In all my years as a parent the best festive days with children are those that start with fruit instead of chocolate!!
When I was a younger mum, I was very innocent and well ignorant actually about nutrition and the effect different foods and the chemicals in them they could have on my children.
As I have matured I realise that these babies come in so pure, their little tastebuds are fresh, fruit is SO sweet, spices are so spicy.
When a preservative or flavour hits their body for the first time it’s like a bomb going off.
I am so glad I worked some of this out before these last babies came into my life, it has made our days much easier!
Food consciousness is such an important part of parenting, not that we withhold treats, sugar or whatever we are just more aware of the timing for handing them out and in manageable quantities.
I think completely withholding the treats of this world from kids can also have a negative affect… but once again it is more about the attitude than the action.
Oh parenting…. we are in a very powerful position that seems to come with a lot of responsibility….having said that it also comes equipped with the solutions, if we can slow down and breathe deeply enough to allow them to surface.
SO even though Christmas is FUN it is also highly energetic with different people/different dynamics, sugar highs and lows, fatigue from excitement, preparing food and gifts till late, and getting up before dawn!
We CAN make it a less stressful day and put out fruit, fruit juice and water in the morning, play calming or classical music if possible, encourage kids to stop every now and then during the day…. maybe even slow the pace of gift giving and give the time to truly appreciate the moment….
SUCH fun!
The True Power of Parenting 
I totally agree with you. We started our son on some of the foods you can’t even get adults to eat when he started to eat solids. Spinach, brussel sprouts, yet ate them all like a champ. Now that he is older he is a little more picky, but still loves broccoli (green trees) and some other super veg. We limit his sweet intake and really don’t have much in our house anyway.
it is so much about our attitude as parents isn’t it… when we start looking at our own likes and dislikes we start to see a pattern i think. I might feed my children vegetables because i know its good for them but the secret truth is I PREFER fat and salt… so slowly but surely we sneak our favourites in … or there isn’t enough true energy behind our efforts to feed them greens!
anyway I agree my little ones were eating olives and green trees and even raw mushrooms before they cottoned on to the idea of other styles of treat!
I love the idea that parents are equipped with solutions. The solutions are present, only if we slow down enough to notice them. Thank you!
you’re welcome. Someone once said (not sure who) that with every problem comes its very own solution… I always imagine them presented on a silver platter 🙂