Sugar= Toddler Crack

My child gets hyper and rebellious on sugar. And she seems more prone to a tantrum. Less cooperative and wild. She had ice cream earlier, and I regret it. Weve been lax on her diet lately because I started and new job at a buffet restaurant....

Does your child act the same way on this popular sweet drug?

 

not really. i'd have to let them have alot.

could be the dairy too.

 

No, not really. I give them sweet treats most times(only if they have been good) so the are immune to it!!! Plus they won't beg for it, if they know if they are good they may get a treat!

 

I think she is building tolerance then. Because I never really gave her any sweets until now. So it must have stronger effect I guess.
Dairy sucks, ugh. My stomach is all upset now from the damn ice cream and chocolate milk. I normally never drink dairy except for organic yogurt and goats milk. Blegh.

Started working at a restaurant that has a very nice 55 foot salad buffet, pastas, muffins, soups and bread made fresh everyday. Its nice eating there as a family because she is free, and hubby and I only cost 6 bucks total. We make these huge spinach salads, with raw beets, banana squash, jicama, and all the healthy works....BUT then we splurge on the end on ice cream and crap.

 

yes, my children and I have major issues when we eat sugar, mostly my littlest one. Wheat and gluten are even worse, especially for my older child. Dairy affects us too, but not in such a major way.

with sugar, the first sign is that my kids are unable to listen to me, or to stop whatever they are doing and pay attention to anything else. This happens immediately after eating sweets. Then they start getting really loud and rambunctious, and lose any respect, sympathy and compassion they usually have for other people and things, hurting people, breaking things, even themselves and their own toys. And they keep getting louder and more hyper and more destructive until they crash and have to sleep for twelve hours. The effects don't go away for at least three or four days, either.

 

I wouldn't go as far as to compare it to crack. I used to have a "sugar free" home, but when my kids would get near it, they would go hog wild. I now beleive in moderation (I don't know if crack is a good idea, even in moderation.) and keeping sick children away from sugar, so they can get more rest.

I think sugar certainly beats artificial sweeteners (which, beleive it or not, a lot of paretns do give to their children) at least sugar is a food. IMO, stevia, in the words of a really funny poster on HipMama "tastes like ass" I hate the stuff. So, we use sugar in moderation. I also used to beleive in "Brain Allergies" but did a lot of research and I don't anymore. Children definately should be kept from things they are actually allergic to, but limiting the diet too much leads to feelings of deprivation (ask my kids.....) so, if it doesn't show up on a scratch test, or a RAST, and I don't notice a difference in behavior they can have it. My kids tend to not listen when they are tired or stressed, to a bigger extent than what they eat, but that's just what I notice. Sunshine gets crabby if she has fluiid milk, but this was proved on a scratch test and a RAST.

You know your own kids more than anyone else.

 

I definitely notice a difference when munchkin eats sugary stuff, not as bad as mamaboogie describes but the not listening and getting louder bit are definitely there to some extent!I try and time it as I find that so long as I am aware that it is gonna happen then things normally work out ok. It also used to be a lot worse and I think that might be a tolerance thing like the others said. Good thing since I have relaxed a little bit is that she will at times choose healthy things like apples or crackers and cheese even when I have given her free range (yup....I have almost fallen over backwards but it truly happened...ripleys believe it or not here I come!!)...I think I am learning too that they know their own bodies and what they want or need too, at times that is!!
By the way the toddler crack comment just cracked me up!!

 

I am wondering if those of us who have watched our children's diets may see a lot of mania, loudness, not listening ect not only due to the sugar, but due to the fact that most of the time our kids do get some, they are in really stimulating enviromnets. Birthday parties, ect. These situations alone can cause these symptoms, I am not saying none of this is from the sugar, because I think it can be, but when kids only get sugar sometimes, it does seem to be in overstimulating situations.

 

you know I would definitely agree with this, reason being that I notice that sugary things affect her when there is no extra stimulation than normal but bring on a party or something exciting like that and va voom, much much more!

