"Curly Sue" > wrote in message
...

> It depends on whether you feel that your goal during the visit is to
> have a pleasant visit or is it to change her dietary habits *this
> summer.* I doubt you're going to have it both ways in such a short
> period. I'd go with having a nice visit and strengthening your
> relationship. I've been having nieces and nephews visit for many
> years and my philosophy has been "When you visit your aunt, it's
> playtime!" I also chose my battles carefully, as far as "It's my
> house and you do things my way (or eat what I eat)." You don't know
> how it kills me to buy them sugary cereal, but I do. My only
> requirement is that they take leftovers with them :>

My kids only had sugary cereal when they visited their grandparents, so they
always looked forward to those visits. At home they didn't even get sugar
on plain cereal.

I wasn't thrilled the day Mom put honey on my daughter's bread and peanut
butter. When she said "but that's what you ate" I reminded her that our
childhood peanut butter had 1/2" of oil on top and no sugar added, something
not seen with Kraft or Skippy.

But Grammy was also of the school of "eat all that's on your plate so that
you can have dessert" (her sons and husband were overweight --
coincidence?). Our kids weren't used to 'dessert' which at home was
generally fruit and part of the meal.

Cake & such was so rare in our home that when we took a 3 day train trip and
the middle child got carrot cake for dessert he asked whose birthday we were
celebrating. ;o)

Gabby