My (almost) three year old is very fond of sweets, as are many children.  He relentlessly makes requests for “special treats” and finds any occasion to be an appropriate time to have one.  Now, my friends and family know that I am somewhat of a health nut and eat a diet very low in sugar.  My son, however, is a very picky eater.  He is particular about food textures and will pretty much only eat lean meat, pasta, rice, carrots (occasionally), and apples (only if sliced and peeled).  When it comes to sweets, however, he will not discriminate!

In an effort to combat his consumption of sugar, my husband and I have limited sweets to Fridays and Saturdays.   We have also been teaching him that special treats can be many different things other than a dessert.  One night, when my son asked for a special treat, instead of saying, “not tonight” as we usually do, we said, “sure!” and gave him kisses on his cheeks. 

He didn’t appreciate this at first, but I think he’s catching on.  The other day we were snuggling and he said, “Mommy, you’re my special treat.” 

I’ll never get enough of that kind of sugar!