You see, I have a problem.  I’m actually a bit of a hypocrite considering the way I was raised.  Maybe it’s because of the way I was raised that made me decide to cut down, or possibly eliminate sugar from my kids lives.  Yeah.  Right.

As a child, my uncle worked for Nestle and I was swimming in candy.  It’s funny, because my cousins don’t really care much about it and I was around it as much as they were.  If I didn’t have something chocolate at least once a day I’m throw a fit.  It was my addiction and I needed to have it.  I still do.

I still do.

But with my children, my not wanting them to have sugar has nothing to do with the fact that it will make them hyper or up all night.  My problem with it is that it seems to make them arrogant and entitled.  It’s almost as though they flaunt it in front of me when certain people (ahem, mom) give them what they want most.

Sugar.

Every two months, I drive my children from SC to Upstate (Central) NY.  They’re the only babies in the family and I just can’t stand the thought of my family missing out on the many changes that happen from birth on, so for five years I have either flown (when there was just one child) or drove through the night to make sure my family doesn’t miss these precious years.

The only problem with that is when my relatives see my children, they get them all hopped on sugar.  My cousin actually took my older child and gave him an entire Hershey bar, glass of juice LOADED with sugar and then immediately turned him upside down and shook him.  This woman is an Elementary school teacher, so I have no doubt she knew what she was doing to my then three year old.  She is aware of the payback coming her way.

Not everyone offers the sweets though, and daddy I thank you for that.  From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for that.  Buffy, I thank you for asking permission to give sugar-free sweets that I still say no to.  You are two wonderful people who I shall forever cherish.

So when we return home, you can only imagine the rehab I have to put my kids through to wean them from their sugar addiction.  You can’t just cut them off cold turkey.  They’d be sweating and shaking in the corner.   No, it has to be gradual and done carefully.  Little bits at a time.

Of course, I can’t take sugar out of their lives completely and water and milk only go so far, so when Old Orchard Healthy Balance.  From the company -

Healthy Balance is Old Orchard’s line of low-sugar, low-calorie juice drinks – with 75% less sugar, carbs and calories than traditional juice cocktails, so it’s good for kids.  It’s also well suited for a sugar-restricted diet and it is the basis for a corporate partnership between Old Orchard and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Federation (JDRF).

I must say, I am very pleased with this product.  I love that it has 12 different varieties and 100% daily vitamin of vitamin C per 8 ounce serving.  To learn more about Healthy Balance by Old Orchard and receive a coupon for $1.00 off two bottles of Healthy Balance, visit http://www.healthybalance.com/