Ayoung girl looking unhappy at her food

Should You Lock Up The Candy?

Highly Sensitive Child| Highly Sensitive Kids
October 23, 2024•2 min read

Imagine this...

It's the day after the fall festivities. Your sensitive child's treat bag is overflowing with candy.

They've already had several meltdowns begging for "just one more piece". You've said no multiple times, but the badgering won't stop.

You're at your wits end, ready to just lock up the candy stash and be done with it.

But you wonder, is that really the best approach? Will restrictions just make candy even more enticing and lead to sneaking treats later?

I get it. Food battles with a highly sensitive child can feel like an impossible situation.

Traditional approaches like the "one treat a day" rule or hiding the candy often backfire into more obsession, not less.

So what's a weary parent to do?

Here are 3 key principles to keep in mind:

Restriction Leads to Fixation

The more you restrict access to a desired food, the more your child will fixate on it. It becomes like a forbidden fruit. Instead, try to neutralize candy as just another food, not a coveted treasure to battle over.

Make a Collaborative Plan

Involve your child in deciding how to manage the candy stash. Ask for their ideas on a system that feels fair to all. The more input they have, the more cooperative they'll be. You might be surprised at their self-control abilities.

Focus on Creating Healthy Habits

Rather than making the focus all about limiting candy, put your energy into creating healthy snack habits. Stock up on nutrient-dense foods they enjoy. Model balanced eating yourself. Over time, the candy will lose its pull.

I know this approach may feel scary at first. Especially if candy and food have been a major meltdown trigger.

But by empowering your child with trust and collaborating with them, you can stop the badgering battles for good.

For more strategies on raising a resilient, emotionally healthy sensitive child, grab your spot in my free masterclass on ending the meltdown cycle here.

You'll discover the real reason behind your child's meltdowns and walk away with clarity on your plan to bring more peace to your home.

Register for my free master call here: https://www.megghanthompsoncoaching.com/3mistakes

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I help parents who are worried about managing their child’s explosive and out of control emotions to develop an individualized system to manage their kid’s explosive feelings when they don’t fit the examples in typical parenting books. I know you are a parent of a Highly Sensitive Child and are ready to stop scouring the internet for new strategies, throw out those traditional parenting books that don’t match your kid, and develop an individualized system to manage your kid’s explosive feelings.

Megghan Thompson, LCPC, RPT-S

I help parents who are worried about managing their child’s explosive and out of control emotions to develop an individualized system to manage their kid’s explosive feelings when they don’t fit the examples in typical parenting books. I know you are a parent of a Highly Sensitive Child and are ready to stop scouring the internet for new strategies, throw out those traditional parenting books that don’t match your kid, and develop an individualized system to manage your kid’s explosive feelings.

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