Should Children be Limited in their Consumption of Chocolate on Easter – No
As a child, my parents had a hard time making ends meet. We rarely had candy in the house - it was a treat reserved for special occasions. I remember the anticipation of waking up Easter morning and hunting for my Easter basket. It would be laden with chocolate and jelly beans. I could hardly wait to dig into it. My mom would let us eat all we wanted. I recall seeing her watch us as we gobbled down our treats; she would smile and laugh. The day after Easter, she would put up our baskets, and give us a piece or two at a time.
My situation is different than my parents, but I worry about my children's health. I buy candy on occasion, and limit how much the kids can have. My first Easter as a parent I recalled my childhood binging on Easter treats. I couldn't believe that my mom would let us eat all that junk. Chocolate, sugar - our teeth! How could she be so neglectful as to let her children gorge on candy? My then-husband agreed wholeheartedly, he was absolutely shocked at my mother's behavior. I took to filling my son's Easter basket with small toys, and a handful of candy. After my daughter was born, I did the same thing - I was being a good parent. Until my children were 6 and 4, they had a "sugar free" Easter.
My children's father and I divorced, and I was to spend the first Easter alone with my kids. I thought again about my Easter baskets growing up, and I had a revelation. I broke down in tears as I was shopping for their treats - I realized how happy those Easter mornings made my mom. For that one day a year, she could do something special for us. I was 33 years old, and I still remembered the excitement of Easter mornings. I remember the chocolate bunnies with the name "Frankie" on the box. I remember picking out the black jelly beans for my mom to eat. My Easter's were special because I was made to feel special. I promptly picked out huge chocolate bunnies, as well as bags of various other candy, and filled the kids Easter baskets.
When the kids found their Easter baskets, they squealed with excitement. Their first question was "can we eat some?" I let them have chocolate for breakfast. They ate candy all day long - it was by far the best Easter I had experienced since I was a child. They couldn't believe that I let them eat so much, I just don't do that! The next day, I put up their baskets, and gave them a few pieces at a time. The kids didn't mind at all, in fact, they talked about their chocolate binge for weeks afterward. Interestingly, they really didn't eat as much as I thought they would. When given free rein on their candy consumption, they still chose relative moderation.
No, children shouldn't be limited on the amount of chocolate they eat at Easter. There are two days a year that I let them eat copious amounts of candy - Halloween and Easter. On those days, they can be in charge. They can be crazy kids. They can feelspecial. Every other day of the year, my children are limited on their sweets. They know that they are not allowed to eat junk food; they will even refuse most junk while at friend's houses because they know the rules. On Easter morning, I get to watch them laugh and smile about breaking the rules. We all have a great time, and an understanding that this isn't typical. In the grand scheme of things, it isn't going to harm them to eat chocolate for breakfast one day a year. They understand nutrition, they know that moderation is key in a balanced healthy diet. Let them eat chocolate!
