Whether it’s Christmas or their birthday, if you have children, you will want to give them a gift or gifts that they can truly enjoy. If you have younger children, one of the items that many people will want to give (or that your children will want to receive) is sweets.
This can be a tough area for many parents to navigate. You don’t want your children to miss out on the joys of childhood and eating sweet things, but you want to ensure that they also stay healthy. And of course, you don’t want your children to think you are grumpy by banning sweets altogether.
So, when it comes to you gifting your children a sweet hamper for a big day, what are some of the things to consider to ensure that they don’t get an overwhelming sugar rush? Here is a simple guide to help your kids have their sweets, and for you not to worry about it.
Sugar-Free Can Be Tasty
OK, it’s a fact that children are not big fans of sugarless candy and sweets. However, in recent years, the companies that make sugarless candy have come a long way in enhancing the flavors, so they really won’t know the difference.
If you are making the sweet hamper from scratch, aim to include as many sugar-free or low-sugar options as possible. If you are going to have the hamper made by a company, many can allow you to choose what goes into the sweet hamper, thus controlling the sugar content. The Sweet Hamper Company is one company that allows you to pick and choose which sweets you want to be included in your hamper, so you will have the ultimate say in what your kids eat. Just don’t tell your kids that the sweets are sugar-free.
Limit Their Consumption
It goes without saying that if you are gifting the sweet hamper for Christmas Day, all the excitement of presents and general ambiance can cause kids to become overexcited. Plus, to keep the peace, you may want to simply give them whatever they ask for to prevent spoiling the mood of the day.
To keep your kids happy and healthy, when it comes to sweet hampers, you will need to limit how much they consume on any given day. This may seem cruel, but it is being cruel to be kind, as you don’t want your kids getting ill. So, aim to keep their consumption of sugar age-appropriate and try not to give in to their big eyes when you say no.
Keep Up Their Dental Check-Ups
In the same vein as keeping your children healthy, if you are giving a sweet hamper (or they have an aunt who regularly gifts them for example), you will need to keep your kids up to date with their dental check-ups.
Children’s teeth are naturally thinner than adult teeth, meaning that the enamel (the white outer coating of the tooth), is more likely to become overloaded when your kids eat too much sugar without brushing. So, to ensure that your kids remain healthy and happy while consuming sweets, you will need to keep them up to date on their dental check-ups and ensure that they are brushing their teeth twice a day. This will keep their teeth healthy and limiting their sugar will also reduce the chances of diabetes.
Sticky Can Be Tricky
Kids love sticky sweets and candy, but sticky sweets can be more problematic than even the more sugar-filled chocolate.
Why? Well, it’s in the name! Sticky sweets are more likely to stick to your kids’ teeth, meaning that it will be harder for them to remove the sweets, and thus, the tooth or teeth are more likely to become decayed. So, when choosing what to put in your kid’s sweet hamper, aim to choose as few sticky sweets as possible. Also, while on this subject, try to limit sherbets too, as these are just colored sugar powders that can get in-between teeth and cause cavities.
It may seem counterintuitive to choose chocolate as the sweet of choice for a children’s sweet hamper, but there are many different kinds of chocolate available, which allows you to choose the type that your kids eat and the sugar content. Who says the chocolate in the hamper must be dairy based? You can choose dark or black chocolates, which are higher in cocoa content and lower in sugar. These are not only tasty, but they are also sometimes mixed with other interesting ingredients, such as chili or orange, to help give them a bit more flavor.
Keep the Hamper Out of Reach
Kids are clever; if you take apart their sweet hamper and place all those tasty treats in a low drawer or cupboard, you can bet your last dollar that your kids will find them and eat them before you even clock that they have found them.
Aim to keep the sweets from the hamper in a safe place, such as your bedroom or (without sounding dramatic), in a locked drawer, and keep the key on your person. That way, you control the consumption of sweets, and your kids cannot forage for them.
Are Sweet Hampers Suitable for Kids?
In a word, yes, sweet hampers are suitable for kids but, like everything in life, they need to be kept in moderation. Or else, you may be inadvertently putting your child’s health at risk. If you are making the sweet hamper from scratch, ensure that you choose the lowest sugar options, or choose sugar-free sweets. Aim to reduce sherbets and aim to reduce sticky sweets, as both can get into hidden parts of the mouth and cause trouble with cavities.
As before, be sure that when your kids receive a sweet hamper that they are brushing their teeth and flossing twice a day to prevent tooth decay. This will save you a lot of worry in the long run and will allow them to enjoy their sweets without experiencing any toothache or sore gums.
