When do you plan on allowing your child to have "junk food"

Kerri - posted on 03/15/2010

My son has gotten a few bites of cake and ice cream and stuff like that at the few holidays hes been around for and hes addicted to marshmellows lol. But besides holidays or birthday i don't plan to give him really any junk food for quite a few years now. And the only reason I don't mind giving him these things because he also loooves healthy stuff also!!

Allison - posted on 03/14/2010

I don't give my baby cake for the first birthday - mostly because we don't introduce eggs, milk, or wheat until after 1 year. I typically stay away from candy, cookies, etc. until at least 18 months. My daughter has always been really good about self-limiting junk (she's 6) but my 3 year old son is a junk food addict! It's harder to keep goodies away from child #2 like I did with #1. So far, my 10 month old has not had anything junk-like...and to keep family from trying it, I explain that we are only doing fruits, veggies, and meats right now because of my food allergies. That seems to work well.

Keisha - posted on 03/14/2010

Thank you all for youre answers! I dont feel so bad for "depriving" her now, as my fiance says hahah but for her birthday Im gonna let her have chocolate cake for sure :P

Jenawae - posted on 03/02/2010

I feel the same way as all of you :) I feel soo mean sometimes but both sides of our family have diabetes and I'm soo afraid that she will be allergic to stuff she only eats baby food well except for i do give her french fries haha which she loves and when introducing her to new food i always do it in the morning or lunch time everyone always raggs on me cause i dont let her try anything else but i think i will slowly start letting her try new thing I guess I'm just Scared I worry ALOT :(

Carol - posted on 03/02/2010

I feel like I am the 'food drill sargent' in our house. I won't let our son eat anything unless we have made it. The closest he has had to 'junk food' would be fruit. However, I will be baking cupcakes (banana) with a cream cheese frosting for his 1st birthday - and Yes he can eat some. Am I crazy...sometimes I think I should lighten up.

Brittney - posted on 02/27/2010

Haha same here girl, my bfs mom aka her gma does the same...like tryin to feed her stuff that just isnt good for little ones or at least they r just not ready for!!:)

Dasha - posted on 02/26/2010

You are the mother and you set the rules. I am definitely the enforcer in the family. My husband is constantly trying to sneak her cupcake bites and oreo frosting. But I am a bit of a nut when it comes to her exposure to additives, preservatives, etc. She eats an entirely organic diet with no junk food, additives, sugar, etc. I laugh when people give me a hard time. My husband is a diabetic and I dont take any chances with our baby girl. She can eat all the crap she wants when she grows up and while I am still able to control what she puts in her mouth I will :)

Veronica - posted on 02/24/2010

Everyone was giving me a hard time about saying I wanted to hold off on giving Keirnan cake until his birthday. The other day he reached out and stole a peice of chocolate from me. I took it back but gave him a tiny piece, (You know the little tiny pieces in a hershy bar package? a couple of those little slivers!) And everyone was all of a sudden asking me why I would give my son chocolate!! I thought it was a little crazy that they thought it was ok to give him chocolate cake with chocolate icing but not a little sliver of chocolate!! (I want to know he is allergic to chocolate before he gets it at his birthday party!!)

Really, the only junk food Keirnan gets is french fries! I dont eat veggies and I know he will notice when he gets older so I am trying very hard now to get him used to veggies and fruits instead of junk food! So far he does very well!! But, I am still holding out on cake and ice cream until his 1st birthday!!

Rebekah - posted on 02/24/2010

We gave my son cake for his 1st birthday, but no other junk foods until he was 2 yrs. My in-laws roll their eyes a lot when we're talking about nutrition, but they typically follow our rules. Even last night when we were on their side of town without baby food, they offered some plain yogurt b/c they "knew we'd never let her have yogurt with any flavor in it." My kids have turned out just fine without added sugar or salt so far.

Kari - posted on 02/24/2010

I'd like to hold off forever...lol! My husband and I are chocolate addicts and I really don't want my son to be one too...lol! Don't worry I know it's impossible. Mostly my mother and mother-in-law try to feed my son cookies, jello desserts stuff like that. Since my husband and I are usually visiting our families during dinner time, we made up this "rule" that we aren't going to feed my son anything he hasn't tried before at dinner time. We told our mothers, that if he had an allergic reactions to something and he was in bed sleeping we wouldn't know, so we don't want him eating anything new or different after a certain time at night. Kind of silly, but it seems to have worked for now, although I know it won't last forever, they are grandmothers who love to spoil! I don't know what the fascination is with feeding babies junk or foods they shouldn't be eating yet?!