Easter has become a time that is associated with guilty indulgences. Overrun with chocolate eggs, chocolate bunnies and every other kind of chocolate you can possibly imagine, it's definitely not a sugar-free holiday - especially for our kids.
Most days we spend tirelessly trying to get them to eat at least something with some nutritional value and endlessly striving towards the mystical 'five a day', which feels about as likely as a unicorn riding in with a carrot on its head. Yet at Easter, we seem to be happy to say goodbye to any nutritionally-responsible parenting - something which mum-of-one Sarah-Jane Corfield-Smith refuses to accept.
Sarah-Jane thinks it's high time we stopped handing over the Easter chocolate, and won't be allowing her daughter to have ANY of the sweet stuff. Here's why...
I currently have the ability to control what my daughter does and doesn't eat. That's because she's not quite two yet, and not because I'm some sort of food dictator.
While she's not dining on organic, line-caught dover sole served with a side of perfectly steamed kale (if that is even how you cook that stuff?), every night I'm trying my hardest to make sure that she eats as much goodness as I can get her to eat and she avoids as much refined sugar as possible.
Because, you know what? Newsflash. That white stuff, it's not good for anyone, let alone a small person who's still developing and growing. And if you've ever witnessed a 'regular' terrible two tantrum, please tell me why I would power up my little rocket of a red-headed daughter with the one thing that is bound to take those regular tantrums and raise them to levels the world has never witnessed before?
Actually, I'm lying, just turn up at the end of any child's birthday party and witness what too much sugar + tantrums equals.
So, if I'm branded the Scrooge of Easter because my daughter won't be shoving chocolate egg after chocolate egg down her throat, I'll take it. And you know what, she won't mind.
We will spend Easter seeing our family and friends and going to church, because - another newsflash here - that's actually what Easter is about.
Like every holiday, Easter is now so overly commercialised that most people probably think the only way to celebrate it is by spending a fortune on chocolate eggs (when did they get so expensive?!), and I don't want her growing up thinking that's all it's about. Just as I don't want her thinking that Christmas is all about Santa and getting a ridiculous amount of presents.
This year for Easter, in place of a chocolate egg (I'm not a total kill-joy after all) she will be getting a new colouring book. This will genuinely blow her tiny little mind not just because colouring-in comes in at number one of the three things she likes to do most in the whole, entire world but also because you know who's in it? Peppa Pig.
My daughter may not know sugar addiction, but tiny, pink (ever-so-annoying) pig addiction we are all over.
So, for as long as I can carry this on - I figure I've got another three years of keeping the eggs at bay at best - my daughter will not be getting a chocolate egg at Easter or any other time of the year, and I will be very happy about it.
We asked you what you thought on our Facebook page, and you had a lot to say...
Jenny Page: 'FFS Someone else telling us what to do! Easter and everything that goes with it is an old English tradition. Stop taking the kids fun away! I'm not saying let them stuff their faces day & night with chocolate but taking Easter eggs away all together is a bit drastic!'
Laura Brophy-Savage: 'I've never noticed any of my children get "high" on sugar (though 2 have ASD and ADHD so it's hard to tell!) and I would say that kids are hyper after parties because of all the running around and excitement more than anything. Anyway, if I don't give my kids Easter eggs, how will I be able to nick them.'
Lisa Killeen: 'I agree to an extent. Chocolate is something that can be bought all year round and I request to family that both me and my son don't get lots of easter eggs because we don't eat them.'
Sam Rae: 'Nope not buying eggs for my two either. Rather go to toy shop and treat them to a little toy - Lexi collects ponies(schliech) and Lachlan a tractor to keep and play with for ever. Do have a couple of small eggs for easter egg hunt but they are shared round everyone.'
What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below.
