Anonymous wrote:That is super cute. Stealing ice cream and popsicles is a perfect life goal for a 3 year old. But, yes, if you want to stand in the way of her happiness, not buying them is the best way to do it.

And true.

My daughter does this, I don’t yell or get upset, I’ve told her to ask me and if I catch her I remind her after.
I also only buy organic fruit bars, so if she has one it’s not that big of a deal.

Anonymous wrote:That is super cute. Stealing ice cream and popsicles is a perfect life goal for a 3 year old. But, yes, if you want to stand in the way of her happiness, not buying them is the best way to do it.

Agree super cute. I laughed reading OP’s post. Her daughter must be adorable

Anonymous wrote:Good for her. If you don’t want her to have them, stop buying them.

This. I’m 51 and would do the same thing 🤣

A+ for planning and execution on their part. I would camouflage them.

Ha! Either lock it (we did that at our first house) and my son forgot and moved on to other troubles, my daughter and now at our new house isn’t as easy so we now only keep safe stuff for her to steal or things she doesn’t want anyway

My kid learned at 2.5 to push his high chair across the kitchen, open the fridge and pull out a popsicle. He had been having the worst tantrum ever and we were two hours in and I needed a break. It went quiet so I came upstairs and all I could see was him from the knee down. I took a picture then he climbed down and held up a popsicle and said “I have this?” And I was like yes, you earned that one! He still will fairly often go popsicle shopping. We just buy what we are ok with him helping himself to.

Just stop buying them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That is super cute. Stealing ice cream and popsicles is a perfect life goal for a 3 year old. But, yes, if you want to stand in the way of her happiness, not buying them is the best way to do it.

OP here, I admit its kind of hilarious. She knows she is not supposed to but is terrible at covert operations. Most of the time I hear her feet on the floor as she runs for the kitchen. When she succeeds I know bc she has chocolate around her mouth or a bright red tongue.

Ohhhh that’s so sweet!!!

Mom to a 15 year old with a bad attitude that pops up with no warning. I miss that. So I’m not a good judge of boundaries for an adorable 3 year old with slapping running bare feet and the proof on their face!

Anonymous wrote:That is super cute. Stealing ice cream and popsicles is a perfect life goal for a 3 year old. But, yes, if you want to stand in the way of her happiness, not buying them is the best way to do it.

OP here, I admit its kind of hilarious. She knows she is not supposed to but is terrible at covert operations. Most of the time I hear her feet on the floor as she runs for the kitchen. When she succeeds I know bc she has chocolate around her mouth or a bright red tongue.

That is super cute. Stealing ice cream and popsicles is a perfect life goal for a 3 year old. But, yes, if you want to stand in the way of her happiness, not buying them is the best way to do it.

Stop buying them or make a healthier version she can eat whenever.

Good for her. If you don’t want her to have them, stop buying them.

Child proof lock on the freezer. So much easier to make it physically impossible to do something than to convince a preschooler to have impulse control.

We have a fridge with the freezer on bottom. This winter break 3.5 yo DD has taken to raiding the freezer to steal mini ice cream cones or popsicles. Yes she is almost always supervised, but grabbing these appears to be her primary life goal; yesterday AM she woke-up early and immediately went downstairs to grab one.

Do we basically have to stop buying them? Or is there anything else to do?

I have tried to reason with her (LOL), consequences have been no dessert (but dessert is a sometimes food and hours later), and Ive been more proactive about providing healthy snacks.