Know the difference between snacks and sweets
They break into my house and go straight to my kitchen pantry.
I watch them open doors and look in the usual places to find what they are looking for.
Each of my young grandchildren is not interested in trying something new, and certainly not something healthy. These kids want what they want and they know I have it.
It’s all about the snacks and sweets.
Since my hometown’s three children returned to our hometown, I’ve been a busy person. Until a few years ago, the highway kept us connected on weekends or longer when vacations allowed. Now I walk down the street or drive a few blocks to see my grandchildren, which means they are in and out of the house and my closet on a regular basis.
I had a lot to learn
Obviously, “snack” is different from “treat,” which means the food my grandchildren prefer falls into one of these categories. A snack is something to “fill in the space” before the next meal, that’s how my 7-year-old grandson, Evan, defines it.
You can snack on bananas, granola, or even cereal without milk. Maybe an apple or a Pop-Tart, and if you’re lucky, a bag of potato chips that should come in a green or red bag.
Snacks fill the void.
Completely different treatment. The candy might be a sticky lollipop, an Oreo cookie, or something from the dollar store’s candy line. A reward is something you get when it’s a special day, or when you do something good and the reward is your reward.
Every day is a special day in my house.
The downside to snacks and sweets is that you have to restock them. Any time the closet door opens, something is supposed to appear. As a result, I learned what these kids like and don’t like. I also know what their parents want for them and what they don’t want.
Nobody cares about that.
Roman, 2, wants chocolate chip pancakes and crazy colorful crackers. Four-year-old Via prefers green potato chips or red or orange gummy pops. Evan – He chooses red potato chips and red lollipops, the old-fashioned kind that you split in half. None of them want a granola bar or a banana or an apple.
I can relate to this.
I grew up in a day when snack was that apple, and dessert was probably popcorn on the stove. My kids grew up eating the same popcorn or Rice Krispie treats at the end of the day, and now here I am with a cupboard full of stickiness and a freezer full of melting.
Kids need candy after school and snacks after breakfast. These little beggars judge you when you run out of cake or buy red chips of an unknown brand. My grandchildren turn to anything that looks in any way nutritious or healthy.
They got that part of me.
In every way possible, we spoil our children – and certainly our grandchildren – by providing them with something that makes them feel loved. Snacks and sweets are an easy way to do this. However, I am the one who fills my pantry and freezer, so I have absolute control over what I put in there to distribute. I offer choices that I can live with and the kids will appreciate that, in one way or another, they follow the guidelines their parents provide.
It’s a full time job.
I wake up every day feeling happy because my children and grandchildren are close to me. They fill my days, nights and pantry with all the good things in life. One day, these little ones will forget about the cakes and fruit snacks and the bomb in the refrigerator will explode. Until then, I will spoil them in the ways I can, and love them in ways they will remember.
Treats for everyone.
YYou can reach Lorry at lorrysstorys@gmail.com.
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