My 3-year old son has a sweet tooth. He eats sweets whenever he can or is allowed to. Same goes for me. Perhaps that is why he is fond of sweets. Apparently, according to scientists, craving sweets has a genetic basis.

Of course, that doesn't end there.

I have to be careful with what I feed my son. His consumption of sweets need to be controlled in order to avoid future (obesity, perhaps) problems.

I try to make sure that he doesn't get too much. I give him a reasonable portion of, say, cookies. Whenever he has already eaten a fair amount and he is still asking for more, I try to be firm and say no.

Even if I know that he loves sweets, I avoid treating it as a "reward". Instead, I treat it as a normal part of his meal... as important as, say, the broccoli on his plate.

And rather than just giving him candy and chocolates, I also look for a healthier alternative which I can give to him, from time to time. I prefer those which are sweet but have nutritional values.

For more information on how to curb your child's sweet tooth, why not Ask Dr. Sears.

I'd rather do all these now than have him need a vanilla patch later in life to control his urge for sweets. Or, worse, deal with diabetes. Wouldn't you do the same?