Am I the only mother who doesn't feed her toddler junk food? It just can't be true, but everywhere I turn, I see people feeding toddlers candies, chocolates, and pop. WHY?!?! Do they not care about the child's health and eating habits? I think that it's really important to teach children the importance of what they put into their bodies at a very young age. Their tummies are so small so why fill it with things that are devoid of any nutritional value; simply empty calories? I just don't see a need for it in their diet. I even have family and friends who challenge my stand on this, claiming that he is missing out. They argue that we (my husband and I) are creating a monster; that our son will binge on these things and just hide it from us when he gets the chance. They do have a point, but I don't worry that he will go this route. As soon as he began to eat solids at 6 months of age, we made a conscious effort to accustom his taste buds to tasty, healthy food. It's not like he's never had any junk, but those things were only introduced to him recently (not by us), and he did not whine or plead for more. I think that's a good sign.
I know that one day, probably when he's in elementary school and exposed to more things like trick o' treating, he may have a desire for this junk, but why rush it? Why introduce these things at such a young age? What is wrong with this picture? Why are we the ones being lectured to? We, as parents, are responsible for his well-being and what goes into his body. I would hope that others respect that and see the value in it.
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