My husband and I are taking a course this weekend that requires us to be child free from 7am to 5pm for two days straight. Now, hubby is used to this but I am not. And the kids are very used to being with me all day every day. But they are spending this weekend with my parents.
Of course, they are eating up the wonderful times spent going to the park, watching fun movies and getting treats from Grandpa’s pumpkin (a pumpkin shaped basket he always keeps stocked with goodies.) When we picked them up this evening they were quite literally bouncing off the walls. Hubby gently hinted that maybe tomorrow they shouldn’t have so much sugar as my dad poured them some orange soda to have with their dinner.
I love my parents for taking care of all three little guys for two days straight but I am less than thrilled with some of the choices they are making for our boys. I don’t want to step on toes or make them think I am ungrateful, but I don’t want them filling the boys up on sugar all day either. Any ideas?
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I'm sure your parents would understand if you ask them to not give them as MUCH sugar.
Of course treats from Grandma and Grandpa are OK, but not orange soda if they're not used to it (and in my opinion, should be used to it). They should understand and abide by your wishes on the sugar. Everything else is up to them if they're up for the challenge.
Posted by: Angie | September 8th, 2007 9:15 pm |
Thanks, Angie. It's just so hard to work up courage to tell your parents what to do. It was the other way for so long…it just seems weird.
Posted by: Sarah @ Ordinary Days | September 8th, 2007 9:20 pm |
Oh that's hard – I know some of my friends' inlaws always get a bit defensive when they try to (nicely) mention things like that. Maybe send some healthier options with them for tomorrow 'just in case'… Good luck!
Posted by: Deb - Mom of 3 Girls | September 8th, 2007 9:49 pm |
You shouldn't feel like you're stepping on toes to ask your parents to make a subtle change about how much junk they're giving your kids. You're not asking them to replace what's in the pumpkin with celery…maybe just bring it out once during the visit so it's not a focus of snacks.
Posted by: stefani | September 9th, 2007 8:56 am |
Isn't that what Grandparents are for??? Spoiling the kids and then giving them back to us when they are done? Don't they at least deserve this little bit of joy that they have been dreaming about throughout our rotten teenage years? Parents have to have a light at the end of the tunnel or most of us would not have made it through our teens. A little soda with dinner won't wreck their eating habits at home. I only wish my kids had their grandparents still to spoil them rotten. Those are some of the best childhood memories for me. I say, they have the right and let them be. It's just their way of showing the kids how much they love them.
Posted by: Kathy | September 9th, 2007 5:35 pm |
Deb, I love the idea of sending our own snacks!
Stefani, good idea to ask them to only bring the pumpkin out once or twice. I think they would take that request pretty easily.
Kathy, that is a really good point. Now that I think about it, we had suckers and popsicles like crazy at my grandparents house and that is part of what made going to their house so fun. I guess I'll just let the joy of sugary snacks be part of my kids fun at grandma and grandpas.
Posted by: Sarah @ Ordinary Days | September 9th, 2007 8:10 pm |
We didn't give my son anything with refined sugar until he was 15 months old–and then VERY sparingly! The in-law grandparents didn't respect that; I only found out when my son pointed out a box of fruit snacks at the store and said, "Gramma give!" Ratted out by a two-year-old! Good luck!
Posted by: SAHMmy Says | September 10th, 2007 4:57 pm |