 

I don't enforce a strict diet with my kids. I want them to recognize how certain foods affect how they feel, so they are able decide for themselves what and how much to eat. I have many times started doubting myself with the diet restrictions, and allowed them to eat whatever they want, and every time my gut instincts have been validated in a big way. Since we stopped eating things that bother us (and I'm including myself, not just my kids) I see that we eat more and healthier foods. Shortly after eliminating gluten, my then four year old actually asked for spinach for the first time ever!! When we eat too much junk, we are much pickier in what we will eat. My kids are very thin, as was I as a child, to the point of having doctors suggest feeding them twinkies and hotdogs (no joke) like fattening them up will somehow make them healthier. Neither kid has ever been to the doctor for a sick visit, ever.

 

I can't believe that doctors would reccomend feeding kids twinkies and hotdogs in order to get them to put on weight!! Thats just bananas (and bananas would probably be a much healthier alternative!!) and wuld be a great indicator to me to not ever ever see that doctor again....not that I have anything particular against twinkies and hotdogs but twinkies are just fake carbs cause of the sugar content so what they were really trying to suggest there was something that is heavy in sugar and carbs...same with hotdogs (though give me soya ones anyday, I swear I only like them for the tomato sauce fix anyhow!! ).....loadsa white bread and meat.....all ok for parties but not as part of the daily diet I would guess....stoopid doctors, whilst I am not a nutritionist even I know you can get healthy carb food from other places...damn I hope that made sense!!

 

Totally agree


A balanced healthy diet, with treats in moderation, is always the way to go. Those height/weight things are so wacked I can't believe anyone takes them seriously.
My brother and I have always been slim, it's just genetics or something. Our diets aren't perfect* but we eat plenty of good food. So we all know that we're healthy and that's all that matters. We'll probably fill out just fine in twenty years.

*Rich has probably had five portions of fruit in his entire life, he just doesn't like it ... will eat vegetables though.

I'm with Maggie that moderation is best. Mostly from setting a good example yourself. My parents never really restricted sugary things, that I can remember, but we learn to eat properly. Kids do gravitate to sweet things, and making them 'forbidden fruit' may well make things worse in the long run with the psychological aspects.
Would take sugar over artifical sweetners any day; natural plant vs fake chemicals that 'may cause cancer in rats', hmm tough call.

 

Sugar,the OTHER white powder! Sadly around here my own husband is the sugar pusher. He buys outrageous crap like Lucky Charms and popcicles. Needless to say the kids seem to prefer when he does the shopping. Grrrr! Of course then I end up eating the Lucky Charms to keep the kids away,well that and they are magically delicious. Evil addictive sugar.

 

my poor little niece ,who was being breast fed,hadn't slept all night for weeks,crying and kick'n around--both mom and the baby were worn out.I asked her to let me watch what she consumed all day and found out she was drinking almost two quarts of highly sugared lemonade a day.Summer in Reno.I insisted she drink water only and no sugar of any kind the whole next day.The little one breast fed and slept ALL night that very night and continued to do so as long as she watched her diet.That was an easy one concerning diet and it sure proved to me what sugar can do to a little body.

 

There's nothing in sugar that makes people hyper. The reason your kid gets hyper when he or she eats sugar is either because of caffeine (like in chocolate) or, what is more likely, everyone telling this kid that they ate too much sugar every time they get the least bit hyper. It's almost always strictly psychological.

 

no way...not everything with sugar in it has caffeine in it...there are plenty of sweet treats that don't...chup a chups, fairy floss, lemonade.....the list is huge. Of course chocolate does but the sugar is by far a greater part of it.

I definitely have been guilty of blaming the sugar in front of my little one for her over the top behaviour but I als know that I have only done this rarely and that the bhaviour is definitely there no matter what I say or do.

 

If there was nothing in sugar than it would not exist. Sugar is sugar.

Sugar is a molecule and it its quick energy fuel that gets broken down by the body effeciently. Its a carb, and it gives you energy and excessive energy is called hyperactive.

Sugar also gives people diabetes too.

 

actually, i heared the same thing on 20/20 (i think it was that show)....that show's been known for some absurd opinions, though, so i don't know if i'd believe it or not. I'll try to find a link.....