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You know the scene. You’re somewhere out in public. Your child starts to get a bit antsy, and some well-meaning stranger offers your child candy. Immediately the child is happy.
They bring the candy to you to open.
As a parent, what do you do?
Do you open the candy and let your child know that it’s ok to take candy from strangers? Or do you leave the candy unopened, possibly causing a worse fight?
Sigh.
Please ask a parent’s permission before giving a child candy! Better yet – just don’t offer it at all.
Let’s look at the reasons why not giving a child candy is a good idea.
1. Allergies
You never know when a child may have allergies. Yes, I realize a sucker is typically safe, but what about that peanut butter crackers it was sitting next to in your purse? Children with nut allergies can have severe reactions just from being around nuts, so that sucker may cause a reaction.
2. Dietary Restrictions
Only the parents and those closest to the child know what their dietary needs are. The doctor may have recommended no sugar. Or parents may realize that red dyes cause their child to act differently then normal. If you don’t know the child well, it’s better to err on the side of caution.
3. Mess Factor
Sometimes candy is messy – particularly suckers. Parents may have a nice family lunch, event, or even pictures planned for later in the day. Suddenly that cute outfit could be dripping with not-so-cute gooeyness.
4. Rude
Honestly, it’s just rude to give a child candy without a parent’s permission. We’ve all heard since a young age that children are sometimes kidnapped by strangers who offer them candy. Whether or not there’s any real truth in that, you’re teaching my child that it’s ok to take candy from strangers – and I am not ok with that.
And while we’re on the topic of rudeness. Showing my child the candy while asking me permission is just as rude. Now you’ve made me the bad guy because my child has seen the candy.
Parenting is hard enough. Please don’t make it harder.
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