One of the most important things you can teach your child is the difference between right and wrong.  When I was growing up there there was Right and there was Hell and if you had asked me what was I going to Hell for, it would nearly always have had something to do with sugar.  I did not share my Easter Candy, I did not share my Halloween Candy, I would take on the dare of cussing in front of my fifth grade teacher for Ho-Ho’s, and I ate brown sugar out of the box when my mother wasn’t home.

I am still committing sugar crimes.  There has been more than one note in Ferd’s backpack stating that there is no candy allowed in the lunches.  Not to me personally, but we know who we are.  Every morning in desperation to get Ferdinand to eat protein between the hours of 8 am and 4:30 pm, I pack gorp–organic peanuts, Paul Newman organic raisins and Ghiardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips.  Is there anything wrong with that?  It’s better than Dorito’s.  Is it against the rules?  Yes it is.  And what kind of message is that sending my child? 

Chocolate chips don’t count.  If they came in a package of a cookie (with even more sugar surrounding the chips), they would be completely legal.

As a side note, when I was (close) to Ferd’s age, my desk was outside in the hallway.