Every winter, predictable things happen. One of them is children standing behind folding tables. They are wearing sashes and have order forms. They are practicing bravery and basic math.
And fully grown adults… lose perspective.
Cookie season seems to flip a switch. Suddenly strangers feel compelled to announce their carb rules, confess their “lack of willpower,” or warn ten-year-olds about “toxins.”
It’s remarkable, really—how quickly a box of Tagalongs becomes a stage for someone’s unresolved food issues!
Here’s the truth: when adults dramatize food in front of kids, kids absorb it. Not just the words, but the tone. The anxiety. The moral charge.
Even lines like “I’m being bad” teach something. They teach that eating is a test of character. That enjoying food requires apology. That bodies are projects to manage.
We can’t muzzle every passerby. But we can model sanity.
If someone performs their diet monologue, you don’t have to debate them. Just normalize pleasure:
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“I love having treats around.”
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“Food doesn’t need to be earned.”
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“We enjoy a little of everything.”
Short. Calm. Confident. That’s enough.
After a shift, check in with the kids:
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“What did you notice people saying?”
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“Did anything feel uncomfortable?”
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“Why do you think some adults get so intense about cookies?”
Curiosity builds resilience. It helps kids see that grown-ups aren’t always right. And that fear-based food rules aren’t facts.
Cookie booths last a few weekends.
Kids internalized messages about food and their bodies last much longer.
Let’s hope they carry forward the sweetness, and leave the shame behind.
