Pour Some Sugar On Me

Or, Day Three of the No Sugar For Dylan Experiment.

Why, you ask, would I possibly deprive my almost 3 year old of sugar, and why, WHY would I choose the HOLIDAYS as the time to experiment with the poor kid? Let me give you some background.

Dylan is, to put it mildly, a bit sensitive. Okay, a LOT sensitive. The tiniest little things can set that child off and it will take TIME to calm him down. We're talking sobbing, gagging, bit fat alligator tears upset. Over spilled milk. Literally. Or over not being able to go outside because it's nighttime, or because someone has the audacity to LOOK at him. It was a daily battle. I was about to lose my mind because I couldn't deal with the insane amounts of crying. It was embarassing.

And then, on Sunday, I realized something. It always seemed to happen when he'd had something excessively sugary, or when he'd spent a day having a lot of little sugary things. Piece of Fudge? Complete meltdown a few hours later. Fruit snacks and juice at GP's house? Total devastation when he can't "play puzzles" or when we have to PUT THE TRAINS DOWN. I know, I know, he's three. Three year olds cry. Three year olds throw tantrums. But not like this. Not my sweet little Dylan.

SO, I made the decision to see what would happen if we limited his sugar intake. And OH MY GOD, it's been two days and he's been an angel. A few little crying spells here and there, but nothing like before. I haven't had to yell at him or give him a time out. He doesn't even freak out when he can't have juice or candy. I think I might be on to something. I'm actually pretty damn proud of myself that I got my head out of my ass long enough to NOTICE something like that. Normally, I'm totally oblivious to that sort of stuff.

So, Grandmaother, get ready for us. Maybe this time the extended family will be able to actually ENJOY my oldest child instead of watching him sit on my lap and cry/bury his head in my shoulder/yell "NO" whenever anybody looks at him. Maybe it will be a Merry Kissmas after all!