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Monday, October 31, 2011

Sugar High

I read an article about how to trick your kids into not eating their Halloween candy. Most of the strategies ended with the parent sneakily throwing the candy into the garbage so their kids couldn't eat any more. The strategies are creative. One involved "feeding" the candy to the jack o' lantern and then throwing it away and telling your kid the pumpkin ate it. But I have a better idea. Just don't trick or treat if you don't want your kids to eat candy.

I know I spend a lot of money on good candy to hand out to trick or treaters and the idea that it is being thrown in the garbage is annoying as heck. I buy it because I want the kids to enjoy it. I also think it is a lesson of ingratitude to go house to house saying thank you and then trash it all as soon as you get home.

I can appreciate not wanting your kids to eat tons of candy, but still wanting them to experience the trick or treating fun. Just take them to a few houses and let them enjoy those few treats. Everyone wins!

We spent about an hour trick or treating this evening and we got a ton of candy. I told them they could eat however much they wanted. They ate five or six pieces each and aren't begging for any more. I can't handle begging well so I will just be letting them eat as much as they want and it will all be gone in a week.

Letting them control their own candy intake can teach them a variety of lessons. If they eat it all in a day, they will feel sick and won't have anymore candy. If they eat a few pieces a day, they can enjoy it for longer.

Or maybe they will just learn that candy is delicious and Halloween is awesome.

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