DS2 is watching "Sky Kids 2" and announced he was hungry. Since he had a piece of toast for breakfast (having declined all other offers), I was happy to give him a bowl of dry honey-nut Trader Joe's Ohs! (housebrand Cheerios) to munch on while he watches the movie.
DS2 will be 4 in February. I have absolute control over everything he eats, except at school or when there is a babysitter. Well: I have control over what he's offered, it's up to him whether or not he eats it, of course. It occurred to me, though, that a lot of the parents I know have already ceded control of their kids' diets, even though their kids are not that much older than DS2.
I have to say, I think that's a monumentally bad idea. Kids that young can't be trusted to make good judgments about what to eat, and when to eat.
I think it's a great idea to let kids have as much control over their lives as possible, and to accustom them to the fact that they are responsible for themselves, up to a certain point. But nutrition is too important. I won't have them filling up on cookies or what-not moments before we sit down to dinner... nor do I want to go into the refrigerator or pantry, expecting to find an ingredient, only to find that it has been raided by micro-noshers!
The food shopping-prepping-eating system is finely balanced here, and I'm in charge. I don't like to run out of things. I like to know my kids are eating good food. I like my kids to save most of their appetites for meal times. I don't want my kids in the refrigerator, playing with knives, or making toast -- or messes -- without supervision.
Maybe I'm a control freak after all, but in this one area, I'm going to stick with it until the kids are old enough to make good decisions -- and clean up after themselves.
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