Peppermints and pretzels

Something I've struggled with since I was a kid was knowing when something good is not supposed to be enjoyed. Or when an innocent treat becomes an expectation. I had a couple friends who's (whose?) parents were well off and so they had the latest stuff and made me feel like the poorest kid in the school/youth group. The things they had weren't bad and didn't make them bad kids; I just always wondered if holding back on some of the things you could have might make you appreciate what you had a little more.

Now I'm on the other end of that. Every Sunday, Miss S comes out of childcare at church and asks if she can get a peppermint. At the information table outside one of our church buildings, there's a cannister of peppermints and a man or woman standing at the ready to offer help to passersby. The only question Miss S has ever had for them is "Can I have a peppermint please?" They always oblige and she leaves feeling fat and happy...or just happy.

At daycare, if the kids are good, they are allowed to go to the director's office and ask for a pretzel. She's got a Costco-sized container of big pretzels that she hands out to the kids after a good day. Both Miss S and Lil C look forward to stopping by if the director is in her office.

I occassionally have said "No" because I don't want them thinking they have the right to either treat. I want them to understand that when they ask for something, they shouldn't expect the answer to be "Yes". If the answer is "No" they need to say OK and walk away with a good attitude.

So is withholding something good a bad thing if you only do it sometimes? Just enough to make it a treat instead of an expectation? I don't think so but what do I know?