Just because something is FDA-approved doesn’t mean it’s necessarily okay to eat or drink. However, there are plenty of parents out there who make questionable health decisions for their children. Red 40 is one of those ingredients that you can find in stuff like candy. One Washington mother went viral on TikTok after letting her son try a lollipop (with Red 40). Some didn’t enjoy her parenting style, while others praised her.
Around Valentine’s Day, your kids are probably going to be bringing home some treats filled with Red 40. It’s up to you as a parent to decide if you’re going to let your children have them. When it comes to what we allow your children to consume, the gold standard is usually ‘everything in moderation,’ right? TikToker Brittney (TikTok/brittneynolte) is the mother of a deaf child and makes videos related to cochlear implants and sign language. In a current video, she decides to let her child have a bright red lollipop.
Brittney signs to her son as she explains that she and her husband allowed her son to have “one red candy” on Valentine’s Day as a treat. She tells her son that it’s a “special day.” Her son grabs his throat and makes a sound like it hurts to eat the lollipop. She explains to her son, “Red candy is bad for you.” Her son decides he doesn’t like it anyway and throws it away. Instead, she gets Sweetheart’s heart candies!
One argued that Brittney’s son reacted the way he did because of her, and that would “give him a bad relationship to food.” How is anyone supposed to learn anything if you aren’t clear on what’s good and bad? Brittney made it clear to her son it was okay on occasion—it’s Valentine’s Day—but it was otherwise no good for you.
“Respectfully, you are a baddie!” said another. Brittney did handle it pretty well, despite what a few naysayers had to say. There wasn’t any fearmongering to help her son understand.
“Yall Google is free red40 is Soooooooo bad do you!” read one comment, and several others echoed the same concern. Red 40 is linked to health problems. DNA damage is one issue—but there’s no reason to avoid it like the plague (although I do). It’s when Red 40 is a consistent part of your diet that puts you at risk.
All I saw was a mother who wants to inform her child of the decisions he makes regarding food so he can make the right choices. There was nothing malicious here. When she gave him the knowledge, and he tested it himself, he made the right choice. It’s important to give your kids that level of respect!
