Question
I have several children whom I've raised to eat very healthfully with homemade meals. They all appreciate the food I cook and have, thus far, had no interest in junk food. However, my 12, soon-to-be 13 year old has recently decided that junk food is not "so bad" and rolls her eyes and makes comments when I talk to her younger siblings about choosing good foods.
I normally don't allow the younger ones to indulge in desserts at our church fellowship meals (which are every other week), and help them with their food choices. If I don't, they have all sorts of problems ranging from tummy aches, headaches, eczema, to very bad attitude problems. We have desserts at home, but they are much healthier than what's served at church.
With my 12 year old, I realize I'm going to have to start allowing her to make some of her own food choices, such as allowing her to have desserts and other things at meals that I don't normally allow, like punch. However, she is incredibly sugar-addicted, and I think she will go overboard. It wouldn't be such a big deal if we didn't all have to pay for it--almost whenever I allow her to have such things she has a bad attitude later in the day and sometimes even the next day. She also gets eczema and other physical ailments from eating junk.
So, is it okay to impose some consequences on her if she doesn't have a good attitude that day and the next? If so, what? Should I continue putting any restrictions on what she eats? And should I start the "food freedom" when she turns 13?
