The Halloween candy question

[Liziz]

I think this year I want to try some variation on the "gorge yourself on candy for a short while, then get rid of the rest" with my 4.5 year old. Last year we ended up with a huge candy bowl and after each meal she would beg and beg for "just one piece". Candy consumption was drawn out forever. I hated it because she became fixated on getting that piece of candy after a meal to the point she wouldn't eat, and also because it's so so terrible for her teeth to draw out the candy eating like that over a long period of time. She loves candy though -- and doesn't get it too often at home -- so I do want to let her enjoy the great thrill of Halloween candy. Anyhow -- for those of you that do something like this, what's your specific plan? I've read of plans where people literally let their kids eat as much as they want on Halloween before getting rid of the rest -- but my DH is DEFINITELY not on board with that extreme and I don't know that I am either, given she's still pretty young...

[jgenie]

When my oldest was that age I would let them pick a few pieces to eat on Halloween night. Over the next week I would dwindle down the pile of candy in the dish and then it would just disappear all together. I have friends that do the switch witch. They eat candy on Halloween then leave the bag out for the Switch Witch to take and in return she would leave a small gift.

[SnuggleBuggles]

My kiddos go wild for like a day then it sits there neglected (save for dh and I stealing a few pieces) and eventually, months later, we toss it or repurpose it (gingerbread houses). I forgot that we do pull out the stuff we will never eat and donate it to the school's collection (they send to veterans).


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[squimp]

We have a local dentist who pays money for candy by the pound the day after Halloween. So we used to keep a small pile of her (and our!) favorites and then turn in the rest.

[corrie23]

We get visited by the Halloween Fairy on Halloween night. The kids go ToTing and they eat a few pieces while ToTing/that night. Then they get to pick out 10 pieces of candy to save to have in the days/week that follows and the rest they leave out in their ToT bags for the Halloween Fairy. While they sleep, the fairy takes the extra candy to give to children who (for whatever reason) could not go ToTing for Halloween; we use this as an opportunity to give perspective because some kids can't go due to illness, working parents, etc. so it helps the kids see ToTing alone as a fun experience that not everyone gets to have every year.

The next morning the kids come down to see what the Halloween Fairy has left them in exchange for their candy. It varies depending on the age/interests of the kid but has included items like a book, a craft, cute socks, a barrette, a Matchbox car, a pretty rock, bubble bath, etc. Just some small, special things. Also as we've learned about the kids food allergies over the years, the Halloween Fairy has replaced the candy with other candy treats that are safe for them. I'm amazed that months or years later my kids will remember that an item was something that the Halloween Fairy brought them, and they all wait all year for the special gluten free/vegan "Milky Way" bars that the Halloween Fairy brings (that they never get any other time).

[twowhat?]

Yep, we've done this for a couple of years now with GREAT results. On Halloween night and for the next day, I let them eat as much as they freaking want. After that the rest gets donated or "sold" to the dentist, and also by that time the kids are sick of the candy from eating so much so they aren't sad to see it go. It makes things SO much easier, and according to the dentist it's better for the teeth to be exposed to all that sugar for a short couple of days vs letting kids have "just a few" for many many days after Halloween. Especially those gummy candies that stay on the teeth until you brush them thoroughly! It's also a good lesson on the tummy-ache that results from eating too much candy, and I like to think it's a lesson on self-regulation:) Makes it very clear that candy really isn't good for you!

eta: and I said nothing about the secret candy stash DH and I hide for ourselves to eat when the kids are at school...

[jennilynn]

We have a local dentist who pays money for candy by the pound the day after Halloween. So we used to keep a small pile of her (and our!) favorites and then turn in the rest.

This is what we do too.


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[specialp]

We have done the gorge yourself for the last 2 years which were on the weekend (Mine are 4 & 6) and it worked very well. They ate more than I would prefer, but less than I thought and then were pretty much done with candy after a day or two. This year, we will probably go for an extra day because they will be so tired and ready to crash Monday. We put a few pieces away for gingerbread houses then get rid of the rest.

[trcy]

We get visited by the Halloween Fairy on Halloween night. The kids go ToTing and they eat a few pieces while ToTing/that night. Then they get to pick out 10 pieces of candy to save to have in the days/week that follows and the rest they leave out in their ToT bags for the Halloween Fairy. While they sleep, the fairy takes the extra candy to give to children who (for whatever reason) could not go ToTing for Halloween; we use this as an opportunity to give perspective because some kids can't go due to illness, working parents, etc. so it helps the kids see ToTing alone as a fun experience that not everyone gets to have every year.

The next morning the kids come down to see what the Halloween Fairy has left them in exchange for their candy. It varies depending on the age/interests of the kid but has included items like a book, a craft, cute socks, a barrette, a Matchbox car, a pretty rock, bubble bath, etc. Just some small, special things. Also as we've learned about the kids food allergies over the years, the Halloween Fairy has replaced the candy with other candy treats that are safe for them. I'm amazed that months or years later my kids will remember that an item was something that the Halloween Fairy brought them, and they all wait all year for the special gluten free/vegan "Milky Way" bars that the Halloween Fairy brings (that they never get any other time).

