I'm always surprised when I see parents giving their toddles ice cream and candy. I feel that those kinds of food just isn't all that healthy so why feed them to a child when we can still control what they eat?

Yes, I know that once they go to school all their friends will be eating this way but I always wanted to give my kids a chance to know that there are other foods that taste as good as sweet treats.

When they were young I never gave them ice cream and candy but introduced fruits to them at a very early age. Now that they are older I'm glad to see that they will reach for an apple before candy.

Don't get me wrong, I do believe that there is a time and place for sweets but I don't think that toddlers should eat these foods.

I'd like to hear what you all think.

Well as for me, I would have to say that I am one of those guilty parents who treat my kids with ice cream and candy, however not so much on candies. My daughter specifically only gets to eat these kinds of food on very rare occasions since we do not keep any of them in the house. Usually she only gets to have treats when we are out in the mall, or if I buy some and bring it to the house which probably happens for only once a month.
So although I do feed her with these treats, I have certainly kept it in moderation, and I think it is okay for her to enjoy them once in a while because she is still a child after all.

Ice cream is a luxury for our six year old daughter. She only get to taste it once in a blue moon, that is on her birthday. At other times, it is definitely a no-no. As she is very easily susceptible to colds, I really have no choice except to limit her ice cream intake severely.

I didn't have anything against giving ice cream to my kids when toddlers,especially in hot summer days. Anyway they would received a snack about 10 o'clock in the morning and 4 o'clock in the afternoon , so why not an ice-cream once in a while ?