Giving sugar to kids harms them and other families too

In modern times we have learned to let people have their convictions and lifestyle with respect and tolerance. But have we gone too far? Have we perhaps forgotten that we do not live in isolation and that our choices impact others?

Parents too often call for sessions (via Skype; https://naomialdort.com/parenting-family-guidance/) or share in workshops that one of the greatest struggles inside their home is the influences from other children and families. And one of the greatest stresses in the home is related to food; yelling, upsets, tears, and parents’ utter frustration. Parents who wish to raise children without sugar, grains, processed foods, etc, find that socializing creates a huge struggle that often ends up with bitter resignation: “I either raise my child in social isolation, or I have to let her eat sugar and other foods I consider toxic to her health, development, and mental wellbeing.” This is painful and does not have a solution unless we work together.

Very often the healthy food-oriented parent wants peace and friendship and says very little if anything so the other well-meaning parents do not even know the stress caused by a child’s visit to their home or a party. Therefore I am writing this blog to question the idea that our freedom in such issues is actually freedom.

I question the concept of such freedom because one’s freedom to feed sugar and processed foods take another parent’s freedom to feed their children as they wish, away. In fact, it impacts the health of these other children for the rest of their lives, as they form habits that are hard to change.

Indeed we cannot and should not judge families’ and parents’ preferences. But we should speak up. Often, the parents who do give processed and sugary foods to their children wish they could do without. They too are under pressure from relatives, partners, school, and more.

This blog is not a criticism of anyone’s preferences. Instead, it is an invitation to start a movement of speaking up and requesting our schools, relatives, and friends to do the research on how these foods set their children up for future illnesses, physical and mental, and how we are together impacting each other with our choices. The industry will change when we do.