A mother is voicing her frustration after her 4-year-old daughter developed an unexpected fear of sugar — all because of something she believes was taught at school.
In a post shared on Reddit, the parent explained that she tried offering her pre-K daughter a glass of chocolate milk one morning, thinking it would be a fun treat. To her surprise, the little girl refused.
“She freaked out and said she cannot drink this because chocolate milk has sugar in it and it will make her sick and give her cavities,” the mom wrote. “She then told me cavities will put holes in all [her] teeth and make them fall out of her head.”
According to the mother, her daughter is now “terrified” of sugar and candy. She refuses to eat or drink anything she believes contains sugar — including sweets, chocolate milk, and even juice.
While the mother said she understands the school’s intention to promote healthy habits, she feels the message may have gone too far.
“She won’t listen to me when I say that it’s ok to have sugar sometimes and that as long as we brush our teeth, we can prevent cavities,” she wrote. “She is adamant that her teacher told her sugar will make her sick.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/girl-with-candy-101725-395b723d312048ae9fa3f475035390c4.jpg)
Many commenters on Reddit suggested that the child may have misunderstood what was said in class.
“Gently, children always blow things way out of proportion. I’m sure her teacher did not say, word for word, that if she ate sugar she would get sick,” one user commented.
Another added, “I’ve had so many times where my kids come home from school saying something they completely misunderstood. If you’re really that concerned, bring it up at parent-teacher conferences.”
Some, however, argued that the situation might not be entirely negative. One commenter suggested that it could encourage healthy habits early on.
“This will probably be a short-lived phase until she forgets that certain foods have sugar,” they wrote. “And honestly, why is that a bad thing? Tell her she did a good job listening.”
They continued, “Ask her what foods are good for her teeth and body. Maybe turn it into a learning opportunity — go shopping together and make healthy meals. These habits might stick with her as she grows.”
In a follow-up comment, the mother acknowledged that her daughter likely exaggerated what she heard — but the timing couldn’t be worse.
“I’m sure she did blow it out of proportion, but it’s close to Halloween and now I’ve got a kid who’s anxious about any food with sugar in it,” she wrote. “She’s convinced this is what she learned at school, and my attempts to explain moderation and tooth brushing aren’t working. She just won’t eat.”
