On Monday, the family and I checked out Circus Funtasia at South Park in Macc.

 

Tres bien it was.

 

Also there was Toni The Tiger and family.

 

And a few of our ninjas and theirs.

 

As they passed I registered the look of surprise on their faces that my kids were eating candy floss.

 

Also had a few ninjas surprised that my kids had Easter Eggs.

 

So I thought I’d share my ‘philosophy’ on allowing the kids to eat stuff like that.

 

It may inspire you with the way you deal with such things with your kids.

 

It may not.

 

And it can also be ‘paralleled’ to the way you deal with such things for yourself.

 

  1. I, personally, NEVER get the kids chocolates or sweets. There’s never any cajoling me or complaining till I give in as they know it’s never happened and never will.

 

There is none in the house, never has been, never will be – why constantly tempt / challenge yourself?

 

  1. I know between birthday parties, friends, other family members, etc they will have some sweets and chocolates so won’t ‘miss out’ (if that’s the right way to look at it – and, it’s not).

 

The amount they get from these other sources is plenty in my mind – so, why add more?

 

  1. Candy floss is a very ‘Circus specific’ thing.

 

And they’ve been to the circus about 3 times in their lives.

 

  1. Most importantly – these foods are NEVER pitched as a treat or a reward.

 

It’s never ‘do XYZ’ and you can have some chocolate.

 

Or “Finish your ABC and you can have some sweets”.

 

It’s just a food stuff that they only have occasionally under certain circumstances.

 

Before anyone feels too sorry for them, my kids get plenty of treats.

 

A treat is usually an activity – a day out somewhere, seeing friends or family, etc.

 

Or maybe a toy or book.

 

Just never food.

 

 

There’s two ‘take homes’ there really.

 

Don’t have the stuff in the house in the first place.

 

And don’t ‘treat’ them / yourself with it.

 

 

Much love,

 

Jon ‘Normal eggs > Chocolate eggs’ Hall and Matt ‘Treats the dogs with food’ Nicholson

Jon Hall
Jon Hall

When not helping people to transform their lives and bodies, Jon can usually be found either playing with his kids or taxi-ing them around. If you'd like to find out more about what we do at RISE then enter your details in the box to the right or bottom of this page or at myrise.co.uk - this is the same way every single one of the hundreds who've described this as "one of the best decisions I've ever made" took their first step.