Twice a year German kids are showered in chocolate candy of all shapes and sizes. The first time is on the 6th December when Nikolaus fills their shoes with tasty treats. The second is on Easter Sunday when they go searching for eggs, cute little baskets in hand.
And while in my childhood Easter egg hunting meant scouring our garden for actual eggs, German children fill their baskets with egg- and bunny-shaped treats from the finest chocolates and marzipan. (I’m still wondering how and when the chocolate industry managed to pull that one off…)
As we had been out of the country during preceding Easter and Nikolaus celebrations, our daughter fortunately had no idea about these tasty German traditions. This time around my better half insisted that we finally introduce Birdy to the chocolate overflow that he knows and loves from his childhood. So off he went and spent a small fortune on fancy chocolate eggs, marzipan from Lübeck, colourful lollipops, and other goodies.
As he unloaded the bounty on our kitchen counter I was quite shocked. What parent in their right mind gives so much chocolate to a 3-year-old?!
I was swiftly reassured that Birdy will only get a few pieces out of each package and that some of the chocolates are, in fact, meant for me (I knew there was a reason why I married that guy).
The night before Easter we cheerfully hid the treats in Birdy’s room, and had a blast the next morning watching her excitement while uncovering all the goodies and putting them in her little white bunny basket. Once the fun was over, we were left with a question faced by parents across the pond after Thanksgiving: should we let our kid eat all the candy she wants?
As Birdy showed more interest in recreating the egg hunt with toys that she hides and we need to find, we decided to skip rationing and let her decide what she eats and when. If a proper German Easter equals chocolate overdose, so may it be. What can possibly go wrong with letting a 3-year-old control her own chocolate consumption?
As it turns out, not much.
Obviously, Birdy loves chocolate. Which kid doesn’t? She polished off her favourites first and has been slowly working her way through the basket. At the current pace I won’t be surprised if there’s still some candy left come Sunday.
She would even be happy to share her goodies but I won’t ask. I have a mission of my own. Someone has to work through the stash that didn’t land in the Easter basket. Perhaps my daughter can teach me some lessons about pacing my Easter chocolate intake.