Candy Control...

[tmarie]

Up until this year it's been easy. We would put the candy bag up high, allow dd one candy per day for a week or so, and then tell her they were all gone (even though there was tons left). There is no way we will be able to get away with that this year. My 4yo is too wise and has quite a sweet tooth.....how do you manage the candy for your older preschoolers and beyond?

tmarie
dd#1 '05
dd#2 '08

[SnuggleBuggles]

I do what the experts don't recommend- I let him at it. He eats a fair amount on ToT night but really self regulates after that. If he was one that ate candy non stop and wasn't eating healthy food then that wouldn't work but it hasn't been a problem. eta- after a few days we usually send it to dh's office.

Beth

[Momof3Labs]

Why would this year change things for you? My oldest is 7yo, and we let him have several pieces the first night, then ration out (say, one after lunch and one or two after dinner) for a few nights. We've been known to help things along by making the stuff that he likes disappear a little faster, IYKWIM. His interest slows down quickly, and the bag just disappears one day. He does have quite the sweet tooth but that doesn't mean that we can't set rules around candy consumption that he can follow.

[o_mom]

We let them eat whatever they want the first night, they can have some after meals the next few days and a large portion "evaporates" each night. It usually lasts a week or so around here. :)

[brittone2]

We only ToT in our subdivision, which is smallish at about a dozen homes (and a few people are usually not home that night). That keeps it manageable for us with two kids, and automatically limits the amount of candy we end up with. We then usually drive 15 mins to see my parents and ToT at their house so they can see the kids in costume. A 10 yr old neighbor was telling DS he only goes ToTing in the subdivisions with 30 or more homes so he can get more candy. I told DS that wasn't happening ;)

[baymom]

My son has great self control so I just let him keep all of it in his kitchen drawer and self regulate. My dd on the other hand is the exact opposite. :) This year, I'm thinking about doing something my friend does. The kids will get to eat about 5 pieces on Sat night and then we will put the rest outside for the "Halloween fairy/ghost/..." In exchange, he will leave presents for the kids to find in the morning.

[maestramommy]

The girls get to pick on candy from their bag after each meal, IF they have finished the whole meal. So they get at most 3 pieces a day.

[fortato]

The faster he eats it the faster it disappears... so I just let him at it.

Then we brush our teeth for 10 minutes.

Also- I'm the parent, and I ultimately decide how much candy he gets.

[tmarie]

Thanks for sharing....this has given me some ideas! I almost want to just let her go at it the first night and see if the self-regulating kicks in....I guess I'm too much of a control freak, that I haven't let her do that yet!

tmarie

[s7714]

Luckily my kids are pretty picky about what candy they'll eat, so by the time we weed out all the "yucky" stuff, they have about half what they started with.

We allow 1-2 pieces of candy per day for a week or two after the holiday. After that it's one piece, maybe, if they're being really good. My older DD (6) is great about it. My younger DD (4) not so much. She'll beg for candy all day long, just because it's there. My rule is if she keeps asking after I've said no, every time she repeatedly asks, another piece of her candy goes straight to the trash. (Yeah, I'm a mean mom!)

Last year we also introduced the concept that the Easter Bunny takes old candy in exchange for more toys and books. (I don't put any kind of candy in their baskets, except a small chocolate bunny.) My older DD is already excited about stashing a bag of Halloween candy away to save for the Easter Bunny! You could always create a new character, say the Candy Fairy, and say she's going to visit X days after Halloween. She'll collect any candy they leave out and leave a surprise in return. ;)

[MMEand1]

We don't ToT...I just don't have the patience for it and we only did it once or twice as a kid when I was small. Instead, the Great Pumpkin comes and brings stuff. Tonight, for example, the Great Pumpkin made a stop and brought new pajamas (it just happens to be Pajama Day at school tomorrow). Tomorrow and Friday night might be something else. On Saturday night (halloween night) we take the kids to a FUN restaurant that has bumper cars and miniature golf and games and stuff. Then we go to the store (ironically the candy is all marked down) and each child gets to pick his/her favorite bag of candy. The Great Pumpkin comes after the kids are in bed and divides the candy up and leaves another small gift, a swimming cap, or a new DVD or something.

I don't have to worry about them eating too many sweets or costumes, or any of the other hazards, but the kids still get some candy and they don't have to beg for it. I'm probably depriving my children, but this is where, as a mom, I am allowed to mess up...I always say "I'm not saving up for college - I'm saving up for therapy!"