Kids and desserts? page

[alydar]

I'm trying (though seemingly unsuccessfully) to turn my kids more primal. They are 6, 4, and 18 months. Among other challenges there is the ever-so-important dessert after dinner dilema. They insist on a cookie, ice cream, chocolate candy, etc. I've tried things like banana ice cream made with cocoa, raisin and walnut balls also mixed up with cocoa, straight up fruit bowls but nothing flies.

I'd love some advice and suggestions to address their sweet tooth. Thanks!

[lizch]

Long before primal, we set up a routine where Monday and Thursday are "ice cream nights", and we usually don't have dessert any other night. Maybe that would be a way to transition them away from the idea that dessert is an every night thing?

Or simply don't stock ANY of that stuff. It's now 2 months since we've had any white sugar in the house, and I've no intention of buying any more, even though I'm the only one who is intentionally primal in this house. Maybe Toddler Groklet really really liked raccoon pancreas, but when there simply aren't any raccoons around, I can't imagine that the Groklet kept up the whining for it for more than a day or two!

[QuirkyPixy]

I recently made these brownies and ate most of them in a few sittings: http://thisprimallife.com/2009/10/pr...5-ingredients/
They're reasonably sweet and worth a shot since they're super-easy to make.

[Diana Renata]

Geeze, my parents were "mean." We only got desserts on Saturday night, and it was what mom and dad wanted. I'll be mean to my kids too someday.

[alydar]

Long before primal, we set up a routine where Monday and Thursday are "ice cream nights", and we usually don't have dessert any other night. Maybe that would be a way to transition them away from the idea that dessert is an every night thing?

Or simply don't stock ANY of that stuff. It's now 2 months since we've had any white sugar in the house, and I've no intention of buying any more, even though I'm the only one who is intentionally primal in this house. Maybe Toddler Groklet really really liked raccoon pancreas, but when there simply aren't any raccoons around, I can't imagine that the Groklet kept up the whining for it for more than a day or two!

I'm working on getting the "junk" out of the house. Much to DS shock I told him once the cookies were gone there would be no more. "Ever??!!?" Ever. Yes, I think reducing the amount of dessert nights would be a good start.

I recently made these brownies and ate most of them in a few sittings: http://thisprimallife.com/2009/10/pr...5-ingredients/
They're reasonably sweet and worth a shot since they're super-easy to make.

Those sound fantastic! My only concern is parting with that much almond butter at one time. I'm seriously addicted to and very protective (read: selfish) of it. lol

Geeze, my parents were "mean." We only got desserts on Saturday night, and it was what mom and dad wanted. I'll be mean to my kids too someday.

I need to be meaner. Really I do. I'm waaaaayyy too nice. But I'm on a mission to primalize my home and it's gonna take getting meaner.

[BethanyK]

I sympathize with you, I'm primalizing my kids too. Can you "run out" of desserts? What if you just don't have that stuff in the house anymore, and instead offer something like fruit with whipped cream?

Prior to this summer, we used to have a scoop of ice cream every evening. I decided that we wouldn't buy ice cream unless my favorite brand was on sale. Then I would forget to check at the store for it to be on sale. I'd apologize and tell them they could have something else. So in the quest for sweet, they would concede to slightly sweetened whipped cream and berries. After a while of that, I got lazy and they could just have straight berries and cream. My older two are fine with this. The younger one hates it, but he won't die if he doesn't eat a dessert. The older kids like cream over frozen berries which they now claim is just like ice cream. If I had gone from straight ice cream to berries and cream they would have flipped out, but the gradual approach worked well in our family.

[Katie82]

We don't do dessert but I sometimes make an apple crisp as a treat. I use butter and almond meal with a little sugar and cinnamon for the topping. It's not primal because of the sugar but it's also not that bad. I would try to work it down to a not every night kinda thing and then go from there.

[Griff]

I'm trying (though seemingly unsuccessfully) to turn my kids more primal. They are 6, 4, and 18 months. Among other challenges there is the ever-so-important dessert after dinner dilema. They insist on a cookie, ice cream, chocolate candy, etc. I've tried things like banana ice cream made with cocoa, raisin and walnut balls also mixed up with cocoa, straight up fruit bowls but nothing flies.

I'd love some advice and suggestions to address their sweet tooth. Thanks!

You're the parent. Tell them "It's banana ice cream, or it's no dessert." Then when they cry, put them in their rooms. They are children, for crying out loud - exercise your authority as a parent. (And then have the banana ice cream yourself.)

[lizch]

You're the parent. Tell them "It's banana ice cream, or it's no dessert." Then when they cry, put them in their rooms. They are children, for crying out loud - exercise your authority as a parent. (And then have the banana ice cream yourself.)

Parenting just sounds so darned easy in theory!

Curious if you have any kids?

[lizch]

Parenting just sounds so darned easy in theory!

Curious if you have any kids?

Never mind...checked your profile and saw the mention of the 2 tweenagers. In which case, your advice is entirely reasonable