Whether your concern is cavities, no vegan options, hyper activity, throwing up, stomach upset, lying, or not sleeping well, CANDY at Halloween is a concern for many parents, HEALTH CONSCIOUS or not.
My kids are only 2 and 3 years old, so I am not the expert on this subject and I can't "brag" right now that my children say NO to candy like good little healthy munchins. In fact, with my oldest, it's quite the opposite. He LOVES candy, gum, lollipops, chocolate, etc. Probably because it wasn't even in his vocabulary until just this year.
My kids go to school a couple days a week and most likely they will attend public schools in a few years. Halloween tradition, as much as it bothers me {I'm sort of counter-culture, in case you haven't yet noticed} it will forever be UNAVOIDABLE. So, my theory is to let them
1) learn from their own mistakes. let them see how candy makes them feel.
2) while also teaching them and pointing out things about candy, too much of it, that it's a holiday, etc.
3) take them to only a few houses for trick-or-treating and instead focus more on costumes and socializing {music, events, crafts, etc.}. maybe have a party or focus on handing out healthy candy and GIVING as opposed to greedily collecting candy.
4) give your kids choices. One great idea my naturopath gave me was to tell them that they could choose a few favorite pieces and then trade the rest of it in for TOYS at Target. YUP, you heard me. I know, might seem a bit materialistic, but again, I was faced with choices as a health conscious parent and chose the latter. Others might choose to keep the candy and let kids have just one or two a day for a few weeks? That's an idea as well.
They might also choose to donate their old candy for money. It's called candy buy-back and a lot of cities are doing this right now.
5) bribery. tell your kids they need a super healthy meal before they leave the house or else no candy. and each time they want a piece of candy, tell them they need to eat a few veggies first {wink}.
When my kids were 1 and 2 years old, I let them knock on a few doors with friends just to experience it and see the houses and dressed up families and then I swapped out the candy for healthier options. They had no idea and could care less because they got to have special treats that they didn't normally get.
Make sense?
Now, if you asked me what I will do in 2 years. I wouldn't know how to answer that. But I would probably still do similar things.
Hope that helps!
Happy belated Halloween and I hope you all had a great time!
Monica L Israel
Hey Juli you look GORGEOUS!!!
Curious to have you share with us your thoughts on how you promote halloween and candy with your kids? =}
Juli Novotny
Yes I will. Thanks Monica!
Michelle @ glowgreengirl
Hi Juli! Great post and tips! I used to be able to get away with swapping out bad candy for healthier options too. I also used to get away with giving away (or throwing out) most of their candy without them really realizing. Now that my kiddies are 7 and 9 I can't be so sneaky. We do have rules regarding the candy though. Only 1 or 2 after dinner, and only if their plate is empty. We also brush teeth right after. I keep candy out of sight so they aren't always thinking of it. I started to notice over the past few years that they kind of forget about it after a few weeks and then I get rid of it and tell them it's old now. It might be a little sneaky but I have their best interest and health at heart!
Juli Novotny
Michelle,
Ha. You sound like me. Glad I'm not the only one 😉
HipMamaB
I've been doing Halloween for 7 years now... they totally forget all about the candy after a week. They are allowed a few pieces the night of, then 1-2 after school the next day.. It's now put away in a bucket up high, and I'm sure that by this weekend they will have forgotten all about it. 🙂
Juli Novotny
TOTALLY funny you say that Beth. My kids remembered the next day and then after went to Target, they have forgetten. 2 days later. ha.
sdBrun
I totally did the candy switch-out and my son didn't even blink an eye. He is 4 and this is the first year he went out with friends to get candy. He is gluten/dairy free and knew that most candy had either or in them, so his quest was to get as much candy as he could for his dad 🙂 He was so proud of himself, handing it all over to dad while picking out a new toy at the store the next day. Hasn't even mentioned the candy since. My friend did the same with her little girl, trading the candy for a princess dress, and no qualms from that little one either. They still get to be involved in all the fun, and once my son is old enough to take care of himself when the candy ends up making him sick, I will stick to this tradition LOL 🙂
Juli Novotny
sdBrun- good to hear. i love hearing other peoples' stories. thanks for sharing.
Lisa
Have you heard of the "switch witch"? She comes to houses Halloween night and switches out the candy for a small toy. My daughter is still too young for candy but the "switch witch" will start visiting our house as soon as she starts actually wanting to eat all the candy (as opposed to just carrying it like a toy!).
Juli Novotny
I have heard of the switch witch, but only recently, it's a great idea. I will write about that next year after I try it, for sure. Thanks Lisa.