is dealing with diabetes, there is a problem in the mechanism of how the body moves glucose from the bloodstream into the cells for energy. Insulin, which is a hormone produced by our pancreas, is the vehicle responsible for moving glucose from the bloodstream into the cells.
Type 2 diabetes can result if the cells in the body become resistant to insulin or if the pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin needed to manage blood sugar levels.
The result of having elevated blood sugar levels can impair the other systems in the body, including the cardiovascular and immune systems.
The breakdown of the body’s normal mechanism to move blood glucose into the cells is influenced by a variety of factors, including genetic and environmental conditions. Type 2 diabetes has a strong genetic component, and those with a family history of type 2 diabetes are more likely to be at risk for developing this condition.
It’s important to understand this because we often blame food (or particular foods) as the sole contributor to any health condition.
Sugar consumption alone does not cause diabetes in children nor is it responsible for insulin resistance in the body’s cells or damage to the pancreas itself.
Remember, all foods are being broken down into the simplest forms of energy that the cells can utilize. So going back to my apple example earlier, a majority of foods ultimately breakdown into glucose in the bloodstream. It’s not the foods themselves that cause elevated blood sugars, but an impairment in the mechanism that uptakes glucose from the blood into the cells.
The idea of restricting access to sweets to avoid sugar in the blood doesn’t make sense because the body needs and utilizes glucose as its preferred source of energy.
A variety of foods will break down into glucose in the body and elevate blood sugar levels, including everyday foods we consume, like dairy products, fruits, breads, grains and more. Heck, even vegetables break down into glucose in the body.
The goal is not to avoid eating anything that breaks down into sugar or prevent having glucose in our blood stream. Our bodies are designed for and well equipped to manage our blood sugar levels, and take the glucose that comes from the variety of foods we eat and move it into the cells throughout our bodies for energy.
Again, our bodies don’t differentiate glucose from its various sources.
The body doesn’t say, “Ah, here is some glucose from fruit. I’ll use this glucose and put it into the cells. But this glucose here that came from those cookies, I’ll just let it hang out in the bloodstream for a while.”
I know it’s silly, but you get the picture.
One form of glucose in the body is not superior to another, and the glucose that comes from eating sweets doesn’t “cause” diabetes any more than eating fruit would be the cause of diabetes.
There’s so many other factors involved that influence the way our body handles and processes the foods we eat. And we have a system that effectively breaks down our food into energy and nutrients that can be used by our cells for energy.
But like many systems, sometimes things go wonky with the mechanism and don’t work like they’re supposed to.
This is a result of the breakdown of something in the system, NOT from eating any particular food, including sweets. No research (I’m aware of) has shown a direct causation between sugar consumption and the development of diabetes in children.
None.
Yet, this is a myth that is constantly perpetuated, which again, strikes fear in parents and caregivers who are trying to navigate how to best feed their children.
Of course, no parent wants their children to develop any condition that could be physically or mentally impairing. And you know what, it’s a lot easier to feel like you have control of something than to feel like you don’t have control over anything.
This is why food can become a culprit - it’s something tangible to be controlled. Like, I might not be able to prevent my child from developing any type of illness, but I sure can control the types of foods my child is eating and consuming.
Again, this is where we have to step back and see the big picture of what’s happening here. We ultimately have no control over the genetics our children are born with or the predispositions they may have to certain illnesses, like diabetes for example.
However, we can decide how we want to approach food with our children, and children who develop positive attitudes and behaviors around food grow up to have better nutrition and health outcomes overall.
A child who is restricted from sugar and sweets in their home growing up often ends up being an adult who has a complicated and chaotic relationship with sweets.
Studies have found a restrictive approach to high-sugar foods with children can increase the likelihood of children eating in the absence of hunger over time and binging on sweets when they do have access to them.
What’s actually more harmful for our bodies over time is extremes in our blood sugar levels over time.
Recurring binge eating, or eating an abnormally large amount of food and/or sweets in one sitting, can be more harmful for one’s blood sugar and health than having consistent and regular access to all foods, including sweets, over time. This is conducive for good blood sugar health, in that the body is getting a steady stream of energy and not experiencing extremes, including spikes and dips in blood sugar.
We can support our children in this by allowing them consistent access to sweets over time.
Remember, when kids can trust they have regular access to all foods, including sweets, they won’t feel inclined to gorge themselves on them when they are available, simply because they’re there. It avoids that “feast or famine” mentality toward food, which grows from a place of scarcity and deprivation.
Normalizing sugar in your home will support your child in building a positive relationship with all foods, which is foundational in supporting good overall health: physically, emotionally, and mentally.
Sugar Myth #5: My Child Will only want to eat sugar if I let them.
This is another common misconception around allowing sweets for children.
If you allow your child to eat sweets, won’t they only want to eat more? What happens if my child eats too much sugar?
Again, it’s important to step back and understand the big picture here.
This presumption is based on the idea that children can’t be trusted to eat and self-regulate. When in reality, children are closest to their innate programming we were all born with, which allows them to self-regulate their intake of all foods to support their growth into the bodies’ they’re meant to have.
If sugar has previously been restricted or limited in the home and steps are being taken to help normalize sweets for children, they may initially show a preference for eating sweets above other foods, UNTIL they can trust those foods will be a regular part of their future.
