Many parents are fooled: depriving your children of candy is worse than letting them enjoy it.

Parents are often reluctant to let their children indulge in candy. However, depriving them of it does not would only make things worse.

As Halloween approaches, parents often worry that their children will eat too much candy, resulting in excess sugar. 100 grams of candy is 350 calories on average. This can lead to tooth decay or severe stomach aches in young children. And it can create habits and addictions that should be avoided. However, according to experts, this consumption is not so harmful to children. Depriving them of candy would have even more harmful consequences.

According to American dietitian nutritionist Natalie Mokari, depriving children of sweets may do more harm than good because it will create frustration and an obsession with obtaining them. “Imposing a restriction could make sweets even more valuable to them, and create a fixation that may not have been there in the first place,” she explains. CNN.

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Human beings, whether children or adults, often covet more what is forbidden to them. Anything that is forbidden becomes even more desirable. Restricting sweets could ultimately push the child to overconsumption due to its appeal and also due to the fear of missing out. Children could therefore have a crazy craving for sweets if you deprive them of them, pushing them to find a way to eat them in secret. Such a decision can thus hinder the development of a healthy relationship with food.

If ever the child is affected by stomach aches after excessive consumption of sweets, this can be the opportunity to explain to him the importance of a balanced diet, thus developing his relationship with food. “That tummy ache can be an important lesson in how to listen to their body's needs and know when they've had too much of something that tastes good,” parenting coach Oona Hanson tells CNN.

Plus, a child who gorges on candy at a specific time, like Halloween, is likely to eat less afterwards: the more you eat something, the less you enjoy it. When a child receives a large number of sweets at once, it is recommended to suggest that they spread their loot over several days, explaining that this will allow them to keep some for longer. On the other hand, it is necessary to compensate with a balanced diet.