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Oh yeah, baby.  That’s the pull-out drawer from my pantry that houses the snack stuff.  Yeah, yeah, I know what you’re thinking.  “Daaaaaaang, my kids would go cray-cray if I let them eat that stuff!”  Well, you know the truth of it is – – they ALREADY ARE!  Only you don’t know it.

After 4 kids, I’ve seen it all.  All-too-crunchy moms trying to shield their kids from all the “fun snacks” in exchange for kale chips and homemade fruit “gummies”.  Yeah, um sorry but there really IS no substitute for tried and true good ol’ Haribo gummy bears.  Joke’s on you though because those kids that are sheltered and shunned for even looking in the same direction as a cheese ball, are the very ones that you’ll find at the nearest kids’ birthday party crouched down in the basement hiding under an end table sneaking yet another frosted cookie with sprinkles and downing their third Capri-Sun pouch.  Trust me.  I’ve seen it.  Meanwhile, my kids — who can and are actually encouraged to have the stuff on a regular basis — are too busy enjoying the party rather than sneaking snacks.  Funny how that works, huh?

Yes, I’m that mom who buys pixie sticks at the football field concession stand for my 4 year-old at my 4th grader’s 9 a.m. game just so I can watch football in peace.  I’m ok with that.  And yet, I’m raising healthy eaters.  My kids “try a bite without a fight” in our house no matter what’s served up but they also know how to appreciate a good Twinkie.  Since when did we as a society become so obsessed with keeping our kids from Ho-Hos and Oreos?  They’re kids!  I mean, how many of us were deprived of such luxuries when we were wee ones?  Yeah, I didn’t think so.

The peeps over at NickMom are on to something.

So, let’s put away the kale and quinoa and say “yes” to the fun stuff more often!  Besides, taste testing all those yummy cupcakes could be beneficial to your kiddos someday.  Do you even know what the profit margin is at those cupcake shops?  Inspire your kids to live a little, and be the example.