Are you a ‘gummy bear mom’? Diet trend for kids leaves parents shocked
Isn’t this sweet?
Parents who let their kids indulge in pre-packaged snacks, baked goods and candy have earned a new title: “Gummy bear moms.”
A “gummy bear mom,” explains TikTokker Justyna, “is basically the opposite of an almond mom,” or a diet-obsessed parent who eats very little and could place the same pressure on their kids. The antithesis of that, however, is a fruitful kitchen and no constraints around food.
“The gummy bear mom is the one who does the Costco run — pantry’s stocked, fridge is stocked,” the self-proclaimed “gummy bear mom” said in a viral video. “If there’s like a new trending shake, she wants to try it.”
In other words, it’s the parent who is “always prepared” for visitors or their kids, with a stockpiled kitchen brimming with all kinds of snacks or pastries.
The moniker has been welcomed by fellow parents who, unbeknownst to them, are also “gummy bear moms.”
“Oh wow I am a gummy bear mom,” one enlighted woman wrote. “I mean I try to keep snacks healthy but I’m definitely a ‘You’re hungry? You want a snack? You want to try that? Sure!’ mom”.
“I’ve realized that I guess I am a gummy bear mom but groceries are getting pricy so I do try to limit constant snacking,” explained another. “However, then I feel like an almond mom and feel bad. Vicious cycle.”
“Gummy bear mom here,” another mama wrote. “Always cookies and cake when people come over. Always a billion snacks around our house.”
The naming convention follows a parenting trend of normalizing sweet treats for their children.
Instead of demonizing desserts, moms are introducing pastries, candy or ice cream as integral parts of the human diet rather than something to be earned.
“Giving my kids dessert with their dinner normalizes dessert,” 40-year-old Caitlin Kiarie, a Montclair, New Jeresey, registered dietician, previously told The Post. “Sweets are not something kids should believe they have to ‘earn’ as a ‘special treat’ for finishing their meals.”
She added: “Desserts are just food.”
And doctors agree, saying it can be detrimental to development for children to be restrictive with food — although, it should be in moderation and in conjunction with the building blocks of a nutritious diet.
“Serving dessert with breakfast has been a game-changer for my kids,” Bekah Groop, a Maryland mom-of-three, previously told The Post.
The 31-year-old content creator gives sweets to her kids with meals a few times a week so that “they don’t have sugar on some pedestal in their minds.”
Sometimes, dessert is half-eaten or skipped entirely because “they’re enjoying everything else.”
“They’re not secretly binging or desperately waiting for Halloween or their birthdays to over-indulge on candy,” she explained.
