Here they come again—my partner, kids, and a car full of groceries. Our fridge and freezer are stocked for the week, the pantry brimming with treats. And yes, there's a new pack of chocolate sprinkles (hagelslag). This time, it's not just the usual hailstones but pink, red, and white hearts too. I'm bracing for the table showdown. Sound familiar?
My daughters—and I suspect most kids in the Netherlands—adore chocolate sprinkles. Flavor doesn't matter much; it's all about the fun shapes mixed in. At our house, we always have a pack of those XXL granules. They taste amazing, especially according to my partner, and the kids devour them too.
It's wonderful that everyone loves hagelslag, but as a parent concerned about health, I've set a rule: just one sprinkled slice per meal. Enforcing it? That's the challenge. I forget sometimes, and tensions rise when my partner sneaks extras onto the kids' plates. Not entirely fair, but if that were our only mealtime skirmish, we'd manage.
Unfortunately, there are more battles—and you likely know them well.
The real chaos erupts when the pack includes extras: polar bears, monkeys, Easter bunnies, stars—even Minions! These novelties lure kids (and dads) to buy. The arguments start in the supermarket aisles, long before the table.
The number of shapes varies per pack. Plenty? Manageable. Scarce? Disaster. Not every sprinkle reveals a figure amid the hailstones. No shape means an upset child—especially if a sibling scores one and flaunts it proudly on their sandwich.
That triumphant sibling might tease, 'I got hearts, you didn't!' Cue escalating arguments or all-out battles. Thanks, sprinkle makers!
I'm grateful my partner handles weekly shopping with the kids—they earn their treat. Still, I wish for less drama.
Book tip: How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Siblings Without Rivalry—game-changers for family harmony!
