"Hi, my name is Tolman Lamborn. I am 4 years old and am addicted to sugar."
First of all, I realize that I'm putting our reputation as parents on the line by writing about this, but I'm willing to put my rep and pride on the line to possibly help another sugar addict.
My Mom will strongly disagree, but lately, Tolman has been the biggest pain in the a**. Yes, it's true. He has been SUPER moody (mainly on the grumpy side), he won't listen or follow directions (more so than the "normal" 4 year old) and he throws a royal fit about anything and everything. Ya, life around the Lamborn household has been fun.
He did have a little bug, so I first contributed it to that. When that went away, I thought he was just tired due to all the late nights. Now he's caught up on sleep. What could it be? What is causing this? Why is my usually sweet boy acting like such a MONSTER lately? Then it came to me... SUGAR!!
I should have put this together much before now. All the signs were there. Dave and I, along with Tol, have been living in denial. My first clue was the empty marshmallow bag under his bed. Or was it the always empty fruit snacks box in the cupboard (he should have just thrown it away and I would have chalked it up to my mom-induced dimensia).
On Sunday, we were all having a nap, or so I thought. As Dave, Addi and I were dreaming, Tol was downstairs raiding his Easter Basket. (What? We still have that thing? Yes.) He ate at least 4 suckers, TONS of jelly beans and chocolate eggs. I should have thrown it away right then and there, but no. Tol did the same thing today! I was folding clothes upstairs and Dave was in the shower. He uses any window of opportunity to take advantage. Below is an actual picture of todays binge. This is his place of choice, the "hut."
Hopefully we have pinpointed the problem and he'll be a much happier boy. And for the stale Easter candy? It is in the outside garbage as we speak, along with the other bag of marshmallows that was in the cupboard. Only I would have that many marshmallows in the house...
Now we will be teaching Tol to "JUST SAY NO!"
9 comments:
I have to agree-sugar turns kids into monsters. I just told Christian yesterday that nobody in our house is eating anymore candy. Then I ate half a bag of peanut M&M's. They were delicious and I have been grumpy all day :)
This is Hilarious! I wish you would have had a hidden camera to catch it all on video.
Don't worry we are all bad parents, you think Easter candy is bad, I am pretty sure I have a few pieces from Halloween still in the pumpkin that is in my cupboard.
I totally agree that sugar can affect kids this way. How do I know? I'm a mum of two, one of whom behaves in exactly the same way and I too can remember taking sweets from the house stash when I was younger.
I have had great success with healing my sugar addiction through following Dr Kathleen DesMaisons plan. I have been off sugar for a year myself, I do not crave it, I am mellow and happy - a far cry from the constant bingeing I used to do.
Dr DesMaisons has also written a book called Little Sugar Addicts which you might like to have a look at. I'm working on it with my kids right now and it is definitely helping. The second part of the book title is "End the Mood Swings, Meltdowns, Tantrums, and Low Self-Esteem in Your Child Today".
All the best on your journey from one who has been there!
Poor Tol. He'll get over his withdrawal symptoms soon too. You are a good parent. Thanks for taking Collin to $2 Tuesday. When I came up from working last night and saw what he was wearing when he went with you guys I about died. He fit right in there - my white trash kid!
Ha, ha! I just have to say that I love your blog, and you have an adorable family!
I'm glad that Kristen told you about my cleanse post. (LOL) Just so you know, I just added an update, so feel free to stop on by...
Sugar is a serious addiction. Feel free to browse The institute for addiction study website linked to mine & kristen's blogs. Mabey Tol needs to go into detox. Cute little thing. He'll get through it, kids will be kids. I know it's horrible but I have to have my junior mints late at night come hell or high water.
Tracy could sign up to be his sponsor if you'd like. We have to lock up our sweets or Tracy would eat them all day too. I love that you have shared his personal struggle. Tell him he can call Tracy at any hour if he needs someone to talk him down.
As a child psychologist, my primary concern is not that Tolman enjoys candy, or, um, craves it night and day, its that he's decided to go "covert" for it.
This sort of behavior is a good indicator that Tol receives two very strong mixed messages about candy.
Your job now is to find out the sources of these mixed messages and get them straight.
Does he hear one thing about candy from you and another about candy from...lets say, Gramma?
Most parents target the candy as the problem unknowingly creating a sort of "forbidden fruit" complex that tends to marinate within kids for a long time.
This "forbidden fruit" complex drives a lot of covert behavior which may or may not lead to more issues all the way up into adolescence. (It seems you've already seen some of these behaviors surfacing in Tolman's "binging" behaviors.)
So, don't go all "prohibition" on candy, just make normal demands on moderation and make sure he's not getting his fixes elsewhere, or you will forever be powerless to the almighty Skittle and Dum-Dum Gods!!
I will be publishing these and more ideas in an upcoming issue of Parents Magazine in a series of essays called, "If I tell you I'm a child psychologist, will you believe anything I say?"
Thank you.
jami... you are so CUTE.. i swear, candy is every kids favorite!!
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