Desserts - giving them to the kids - how often do you?

[nicoleE]

I have been giving DD (15 months) dessert after dinner pretty much for as long as she has been on proper solids. Im not talking sweets or anything horrid, it is mainly some variety of the Rafferty's dessert range with some strawberries (her favourite fruit). Common ones are 'rice pudding with sultanas', 'fruit yoghurt', 'apple crumble' and occasionally a custard.
She also always has baby yoghurt (the proper yoghurt not the jar variety) with some banana (another fave fruit) after her lunch.

I was reading a baby magazine that mentioned to not give desserts every day and just give for instance on a couple of certain days of the week.

She is a good eater and eats healthy dinners well then goes on to eat dessert/fruit.

Should I be doing this? Is it ok as long as it is not junk food desserts? (she has never had things like ice cream and is not allowed cake or anything like that).

How often do you give desserts and what do you offer (please note how old your kids are)...?

[JabberJaw]

My older kids all have dessert they are 11,5 and 4. Bub is only 10 months old and does not really have dessert, maybe she has a bit of crumpet or a bit of fruit salad if she stays up a bit later than normal.

I cant see the harm really, as long as bub has her dinner first.

I remember my oldest DD would never sleep through unless she had something to eat after dinner/before bed and she always had ether a crumpet or a breakfast muffin.

Its not like your giving her copious amounts of ice cream or chocolate, to me what your doing sounds fine.

My older kids occasionally have ice cream or an ice block but generally fruit salad or maybe a snack sized chokkie, they are within healthy weight range and they are only allowed it if they eat there dinner. They aren't made to eat everything on there plate but if they finish we say just eat one more bite of broccoli etc.

My opinion is if it works for you, stick with it, mummies know best :D

[Cordelia]

DD is 25 months and we very rarely give her "sweet desserts".. she doesnt' really know they exist and absolutely loves fresh fruit and also those fruit cups (no added sugar or anything). I dont think there's any reason to make habits out of things unless they are good.

[laylasmumma23]

My dd is 13 (almost 14 months) and i have given her a desert since she started on solids (not puree's..but actual food so probably around 8 months)
I read that as well about only being a sometimes food, but i dont give her ice cream or anything like that..
its usually Fresh fruit or baby yoghurts or custard with mashed up banana..all moderately healthy.
I've just introduced all the new fruits out this season like nectarines, apricots and grapes..she loves them.
I have found she sleeps better because she's full and sometimes if she doesn't want to eat her veggies a yoghurt is all she will eat (mostly because of teething).

I think its ok to give your child desert, its healthy and its not really desert..its more like an after dinner snack!

[cookiemoster]

My DD ( 15 month) eats dessert every night also. Its usally ice-cream,jelly,fruit or youhurt. I dont see the proplem with it as we eat a very healthy lunch and dinner during the day ( thanks to the cook were I work) so having some yohurt when we get home wont hurt her.

[Shakey]

DD is 16mths old, and she has never ever had desert, but then again, she's never been much of a eater, so i've never given it to her because of that

as for DS, he has desert maybe once a mth, only because I don't believe in giving it unless all the main meal is aten, and he doesn't often finnish it

I don't see anything wrong with giving desert everyday, as long as its not the sweet kind, and as long as they eat all their main meal :yes:

[purtig]

My 2 boys have dessert most nights I guess, but it's usually fruit or yoghurt. If they are going to have chocolate or a lolly I would rather they have it after lunch than at night time. They love fruit so much that they are happy with a fruit tub for dessert. Sometimes it will be a little container of frozen blueberries. We buy jelly & fruit tubs occassionally and DS1 loves those.

We try not to make it so they have to eat all their dinner to get dessert, usually if they are not into their dinner we set a number of bites more that they have to eat. Though growing up I was always told "if you don't have room for the rest of your dinner you don't have room for dessert" ad I have used that line a few times on my kids!

As for supper, if DS2 hasn't eaten much dinner the after bath I offer a banana or toast and a cup of milk as he is a terrible sleeper and I want his tummy to be full!

[reAllytee]

Our desserts are things like jelly, fruit etc ... Only because having icecream or the likes is a treat for us as we have a teeny freezer !

Seriously if your kids are active & its a 'treat' type thing then what the heck ! They know it isnt a meal & it isnt something they live on so thats all that matters.

Boof LIVES for his dessert lol & it usually ensures he eats all his dinner ... He is a fiend for his fruit & jelly !

I dont care whether he ends up having it every nite .... Its fuel for his fire as he never stops so to me that isnt a bad thing !

[LilShenanigans]

Ours is a little complicated lately.. if DD has been well behaved, Ill buy her a chocolate.. that when we get home is hidden. If she then eats her dinner, she can have it.
Thats pretty much the extent of dessert around here. :p

[Caithi]

If you are ok with it go for it.

I personally dont unless we are out( and then its a fruit or cheese platter if its available) and this didnt happen unti she was 20 months but thats me, not you.

I dont think that there are any right or wrongs with this one. JMO.:hugs:

[~Temet Nosce~]

Never.
But that might change when she is older though.. a treat every now and then when she has been good.. still only once in a blue moon.

My dd makes a pig of herself at dinner time anyway, she wouldn't have any room left lol.

[WorkingClassMum]

I always give my kids their just desserts.... Hmmm - not what you meant I suppose.

