When you went to a grandparent's house as a child

My mother and grandmothers (on both sides) ate similarly healthy food with occasional treats so it wasn't much of an issue. Grandparents were both in the UK so had a different food culture (tea time etc.) so it never seemed strange if anything was different.

In your case, be prepared to deal with uncomfortable tummies if DD's children eat a lot more junk than they are used to.

I've only read the first page, but here are my thoughts. Instead of a treat basket with junk food that you know could cause problems with some of the parents, what about baking and decorating cookies or doing an ice cream sundae or banana split bar? That way the kids still get a treat, but it's not a free for all. Plus there is the fun of making it (or helping) themselves.

Growing up we got something extra at my grandparents' homes like a soda or cookies or donut. It was not a lot, but it was outside of what we usually got and we thought it was great.

My mom is the kind of grandma that let's her grandkids have a little something extra. My MIL was given free rein to feed my DD what she wanted exactly once. She let her eat so much jello that the poor child had diarrhea. DD was not used to all that sugar. Don't be that grandma. LOL

My Grandma and Grandpa's house meant circus peanuts, cheese puffs/balls (the Planter's ones that came in a can), orange jelly candies, chocolate covered peanuts, and whatever dessert my German grandma was making, usually lemon bars or German chocolate cake. They also had THE BEST selection of pop in their fridge - they always had squirt, orange pop, Dr.pepper, the ones my mom never bought

It sounds like a lot, but was never all at once, not too overindulgent. Grandma was one who never wanted us to spoil a meal by snacking.


Now my kids...they get treats at both sets of grandparents houses.
My inlaws watch our kids 3 days week (used to be M-F), and we pay them for watching them. This to me means that sugar and junk should NOTbe a free-for-all, since they spend so much time there and they are paid caregivers. Yes, grandmas house means grandma's spoiling...but it shouldn't be an ongoing daily event my kids think they should have whipped cream for breakfast every day, because grandma allows it....and tells them not to tell me I've given up, they'll go to school soon and have different junk!

All that to say...yes to treats as long as its not constant and in moderation!

My memories of food at Grandma's is slightly different - I have a fondness for cottage cheese and plain yogurt because that's what she ate for lunch (she was diabetic) - and it was a treat to share what she had. Most people think my 'treat' food is yucky!!!

In your situation, I'd offer a mix of healthy with a little junk thrown in. I wouldn't let the kids go completely nuts, but it sounds like you have a lot of fun things planned and food isn't the main focus of the gathering. I never had rules for what my kids ate at the grandparents' house and never had any issues (unless I've forgotten, in which case it couldn't have been that heinous.)

My memories: I come from a large Italian family. My mom's side lives in Montreal, and we would visit my grandparents there several times a year. They never had much prepackaged snacky stuff around the house with the exception of chocolate covered marshmallow cookies. We would have those with "milk from a bag" as a treat. The novelty of milk in a bag was probably more exciting than the cookies for the American cousins!

My grandmother was an Italian granny through and through. Like a good Italian, she had a second kitchen in her basement where she made pasta and did her canning. She had this long wooden table that she covered in butcher paper and dried homemade pasta. She would put together these feasts for any and all the aunts, uncles and cousins that wanted to come to dinner. She made this bread with parmesan cheese that her and Grandpa would hand grate from a large wheel of cheese. A piece of that bread and a slice of salami = heaven. I make a scaled down version of the bread for special occasions and it always brings back fond memories for me and my siblings.

I lived with my grandparents most of my life because my parents were losers.
I don't think my parents would care what treats my gp's would give me. I don't remember it being over the top or anything like that.
They were the best. One of my stepdads would not let me leave the table unless I drank a glass of milk. I absolutely despise milk! UGH!
We were all living with my grandparents at the time and my grandma would pour it back in the container when he wasn't looking. Ha ha!

I can remember my 3 year old announcing "Grandma give me ice cream for breakfast!" Even at that age, he knew it wasn't something that was going to happen at home. He's thinks he's a big deal over there.

Meal times with my grandparents were always very healthy balanced meals. But there were limited afternoon treats. No big deal was made about them being limited.. simply a serving was doled out to everyone and the rest put away.

I LOVED things like little debbie peanut bars or in the summer a "nutty buddy" ice cream. My granddads would eat one with me and show me "secret ways" to enjoy it for a long time. I don't remember anyone ever telling me I could only have one or to eat slow. They just talked about how they savored the treat and I followed suit.

We had toast & tea at midnight & hot fudge coconut sundaes.
My favorite thing was making sheet tents over the clothes line.

Reading all these posts is making me so jealous. We weren't really welcome at my grandparents house even though they lived less than 5 minutes away. If we did visit we couldn't have food or drink incase it got spilt or we touched the wallpaper with sticky fingers

My step-grandmother was a health nut to the tune of buying non fat cheese. Do you know what happens when you try to melt non fat cheese? Sad things. My grandfather loved junk food and would give me moderate amounts. So what I am saying is maybe offer both options?

Same!  34 grandchildren on my mom's side, and my mom was the youngest of her 11 siblings, so by the time I came along, there were beginning to be great-grandchildren at the oldest end of the family.

My maternal grandparents were depression-era midwestern farmers and poor their whole lives.  Mostly we went to their house to "help out."  I spent many a happy summer day dragging crap down from the attic, weeding the garden, swatting flies for a penny apiece, hanging laundry on the line, and providing free babysitting for my youngest cousins so my mom could sit on the porch with her sisters and smoke.

My paternal grandparents were nice but distant people who didn't really like children.  They lived in a condo in Florida and drove cross-country every summer to spend a long and awkward week with us each summer.

I'm glad my kids have had a better grandparent experience.  They only have one left living, but she spoils them rotten.

I have an early memory of my grandma Chloe. I remember her giving me those colored pillow mints in a one of my white plastic toy dishes cup It was from her cupboard ( like a jelly cupboard ) She died when I was 3.
My other grandma did make treats for me when I came over.. cookies..pie..cake.. My parents thought that was normal


as far as food.. my mom gave my kids all the treats they wanted She bought them everything thatt was junk food too I did not mind at all That is what grandmas are for.