Dealing with a Kids Sugar Rush

With Halloween and Christmas just around the corner – we can be pretty sure that our lovely little ones are going to be consuming lots of candy and sweets. It can’t really be helping during this time of year – as it seems like candy, cake and chocolate are hiding behind every corner!

And whilst we can’t prevent our kids from munching on the sweet stuff – we can help prevent the sugar rush that follows and help them learn to deal with the sugar rush and the consequences of it.

So what actually is a sugar rush? 

Well, a sugar rush often occurs after a child (or an adult!) has eaten a little too much candy or sugar. It can come and go quickly or it can last for a few ours – think of it as a little like a caffeine rush – with a similar comedown period too. It’s also often referred to as being ‘hyper’ or ‘hyperactivity’.

How can I prevent my children from having a sugar rush?

Whilst you can’t prevent it from happening completely (especially if your child is hell-bent on eating all that candy they’ve been given from Halloween or Christmas) you can make the sugar rush smaller or less obvious.

The most obvious way is to let them eat less candy – as this means that they’re consuming less sugar in the first place. Also – try and ensure your children are only eating candy after a good meal too as this will stop the sugar completely taking over their system. You also need to ensure that if your child has eaten a lot of sugar recently – that they are brushing their teeth regularly too – as the last thing you want is a hyper child with toothache too!

How Can I deal with the sugar rush? 

Dealing with the problem is the next step. Children who are experiencing a sugar rush are likely to see increased levels of energy and probably a lack of concentration too. This is normal of eating sugar though – so don’t overtly criticize them for being so as it could make them upset or sensitive. More often than not they will deny feeling any different and will become more difficult; perhaps they will say things like “I’m not being annoying”.

Instead, encourage them to channel this energy into something useful. Use the time to introduce your children to household chores (while they’re still enthusiastic!) or send them out to play outside in the fresh air. This is a great way for them to burn off all that sugar too.

Will they ever come down?

The likelihood is, that after running around with hyperactivity, your child will feel a little bit tired after consuming so much sugar. This is normal – and is less due to eating the sugar – and more due to resting after all the activity and energy expelled during the sugar rush. A nap is always a good idea – or bedtime of course!