Four reasons why you should not gift kids sweet whenever you visit them

The three main things that kids love are toys, playing with friends and candy. Show them a bar of chocolate and they’ll stop what they’re doing and instantly light up.

All those sweets, bubble gums, lollipops and chocolates are part of childhood memory. Once you reach a certain age, your body starts to reject too much refined sugar. I miss the days when I could eat a lot of candy without getting a sore throat the next day.

Sweets are usually the go-to gift for kids. I mean, giving them candy is less stressful as compared to choosing other complicated presents like clothes or shoes. The reality of it all is that you might be doing more harm than good when you give them candy as a gift every time.

Despite your intentions, there are many risks involved that many people don’t think about and to be honest, you should.

Tooth decay and dental problems

It’s not enough to just brush wherever they eat sweets. They should definitely brush their teeth but there’s still a chance they could develop cavities. When the bacteria in the mouth break down sugar, a lot of acid is produced. That acid corrodes teeth and before you know it, cavities have formed. There is no better way to prevent this than limiting how much candy a child eats.

Sugar addiction 

I know you want to gift them something that will make them happy and excited but candy isn’t always the option to settle on. Sugar addiction is real for both adults and children. It usually creeps in slowly and it’s hard to notice that there is a problem until they’re hooked already. Sugar usually triggers dopamine which are the ‘happy hormones’ released by the brain. This is a problem because the same happens when someone is addicted to drugs like cocaine. That link can be very destructive for a child and they’ll start to crave sugar more over time. The process of letting go of that addiction will be an uphill battle.

Obesity 

In the long run, they’re likely to suffer from obesity. Refined sugars contain so many calories which contribute to this problem in a huge way. Even those who are working on getting fit are always advised to cut down on refined sugars as the first step. You can imagine what it does to a child who doesn’t really understand the effects of too much sugar on their health and weight. Also, obesity opens them up to other serious health problems which will be hard for a child to deal with.

Mental health problems

Too much sugar has been linked to increased chance of mood disorders. Many studies have proved that the risk of depression and anxiety is higher when a person’s diet consists of too much sugar. A sugar high will always be followed by a crash which causes irritability and depression. Children are not immune to these conditions so you have to be very careful with how much sugar you’re giving them, especially when it comes to products with refined sugars. It kills the chances of health living.

Pointers

Generally, our pallets are more receptive to sweet and tasty things. It’s honestly not always fun to eat vegetables and fruits.

Kids are at that carefree stage so they tend to focus on what tastes good. Offering them candy all the time will make them get used to that. Everything else will taste nasty because they’re comparing them to the candies that they’re used to.

It’ll now be harder for them to embrace healthy foods but they have to for their own health and wellbeing.

Work on finding other options instead of candy. It’s not bad to offer them some once in a while but it shouldn’t become a habit.

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