The Starbucks Chronicles

Breadwinning Mom:  So yes, I love my Starbucks. The issue is, should my 7-year old? Every weekend, we spend time running errands together. In between stops, I inevitably crave a hot Chai Tea Latte. However, guilt overwhelms me if I don’t allow her a special treat of her own. Unfortunately, a Carmel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino is probably not the best option, but somehow I cannot convince her that an organic vanilla milk will suffice. I’m sure some of you have dealt with this exact situation. How would you peacefully resolve the issue?

Stay-at-home Daddy:  While I also enjoy treating my daughter (Maya) to a sweet treat here and there, I do not condone my wife’s approach to giving in to Maya’s whining and giving my daughter nasty doses of sugar. As a full-time dad, I take my job very seriously and get upset when anyone undermines the efforts I have made to bring balance to my family.  For example, I spent countless hours researching diets and child rearing tactics that would work best for us. What I came up with is a Paleo type/no grain diet…as well as a consequence/reward paradigm.  As the full time parent, I have been working on implementing these two models as a result of recent health/behavioral concerns effecting all parties. I know my wife means well and just wants to make my daughter happy, especially with the limited time she has at home with Maya. I realize the solution is get my wife on board and have some consistency with regard to following structure.  For all you full-time dads, how have you dealt with this issue or how would you handle it?