I call this the “pendulum effect”.
Just like a pendulum swings from one side to the other before normalizing in the middle, children might experience extreme ranges in their interest with sugar before it normalizes for them. Not having regular access to sweets can pull a child to one side of the pendulum, where sweets feel desirable because they are the “forbidden fruit”.
Remember, children will want and gravitate towards the foods they feel they’re restricted from.
When sweets are introduced into the picture and offered regularly alongside meals and snacks, it’s like letting the pendulum swing down, which inevitably makes it swing far to the other side.
So what does this look like for children and sweets?
Well, you very well might see that your child is only interested in eating the dessert portion of their meal for quite some time, showing little interest in eating other foods.
Many parents see this and get worried. Some even resort back to limiting and restricting how often they’re offering sweets again because it feels concerning to see a child only eating desserts.
However, I can assure you your child won’t remain in this space forever.
Just like a pendulum, it eventually balances out in the middle. And when your children trust they have reliable access to sweets, that it’s no longer a forbidden fruit, and that they’re trusted to eat what they want from the foods you’ve provided, they’ll begin to experience emotionally equivalency with ALL foods, including sweets.
Sweets will lose their power over your children, and they’ll start exploring and eating foods according to what their bodies want and need, not just eating sweets whenever they’re available.
You’ll start to see them show interest in eating other foods on their plates, not JUST the dessert. You’ll observe them feel excited about trying other foods, not just the sweet part of their plate.
I know this can feel far fetched for many parents and difficult to imagine, especially if you’ve observed erratic behavior in your child around sweets or if your child has been obsessed with sugar. Because of this, many parents may go through the motion of legalizing sugar in their homes but aren’t fully trusting the process.
And if you take away ONE thing from this, please let it be this: Your children need your unconditional permission and TRUST to eat and self-regulate what they need from the foods you’re providing.
No matter how odd or far-fetched it might look, the only person living inside your child’s body is your child. Not you. Your children need to know and trust that YOU trust them to eat and aren’t trying to micromanage them, otherwise, sugar will continue to have chaotic energy around it.
This means facing your own discomfort around how or what your child may be eating from the foods you’re providing.
Just because your kids aren’t eating in accordance with your perception of how YOU think they should be eating doesn’t mean they’re doing something wrong or that they can’t be trusted.
Focus on doing your job with feeding your children and be intentional about regularly incorporating sweets. And TRUST your children to do their part with eating. In this way, you’ll support your child by developing a positive relationship with food and the ability to self-regulate ALL foods in accordance with what they’re individual bodies need.
If how or what your child is choosing to eat is bringing up discomfort for you, lean into that with some curiosity and self-awareness.
It’s not uncommon for caregivers who were never trusted or allowed to eat and self-regulate their food feel uncomfortable about trusting their kids in doing the same.
You might second-guess yourself or wonder if you’re really doing the right thing or feel concerned about your child showing interest in sweets.
Don’t let your own discomfort deter your child from learning how to eat.
If you need extra support or guidance with this, be sure to reach out and connect with help.
(I do offer guidance to mothers who need help through this process, please reach out to me if you’re needing any extra support. I would love to hear your story and learn how I can guide you and your family through this.)
Lastly, be aware of how you’re interpreting your child’s response to eating. We often associate a child’s excitement with eating as a bad or negative thing. This can strike up fear and trigger less helpful approaches to feeding.
In reality, food and eating are intended to be pleasurable experiences, but in our predominantly dieting culture, pleasure with food and eating has been warped into something dangerous.
If you think about it, a child’s earliest associations with food (like nursing or bottle feeding), are deeply connected to comfort and attachment.
A child trusts they’re taken care of when a caregiver lovingly responds to their earliest cues for nourishment, and that response connects to the pleasure parts of the brain. This is a GOOD thing.
So if you see your child getting excited about food and eating, don’t sound the alarms. It’s not abnormal, and there’s nothing wrong with your child. Food is intended to be both nourishing and pleasurable, and you want to continue to create safe opportunities for your child to experience food in this context.
To distinguish, excitement around sweets is different from an obsession with sweets, which could indicate a child needs more exposure to these foods so they’re not a forbidden fruit. You can learn more about sugar obsessions in kids in this post here: “Child Obsessed With Sweets: How Much Sugar is Ok For My Child to Eat?”
Supporting Your Child’s Relationship with Food
You might have more questions about this topic or simply need some more reassurance or guidance as you feed your own children. If so, please feel free to connect with me for help today. I’d love to support you on your journey and will always hold a non-judgmental space to help you process the overwhelming information that’s out there today.
There are many other myths around sugar I didn’t even touch in this blog post alone, but have covered in other posts.
If you’re interested in reading more, be sure to check out some of these posts here:
You’re doing a great job. Navigating this topic can be challenging. Know you don’t walk alone and the brave steps you’re taking to normalize sugar in your home will help your children build a positive relationship with all foods for the rest of their lives.
Now I’d love to hear from you! What are some concerns you have about children and sugar, or what are beliefs about sugar that have made feeding your children challenging?
Please feel free to share in the comments below - I’d love to hear from you!
Cheering you on, you’ve got this!
