You’ve heard of diet-obsessed almond moms, but what’s the opposite? According to TikTok, this is a “gummy bear mom” — and apparently, I’m one of them. If you’re wondering what that’s like, well, we have all the snacks. We’re not afraid to add a little sugar to healthy foods. We don’t stress over our kids occasionally buying candy at the checkout counter.
“Mama Gummy Bears” are popping up on TikTok, and honestly, I’m happy about it. I feel like this takes the pressure off of finding more balance rather than making sure everything is “clean” according to “Almond Mama”. This type of parenting normalizes all types of food and enjoys taking on the role of owner of the pantry.
I blame my childhood torn apart by divorce as the reason why I became a gummy bear mom. In one parent’s house, there were few snacks except for those big, crunchy pretzels and some crusty marshmallows. At the other parent’s house, even though we didn’t have a lot of money, we had cereal, Oreos, and lots of fruits and vegetables that our friends loved. I noticed a difference at a young age, in a house with fewer snacks, I wanted snacks more…probably because I couldn’t buy them.
All this formed my own philosophy on raising children. Some of them choose organic peppers, cucumbers, and apples as snacks. Others I had to put in a lot of effort to pry from the hot Cheetos shelves. So as I raised five children under the age of 9, I continued to adjust my gummy mommy and almond mommy tendencies. What this means for our families, and what experts are saying about the trend.
My kids absolutely love the crunchy veggies.
One of my five children has sensory issues that interfere with eating and eating as much as possible. So we’ve made it our mission to find every crunchy vegetable in the store. That means there’s plenty of cucumbers, peppers, carrots, celery, and more to grab in the “kid’s drawer” of your refrigerator.
They are also chip connoisseurs.
Their favorite potato chips are filled with red dye 40…oh well! Sometimes, we buy them anyway because I don’t want them to go to a friend’s house and constantly raid their pantry looking for “real chips” – but sometimes, we buy the “healthier” chips or make our own Make.
Chips are fun. I get it. The same goes for some other less healthy foods. But sometimes, in our house, food is also a pleasure. “Fun treats, like sugar sprinkles on donuts, can add fun and extra something, but they’re not the main thing. You can even let them pick out fun treats and put them in their own treat bin, They can be placed in the snack bin at any time.
It’s about getting to know your body as it really feels.
Even children can recognize when they’ve eaten too much junk. I use travel—sometimes fast food is the only option—to help them notice something different about how they feel. Maybe a little unhappy, or more tired. This raises some good arguments about fast food not being bad. It just doesn’t always make you feel good or have enough energy.
Experts recommend eating all foods in moderation to help develop self-regulation. They also say education about portion sizes can help children recognize what is a reasonable amount of food and what might make them feel less good.
I focus on adding, not removing.
Ever had a fight with three people? I have. They sure won’t relax unless you make them eat the damn Skittles. However, if you add food, the fight becomes much easier. Skittles and A piece of chicken saves a lot of busy meal time.
“Emphasize the foods you want to add to their diet and the foods you don’t want them to eat. By taking this approach, you can help your child develop a more positive relationship with food. One helpful thing to do is to cultivate Stimulate their natural curiosity.
My kids learned that there is no “good” or “bad” candy.
Jennifer Anderson, the registered dietitian behind the popular Diet in Color for Kids brand, which educates parents on how to feed our kids, gives clear examples of how to talk to kids about “good” by age With “bad” food…it’s not really good or bad. She even differentiates by philosophy so parents can decide whether to share only positive facts about the food, such as “Candy is fun and gives us a quick burst of energy,” or a longer example with more pros and cons. It took me a long time to learn how receptive children are to education about nutrition, without judgment.
We have learned the art of pairing.
My mom mastered the art of what we call the “apple, carrot, surprise” pairing. This set the framework for my own childhood of eating three foods at a snack or meal, something I’m passing on to my kids, even toddlers can do on their own. So when they make their own breakfast, they say, “Look, Mom, I have fruits, vegetables, and protein.”
Want some chocolate? Served with a piece of peanut butter toast, of course. cereals? Yes, add milk and fruit. Want a handful of gummy bears? Grab the almonds too (get it?!).
