Through my search for a healthy diet, I have become very aware of my desire to share healthy foods with my children... I want to bless my children with treats that will not cause tooth decay or health issues later in life.

Therefore, I have developed a range of treats that do not involve a visit to McDonalds, or opening a bar of chocolate. Healthy foods or special time with mom or dad can be considered a treat as well. These ideas require a little more thought, but are well worth the effort!

Most of these ideas work best with older children. However, both my four year old and two year old enjoy the afternoon tea hunt.  Try some of these with your child today!

1.      Write a note to put inside their lunchbox telling them how special you think they are.

2.      Write a note for the door welcoming your children home and informing them that they will need to hunt for their afternoon tea. Wrap fruit in foil and hide it around the living room. Remember how many you hid so they find ALL of them!

3.      Make a treat together for a family member or friend. Deliver it together. The time you spend together will mean more to your child than a bag of lollies, and you are teaching them to care for others at the same time.

4.      Sit down together and look through family photo albums together. Talk about the different members of the family, and how your child plays an important part.

5.      Invite one of their friends over for a special dinner. Wait on them as though they were in a real restaurant. Pour their drinks for them from glass bottles, and have candles on the table

6.      Let them pretend they are staying in a hotel. Make their bed with a flower on the pillow, layout their pyjamas, and put plenty of bubbles in their bath. Get them settled for sleep with a good book.

Healthy food can be a treat. My children are always delighted if I bring home Sushi for dinner. A bigger treat than ice cream is a large bowl of ice-cold watermelon. If your child enjoys a certain healthy food, encourage this by providing this food as much as possible. In our house the best treat for any of us is a mango. If you are really lucky, you get to eat one all to yourself!

Article by Rachel Goodchild

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