No Sweets!

Our family had gotten into the habit of eating lots of sweets.  I craved it all the time.  My kids were crying for candy and asking for it ALL THE TIME.  We were sick most of December.  I've been trying to loose wieght.  I wanted to do a no sugar time.  I asked Brian if he'd do it with me.  Then somehow we decided to get the kids involved.  We bribed them with a "Big Surprise!"  Our end date is the first Monday in March.  We are a month into it and I have been SUPER impressed with my kids!!  I really didn't think they would do it.  I knew it was big when I picked Aubryn up from school and the first thing she told me was, "I gave up a donut today!"  Her whole class ate donuts and she gave hers away and watched them eat.  I told her I was so proud of her!  I asked her, "Aubryn, do you know what you are learning!?"  She was not thinking that she was learning anything.  She was sad.  I said, "You are using Self Control!"  She asked what that was.  We talked about it. 

My kids have turned down treats at school and church.  They are saving treats they get at piano lessons and other places.  Reagan always askes to "hold my Laffy Taffy." 

I realized that the kids are not just getting the benefits from not having lots of sugar in their system, but that they are learning self discipline and how to control themselves.  They are learning to say "no" even when everyone around them is saying yes and doing something.  They also are learning to wait for a reward and not have instant gratification.  They are learning to earn something, not just expect it. They have a new confidence in themselves that they can do challenging things.

We have not been sick as much this last month.  I am down a size in my jeans.  My kids ask for apples and oranges.  We have been eating lots of popcorn. 

Brian and I were trying to figure out what the "Big Surprise" was going to be.  A trip?  A tv?  An ipad? We looked into going somewhere first.  We decided to buy a tv.  I found one on sale for the superbowl weekend and had a gift card, so we bought it on Friday.  Reagan was with me when I bought it.  He looked at the box and saw a giant flower (which was pictured on the big tv).  He asked why we were buying a huge flower.  ha ha.  When Aubryn got home from school Reagan said to her, "Aubryn, you know those big tv's they have in hotels?  Yeah, we bought one of those." Then Rylan added, "And we bought big pretzels!"

We were going to wait until the challenge was over to open up the box and set it up, but that didn't happen.  (Brian and Brad set it up!)  It looks so nice!  So, I hope they make it until the end goal date.  They know that day we will go out to dinner.  And we have told them that we can still return the tv.

The cutest thing was while we were unloading and setting up, Reagan looked at me and said, "Mom and Dad, thanks for buying this for us."