It’s the start of the holiday season. And with it come all the celebrations, parties and cookie decorating. The beginning of months of celebrations means being with those we love. It also means eating lots of good food—but we can’t forget the holiday season’s sugary sweets.
Consuming too much sugar has consequences. Unfortunately, children learn this firsthand. Sugar crashes, stomachaches, irritability or other symptoms can develop after sugar consumption. Our job as parents is to educate and inform our children about making healthy choices.
It’s difficult to navigate the seasonal sugar overload. We want to demonstrate a good relationship with both food and celebration. We don’t want our kids to miss out on the fun, but we don’t want to overwhelm them with too many sweets either. The sugar overload isn’t just limited to Halloween candy and Christmas cookies. Add in all the school goodies, desserts and special treats, and you’ve got one amped-up kiddo.
So how do we navigate the sugary goodness without squelching the fun?
1. Make a plan
Go in with a plan. Even if your plan is not to restrict sweets. For Halloween, you may decide to let your children eat as much candy as they want that night and the next day. But after that, they can only have one piece daily until it’s gone. Maybe you only let them eat the candy until Thanksgiving, and then it goes away. Perhaps during celebrations, your child can pick one or two sweets off the dessert table instead of five.
By going in with a plan, you eliminate the variables, set clear boundaries and lessen the sugar rush.
2. Communicate the plan
After making a plan, communicate it to your child. There’s nothing worse than a fit based on a misunderstanding in the middle of a holiday party. Reassure your children they’re allowed to have sweets but must follow the plan—only have a certain amount or eat their food first, for instance.
You’re always free to alter the plan. After all, you’re the parent. But your children will probably be more cooperative with the plan when they know beforehand. No one likes to be blindsided—even children. This is especially true when kids are older and more willing and able to understand the scenario.
3. Take first things first
One of the most important aspects of eating well is drinking ample water. By drinking plenty of water before consuming sweets, your child is more likely to avoid a sugar crash or dehydration. Make sure your child eats something filling and nutritious before consuming sugar too. Keep high-protein snacks on hand during these sugary months to help mitigate the sugar crash, keep their bellies full of quality nutrition and ward off headaches.
4. Consider alternatives
If you’re wanting to fully omit sugar during the holidays, consider alternatives ahead of time. Bring your own dessert or snacks to the celebrations and involve your children in getting or making them. Ask their opinions. This will highlight that they are still getting special things during the festivities and lessen the chance of their feeling left out.
If you’re the one doing the baking, try finding sugar substitutions. With a little research, you’ll find simple, often affordable, substitutions.
In place of sugar, try:
- Honey
- Maple syrup
- Dates
- Monkfruit
- Coconut palm sugar
- Applesauce
5. Set an example
We parents are our children’s first example for eating and nutrition. We want to consider how we talk about the food and treats we consume. Labeling food or treats as “good” and “bad” can alter our children’s views in the long term. Our children don’t naturally know that eating candy for breakfast, lunch and dinner can make a body feel rotten. They need to see and hear this from us. They also can see the enjoyment we take in an intentionally chosen treat.
6. It’s all about balance
Regardless of how you choose to approach the sugary conundrum of the holidays, try leaning on balance. Too much or too little is exhausting. Too much sugar can cause many negative symptoms. But trying to monitor or control every single ounce of sugar your child consumes over the course of several months is stressful and restrictive.
Throwing yourself toward either extreme can have negative mental and physical long-term consequences for you and your children. Balance is difficult to achieve, but it’s something we must strive for when it comes to navigating sugar overload.
So make a plan, talk it out, be an example. And remember, holidays are about having fun and creating memories—no matter how you and your family choose to approach sugar!
Kailyn Rhinehart writes from Warrensburg, Missouri, where she lives with her husband and two small children.