The Importance of Letting Your Kids Indulge in a Sweet Treat

A child psychologist explains why letting your children indulge in a sweet snack is better than depriving them of it altogether.

I just learned that for nearly thirty years now, the third Sunday of July has been designated as National Ice Cream Day, and the entire month of July as Ice Cream Month! Since everyone loves ice cream (well, except my daughter, Mollie), it is important to consider the best way to incorporate ice cream (chocolate and sour gummies for Mollie) into our children’s lives while still communicating the importance of making healthy choices.

As parents, it can sometimes be difficult to know when to say “yes” to junk food and when to say “no.” This is because we want our kids to be healthy, but we don’t want them to feel so deprived that they sneak junk food to eat secretly. In addition, it can be especially challenging when we find that we are often the only parent saying “no” while so many others are saying “yes.”

So…how do you figure out the right balance?

Here are five simple ways to help you take the best approach to your child’s eating habits, so that as your child grows up, he is able to learn, for himself, how to create a balanced lifestyle and a healthy relationship with food.

Offer your child primarily healthy choices. Fast food and junk food should not make up the majority of your child’s meals and snacks. In addition, most food should be in its whole form, rather than packaged and processed.

1. Do not deprive your child of all junk food.
Junk food and fast food are part of your child’s world. If you forbid all “bad” food, she will find other ways to get it without telling you. This secretive behavior can damage your relationship with your child, and it can eventually lead to her being sneaky about other things. Secret eating and feelings of deprivation can also both be precursors to your child developing an eating disorder.