Mom Refuses To Pack Snacks For Her 3-Year-Old As ‘Contribution’ To Making The Next Generation Less Entitled
She hopes to raise strong, independent kids who don't constantly depend on others.
triocean | Shutterstock A mom is sparking controversy with her bold take on a surprisingly sensitive topic: children's snacks. Kids tend to lose their minds and go into tantrum mode when they don’t have their favorite snack on deck.
However, this mom has developed an innovative parenting technique that she claims is teaching her kids to take responsibility for their own snacks and drinks in an effort to reduce tantrums and decrease their entitlement.
A mom said she refuses to pack snacks for her toddler as a ‘contribution’ to making the next generation less entitled.
While mom of two Chelsea Jo (@sunny_acres_regen_farm) acknowledged that her parenting technique may seem outlandish to others, she assured parents that it would benefit them and their kids in the long run. Chelsea claimed that she stopped carrying around snacks and drinks for her three-year-old daughter so that she would start taking responsibility for her needs.
Chelsea's goal was to teach her daughter to think ahead before leaving the house and to act accordingly. Seems like a tall order for a toddler, but this mom said it's already working.
For example, while driving in the car with her kids recently, Chelsea’s toddler claimed that she was hungry. “So my response to her when she said she was hungry was, ‘Oh, did you bring a snack?” Chelsea asked in a TikTok video. “It helps her understand that she has to take some responsibility in bringing something,” Chelsea explained. “I'm trying to help her prepare, but I'm also teaching her a little bit of a natural consequence.”
The mom said she always has snacks on hand just in case their outings go longer than anticipated and her daughter forgets.
Of course, Chelsea said that if they are gone for a while, she always comes through with a snack and a drink once the little girl has a chance to reflect on her decisions. However, if they won’t be gone long, Chelsea said she allows her daughter to actually experience the consequences of her actions. She said it encourages her to think ahead about her needs before leaving home.
Chelsea went so far as to say that making her daughter responsible for her own snacks has also made her more appreciative when she realizes that she forgot her snacks and drinks and learns that Mom has thankfully packed some for her! Chelsea said her method is a small contribution to making the next generation less entitled.
Teaching responsibility early on can help them grow into more capable and self-reliant individuals.
Other parents praised Chelsea’s parenting technique. “This is so smart. It also deflects their frustration with you if you can’t immediately give them a snack or water,” one TikTok user commented. “As a teacher, thank you. I can tell ASAP when a child has never been responsible for a single thing in their life. Then they get to kindergarten and are lost because someone has always done everything for them,” another user shared. “So many kids say, ‘My mom forgot my backpack.’ Mornings are crazy enough for parents. Kids can take some responsibility for things they know they need,” another noted.
Others even suggested the idea of parents allowing their young kids to watch them pack their snacks and drinks, turning it into a fun activity that they can look forward to doing for themselves!
Dasha Petrenko | Shutterstock
Teaching your children about responsibility helps them understand consequences, both good and bad, which teaches them to own up to their actions and learn from mistakes. In turn, this will teach them independence.
“By instilling in children from an early age that they hold some say in the choices that affect their lives, the hope is that they will be more willing to accept the rules since they have been a part of creating them,” David Schwartz, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, wrote in an article for Psychology Today.
Rather than always supplying snacks and drinks for your kids, it may be more effective to teach them that if they want something, they’re responsible for bringing it themselves. They cannot always expect someone to be handling their responsibilities.
And for those of us who are worried about Chelsea’s children, we can guarantee that they will not starve to death or become dehydrated during a 15-minute car ride if they happen to forget their snacks and drinks. She even assured viewers that they are “very hydrated, well-fed kids.”
Megan Quinn is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in English and a minor in Creative Writing. She covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on justice in the workplace, personal relationships, parenting debates, and the human experience.
