Lucky Charms

My husband walked past the kitchen island at tornado speed trying to get out the door for work and then literally spun around on a dime as he caught glimpse of the red box.

 

“What are you doing buying those and giving them to the kids?”

 

“One of the kids wanted them so I bought them” I said matter of factly.

 

Cue the eye roll and walking out the door, but not before I called out “and the next request is Cinnamon Toast Crunch!”

 

Let me back up to Sunday, my grocery shopping day. Since I was a kid we’d hit the grocery store Sundays after mass to get our weekly loot and either a donut from the bakery or fresh rolls and ham, potato chips and pickles for lunch.

 

Covid (or six kids) turned me into an Instacart Sunday shopper so I don’t get the spontaneous asks and begs that I used to do with my mom at the store. When I was growing up we had to make sure that sugar was the 4th ingredient in our cereal choice in order to plop it into our cart. This "rule" has stuck with me all these years so when my son was scrolling the aisles and begged me for Lucky Charms, I originally balked. Internally I thought, no way, too much sugar and junk in that. 

 

I took a long pause and decided I better talk my walk, so I clicked "add to cart". My son was thrilled. What happened when the cereal arrived was interesting.

 

The cereal came and two kids immediately said, “eww, gross”. Four more gladly filled their bowls with giddy excitement. One pushed his bowl away after two bites saying, “I don’t like it mommy”. Three more chugged along oohing and ahhing over their rainbow colored swirled milk and those adorable shapes.

 

The next day, the box sat alone. The following day another kid took a pass and my son who ordered the cereal said he thought he couldn’t have them everyday. I assured him he could eat them anytime. He and another kid had lucky filled bowls. The box sat alone another couple of days and my youngest was the only one who wanted it after that.

 

That red box was party of the fun- stories for all the charms and Lucky himself. Turning the box around my son started asking about all those percentages. After I explained the nutrition label, I was curious to put Lucky Charms next to our box of Honey Nut Cheerios. I haven't looked at a nutrition label in years, but this new cereal got me wondering. You know what? Their nutrition profile is almost identical. Literally. 

The Lucky Charms are gone and nobody asked for them in Sunday’s order.

This story isn’t to show you that once you give permission to eat something sugary, you’ll never want it again. Nope. It’s to show you that when you have full access to food, you can actually develop a sense of discernment. You have the ability to know what you like and don't like without pressure to feel like you’re living up to an arbitrary societal standard of nutrition or health.

 

Because my kids have full access to all foods, it makes a difference. Nobody went to the pantry hunting out the lone box of sugar in order to hoard or steal it. Nobody snuck bowls to their room and nobody argued over who got more.

 

I felt like I was the lucky one in this situation. Lucky that I knew the right messaging to give my kids and lucky that they feel comfortable experimenting and saying yes or no to foods they actually like.

 

I wonder how Cinnamon Toast Crunch will land with our next order?

 

If you need help feeling comfortable buying allll the things, hit reply for 1-1 coaching or click on #1 below. Can you imagine no drama around food with your kids?

I have stories like this and so many more coming in my anti-diet book for kids and parents! I can't wait for you to read it and see the gorgeous cover my kids designed.