I really like this idea. I wonder if it is too late to start this with DD...she is almost 6.


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[jam224]

We do the Switch Witch here too. We started it last year and it was a huge success. We're going to do it again this year. She will get to pick 15 pieces of candy and then the rest goes to the witch in exchange for a toy. Last year she got Pop Arty beads and this year she will get a new pair of Elsa shoes. Our DD doesn't really like a lot of standard Halloween candy anyway.

[123LuckyMom]

We have friends who throw a pre-trick-or-treating party every year. All of us take the gang of kids around as a group and then hang out for a while afterwards. The kids all gorge themselves on candy at that party, but they've had a good dinner, so there's not that much room for junk. Once we get home that night, the candy goes in ziplock bags on a high shelf in the pantry cupboard. They ask for some candy for a day or two, and we give them a few pieces, and then it tends to sit. For us, it's out of sight, out of mind. We toss what's left of the Halloween candy when Easter comes. If we had a bowl of candy sitting out, I fear all of us would want to eat it! Have you tried just putting the candy away? Also, the unlimited gorging actually helps the situation a lot. The kids get all they want and get tired of it.


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[SnuggleBuggles]

I really like this idea. I wonder if it is too late to start this with DD...she is almost 6.


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I'm sure you could just offer to buy it from her.


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[KpbS]

We just dole it out for a dessert once or twice a week indefinitely. I don't have a problem with candy. My kids love it and don't eat much sugar (or junk) in their diet. They brush their teeth pretty soon after dinner so it's not a big deal IMO. I do keep it up and out of sight.

[doberbrat]

We weed through the candy and pull out the super sticky stuff - taffy, gummies whatever. Then the rest becomes available for desert. Its small quantities - 1 M&M per year - so dd2 is 6 and gets 6 M&Ms for desert. anything larger than the mini (micro sized) gets halved or more. Eventually, they opt for other deserts.

We brush teeth right after dinner. So I'm not concerned about the sugary teeth. Personally I'd rather teach them to have a little bit than gorge on special occasions (because I can always find a way to justify a binge on something as an adult).

Any whining or demanding results in the loss of desert that night AND the next possibily more depending on the size of the tantrum. There is no right to desert in this house. And in order to be able to have desert, they must have a reasonable amount of dinner as served. No skipping of foods b/c they dont like them. And we have to have dinner early enough to have desert - if its past bedtime (which happens here alot) then sorry, no time for desert today.

Works for us - usually we throw out candy from the year before on 10/30. This year, the dogs 'helped' us out by eating a bunch :barf::oops::barf:

[niccig]

DS eats candy on Halloween and then it sits in a bag in the pantry and *I* am the one that keeps eating it until all the good candy is gone and I finally toss it. DS doesn't see it in the pantry, so doesn't eat it. This year, I'm going to toss it after a couple of days, even if the good candy is still there.

[petesgirl]

Our dentist pays the kids $1/pound of candy and DS's school allows them to bring candy to be sent to the soldiers. DS is excited for both of these options - - it's the first year either has been available to us--so we will probably do some combo of the two. Luckily with me still having morning sickness anything sweet is totally unappealing so Im not worried about myself. :)

[essnce629]

We gorge for a few days and then by that point they have finished their favorites and don't really care anymore. Last year, I took all the uneaten chocolate candies and made brownies with all the leftover candy on top. They were so good and I definitely plan to do it again this year!

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/86/63/8c/86638c09ee29d066d70a642253d25ec5.jpg

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[trcy]

We gorge for a few days and then by that point they have finished their favorites and don't really care anymore. Last year, I took all the uneaten chocolate candies and made brownies with all the leftover candy on top. They were so good and I definitely plan to do it again this year!

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/86/63/8c/86638c09ee29d066d70a642253d25ec5.jpg

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That looks delicious!


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[abh5e8]

I let them eat as much as they want on Halloween and the rest we toss. We only have dessert for birthdays, weddings and a few holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Easter, Christmas). They have learned if they eat too much they have a stomach ache and tend to not eat that much. Both dental and medical (diabetes, obesity) risks are higher with regular/daily sugar consumption, so we avoid it.

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[carolinacool]

DS doesn't care for most types of candy. He only really likes plain Hershey bars, plain M&M's, sweet tarts, and gummy candy. We have several goodie bags of candy from birthday parties he's attended the last couple of months that I plan to dump into my trick-or-treat bowl tomorrow night. :bag He'll probably eat three or four pieces tomorrow, then I'll take the rest of what he likes and dole it out in his lunchbox, a piece a day, until it's gone. DH and I will pick out our favorites, then I'll take the rest to work, where a bunch of hungry editors and art directors will finish it off. lol