Redefining "treat"

Over the holidays, Elisabeth has had a lot of "treats": candy, cookies, cake, etc. Not surprisingly, she has come to view treats as a part of every day (since they have been for the past two weeks or so). So we have begun the process of redefining "treat" in our household usage. When Elisabeth asks, "May I have a treat?" I answer, "Yes, you may have a banana, or a pear or yogurt." For the last few days, she responded, "Dad! That's not a treat!"

Today, for the first time, when she asked for a treat, and I gave her a pear, she said,

"A pear is a treat, Dad!"

She's right! And I'm glad that she's learning that not all treats are made of refined sugar!