Desserts in our house is part of their overall diet IYKWIM

Desserts is Strawberries and yoghurt, a bunch of grapes, stewed Rhubard & Apple, Baked Apple, cantelope, watermelon, occassioanlly custard, peaches, frozen berries and frozen yoghurt, poached pears etc. Jelly very rarely.

Desserts is never chocolate, ice cream, cake etc.

If we attend a family birthday party they have a "slice of cake sooooooooo thin you can see through it".

My kids love their fruit - and therefore desserts often makes up part of their minimum dailt allowence.

[SmileyBJ]

From what I've read its mainly as children see it as a reward or good food verse bad food. However I think if its not dramatised, and its fruit not chocolate topping and icecream lol then I don't see any problem at all. Think its great actually, atleast there having something nutritional.

[mim1]

My ds has custard (1 small tin) and 1 small tub of yoghurt every day, as well as fruit. I don't make a fuss of any of it, and it isn't necessarily after his 'other' food, sometimes in between. He's not overweight (quite the opposite) and I plan to continue it for now.

Dh & I rarely have dessert and I imagine in a year or two my ds will also rarely have dessert, but I daresay he'll still have yoghurt most days. He hasn't got a huge sweet tooth - he loves cake as a concept, but doesn't actually eat it when offered most of the time! :)

[SimplyMum]

We're pretty laid back in regards to desert. It goes on a number of things. If we have time, if I can be bothered and if he has done well enough on his dinner.

What it usually consists of, in this weather- usually a fruit ice block, some milk, ice-cream (although only a bite of mine- he's not a big ice-cream fan).
We usually have dinner rather early, about 5.30ish, so sometimes after dinner we head back outside for a little bit to play with the kiddies, and we don't really think twice about desert.

[LizzardLover]

My dd is 6 years old and I dont think she's ever had dessert. It's just not something I do. Occasionally if she's really not wanted her dinner i'll tell her she can leave it and have some fruit instead but thats about the extent of it.

I see nothing wrong with it if it's fruit, low sugar jelly, low fat custard or something, or on the odd occasion something like apple crumble or whatever but I certainly wouldnt give "sweet" things every night.

[poshBecks]

MY kids have plain vanilla yogurt after dinner every night. They have done so since they could eat!

Thinkgs like ice-cream and stuff are reserved for special occasions.

[sahm]

My 20 month old DS has dessert most nights, as long as he has had a good dinner.

It's usually fruit and/or yoghurt, depending on what kind of diet he has during the day. But I love to bake so he gets puddings etc. with ice cream occassionally too.

I really don't think it's a big deal as long as they have a balanced diet.

[Teegzie]

While I don't plan on giving my daughter dessert all the time (she's only 7 months so doesn't eat a huge amount at dinner, plus milk is her dessert :p) I don't want to be too strict about it!

I have some friends who never, ever give their kids chocolate or cake or a lolly even. These kids get so freaked out when they are allowed to have 1 scoop of icecream that they start to shake! I think that is actually pretty cruel especially since their Mum eats chocolate and things all the time! Part of being a kid is occasionally getting a big slice of cake on your birthday (nope they don't get a birthday cake either!) and every now and then being allowed to choose a lolly at the shops.

As Cookie Monster says "They are sometimes food, so sometimes it's ok to eat lots!"! :laughing:

[Jakois]

While I don't plan on giving my daughter dessert all the time (she's only 7 months so doesn't eat a huge amount at dinner, plus milk is her dessert :p) I don't want to be too strict about it!

I have some friends who never, ever give their kids chocolate or cake or a lolly even. These kids get so freaked out when they are allowed to have 1 scoop of icecream that they start to shake! I think that is actually pretty cruel especially since their Mum eats chocolate and things all the time! Part of being a kid is occasionally getting a big slice of cake on your birthday (nope they don't get a birthday cake either!) and every now and then being allowed to choose a lolly at the shops.

As Cookie Monster says "They are sometimes food, so sometimes it's ok to eat lots!"! :laughing:

What you say is quite true...

We sometimes have dessert.

It's really up to the older two. If they want something they are allowed.

They have a rounded, well balanced diet which includes some of the "naughty foods".

[SassyMummy]

Dessert is rare here. I don't find it a good idea to fill a little tummy so heavily, so close to bed.

It's better to have food earlier on in the day.

I'd also not like to create a habit. Kids may not eat as much dinner (often healthier than dessert) if they know they must also have enough room in their stomachs to allow for dessert.

I feel that dessert is a treat.

It's better, IMO, to offer more snacks during the day, than offer a two meals in a row, so close to bedtime, as they can burn off the excess energy (and therefore, not gain excess body fat).

Dessert is usually sugar-laden too. Sure, fruit contain plenty of nutrients, but also contains sugar, and I'd rather the sugar be fed to my child earlier in the day.

I also didn't grow up with dessert, so it's not just "something done" in my family. If it was, my opinion MAY be different as a result of my family traditions.

Dessert is a rarity... if it's a particularly hot night, and I feel like an ice-cream, then DD will also be offered one (providing she has eaten all of her dinner first)... or if we're out at a restaurant (though I often don't order it anyway, as I'm not really a dessert fan)... or if we're at someone elses' house. It's definitely not a "never" thing, but probably happens no more than once a month (if that).