[maxkinzie]

Hope it's ok to do this, but I think maybe I put too many questions in one post... I woke up still thinking about this so I'll re-submit this part.

Am I actually doing DD a "favor" avoiding sweets all together, at least while she's oblivious that she's missing anything. Doc said give her plenty of molasses, brown sugar type stuff if she gets constipated when I/if I would make her go cold turkey on bottles. I was under the belief that realistically avoiding sweet stuff would encourage her to like healthier stuff more. The idea of putting "plenty of brown sugar" on her oatmeal seems wrong to me. But, I could be wrong. While I'm on the sweets topic, going with my original assumption that it's good to avoid sweet stuff, I'm guessing that using artificial sweetener instead of regular sugar defeats the purpose, that its the actual sweet taste that would develope a craving for?

thanks

[spaypets]

I think that the longer you can avoid putting sugar on things the better you'll and she'll be.

While dd was small, we didn't put syrup on pancakes, brown sugar on oatmeal. Of course, now she's 4 and now recognizes that people put syrup and sugar on such things.

The problem with sugary things is they are of limited nutritional value. Those foods take up space in a wee one's belly that could go to more nutrient dense foods. I think the more variety in flavors you expose a child to, the better off you'll be.

Of course sweet things exist naturally in fruits. Tossing some pinapple and raisins in oatmeal, putting apple sauce on pancakes, can sweeten things up and provide nutrition.

As for constipation, juice and dried fruits (although my SIL would pipe in with how bad dried fruit is for kids teeth) also work.

[traceyk]

My daughter has tourettes syndrome and can't have any sugar, corn syrup, fructose, etc. at all!!!! She does fine with it and is use to it. We use brown rice syrup instead or stevia. The other four of us do not use sugar in our home mainly due to it not being vegan. We do fine without it too. I do make my own maple syrup so I know there are no added sugars, however DD still can't have that either. As for Drihan, she doesn't get any sugars except for natural occuring ones in fruits.

[NJNative]

Another thing you can do with oatmeal is put applesauce in it. My son was lactose intolerant, so I couldn't add milk to his oatmeal) and I didn't want to add sugar either. So I would put two or three tablespoons of all natural (no sugar added) applesauce into his oatmeal. Sometimes just a touch of cinnamon. Side benefit was that it helped cool it down faster, too, since I refrigerated the applesauce. When he was really small, I would also use baby food fruit from the jars in the oatmeal.


Now as a teen, he loves things like sliced cling peaches in his oatmeal or some fruit cocktail. And he still loves oatmeal.

Robin

[AdrienneG]

Artifical sweetners are not healthy for babies (besides they have caused cancer in lab rats...so I wouldnt give her that either)

Fruit can help...applesauce...a teaspoon of light karo syrup in her bottle if all else fails. LOL

[aspenhall]

applesauce bananas rice and toast actually stop diarrhea. I would not suggest applesauce and bananas to help with constipation. But Plums are fabulous....prunes raisins, grapes....all those are good. I actually just give dd AllBran cereal or bran muffins for breakfast.

[nycfsa]

Applesauce is binding so it helps reduce diarrhea, but it also contains fiber so it will help with constipation. I agree with you about the bananas, rice and toast.

[myforeverchild]

I totally agree with leaving the sugar out as a young child , but as they get older I personally would allow "some" sugar because from my experience as being a child care provider and a mother myself , kids who are denied any sweets , will be getting it out in the public like partys and such and those kids tend to not know how to control themselves and will over indulge on the sweets ,cause they know it a rare exception. Kids who are allowed sweets tend to be able to control the urges better.

Take care , Jenn

[MkMw]

I second Myforeverchild. I kept my kids off sweets (including syrup, brown sugar) until just before 2 when their Aunt sent them a SMALL chocolate bunny. We keep candy and cookies in the house, and they get limited amounts.

I was one of the kids whose parents believed no sugar/candy was the way to go - and yes, I definately overindulged when it was available. I have it under control now but it took a while.

If they will eat a healthy food without sugar - why add it? Oh- and last night, James asked for more vegetables, DH said, why don't you eat some chicken, if you eat all your dinner you can have a treat. James replied "I don't want a treat, I want more vegetables". Proof to ME that limited sugar works better than no sugar.