This week my house is going on a sugar purge. Lately my daughter has been earning a D rating…D as in downright disrespectful, disobedient, disagreeable, defiant daughter (or as my child psychologist aunt says, very “attention seeking.” Mind you she is not like this all the time. In fact, often she is a very sweet little girl who loves to cuddle in your lap, read books, and create imaginative stories with her blocks and doll house. Yet on occasion it’s like a little devil comes out in her and when that little devil peaks her head out from within, it’s awful…and embarrassing. What’s worse, she is often at her peak when we have company; this past weekend’s family visits were no exception.
We’ve tried everything we can think of to guide her to make the right decisions but to no avail. It has definitely given us a whole new perspective on understanding the “sinful nature.” All that to say, the only thing we can somewhat connect her unacceptable behaviors to is her intake of sugar. So, this week we are going on a sugar purge.
No sugar…of…any…kind.
I needed to spell that out for my own accountability more than hers. I mean, think about it. Eliminating sugar completely from your diet is no easy task. Take cereal for example–name one kind of cereal besides the original box of Cheerios that does not have sugar within the first three ingredients. Or what about peanut butter? Only a few brands can be found that are completely sugar free. And snacks…no granola bars, no yogurt, no graham crackers…. Sugar is now integrated into nearly everything. If they could figure out a way to add it to pears they probably would.
Even as we begin our sugar purge and hope for positive results, I’d love to hear your stories. Have you ever had a strong-willed child who gave you some extra challenges until you found the connection to a food, event, or person? How did you encourage them to do what is right? What was the turning point that made the difference in your child’s behavior?
I realize that until Peanut knows and loves the Lord Jesus as her personal Savior, sin will continue to rein in her body. Even so, we are still responsible as parents for training her in righteousness…I just wish it were easier, you know?
