Are you a 'gummy bear mum'? the parenting trend changing how kids think about food

Are you a ‘gummy bear mum’? The parenting trend changing how kids think about food

A popular social media movement is encouraging families to move away from strict dietary rules and guilt, aiming to help children foster a healthier relationship with what they eat.

Parents are increasingly adopting the “gummy bear mum” trend, which promotes allowing children to enjoy treats without categorizing specific foods as “good” or “bad.”

“Gummy bear mums” provide snacks alongside nutritious meals, working to ensure children do not associate sweets or treats with feelings of shame or guilt.

This parenting style has gained significant traction online as a direct response to “almond mums”—a term used to describe parents who enforce highly restrictive or diet-centric eating habits on their children.

Despite the sugary name, being a gummy bear mum does not mean allowing youngsters to consume sweets without limit.

Instead, the philosophy focuses on keeping fun foods like crisps, biscuits, and sweets in the home alongside healthier options, while stripping away the guilt often associated with eating them.

The core idea is that a child should not feel they have behaved “badly” by eating a cookie, nor should they view dessert as a reward that must be earned by finishing their vegetables.

The term was popularized on TikTok by creator Justyna McGuire, known online as Jersey Justyna, who used it to describe a parent who keeps the pantry well-stocked and is happy to let her children try the latest snacks.

It has since evolved into shorthand for a more relaxed approach to how children interact with food.

The trend stands in stark contrast to “almond mum” culture, a phrase inspired by a resurfaced clip of Yolanda Hadid advising her daughter Gigi Hadid to eat “a couple of almonds” after the model complained of feeling weak.

Some parents embracing the gummy bear philosophy say their own childhood experiences with restricted diets and weight anxieties have made them determined not to pass those same struggles on to their children.

But experts stress that taking shame out of food doesn’t mean abandoning boundaries.

Psychologist Pamela Rutledge has suggested removing moral judgement around eating can support a healthier relationship with food, while emphasising that children still require structure and opportunities to develop self-regulation.

Parents remain responsible for deciding which foods come into the home and providing balanced meals containing the nutrients growing children need.

And youngsters, particularly younger children, are still developing the impulse control needed to make their own decisions about eating.

The gummy bear approach therefore isn’t supposed to be a sweets free-for-all.

Instead, its supporters argue that a packet of gummy bears can comfortably exist alongside fruit and vegetables without either becoming a moral issue, ensuring that a child’s choice doesn’t imply they have been “good” or “bad.”