Lollipop, Lollipop, Oh, Lolli, Lollipop
The last three times I've run into a school mom, my two year old is doing something with a lollipop.
The first time, this mom saw us at the paper store in town and kindly peeled the white sticky stick off of my daughter's bottom and brought it to me letting me know what she had found. She promised no judgement and said with a giggle that she could totally relate.
Thank you, new friend. Classy.
The second time, we were at CVS buying some (a very large bag) of lollipops to survive an upcoming airplane flight. My friend helped me find the econo size bag because apparently she makes pre-flight CVS stops, too. We had just enough to last the final leg of our trip.
Thank you, friend, sugar and CVS.
Just last week, we bumped into each other at CVS (AGAIN) and my daughter was working two lollipops in her mouth even before we got to the checkout line. My friend and I laughed about our repeated lollipop adventures. This time I needed the lollipops to fill a pinata.
Thank you, big brothers, for teaching her that "trick".
There was a time when I wouldn't DARE use sugar to help my child survive a long trip to the grocery store, a long car ride or an airplane ride. Oh no, cheerio games on the tray table, all the way. Maaaaaybe some organic lollipops made it on an airplane, but never a long car ride.
There was a time when these CVS moments would've left me feeling shame and that ever familiar "bad mom" guilt.
Guess what? I didn't feel guilty or embarrassed and I now have a friend that I can be real and honest with, because she's seen that I'm real, too. In fact, I'm more flush in the cheeks that I just had to spell check embarrassed has two "r's". And I don't feel like I need an excuse to buy lollipops either. When we run out, we're back to CVS to restock. Airplane rides and pinatas don't happen everyday, but the desire for some pleasure in what you eat does happen on the reg and I want to be prepared.
There's no shame in how you feed your child and if you give your child sugar so you can get to the store without a chorus of unrelenting screams in the backseat, that's a win in my book. Remember, there's no one food that can bring us everlasting life or take us to our grave.
You, my friend, have bigger fish to fry than obsessing about whether you give your child some sugar or too much sugar. While I go fish those white sticks out of my car, I'll think fondly about how these sugar pops have been the endearing piece to a new friendship.
