This is my post from last year. I was geared up to write something new but realized my views haven’t changed much. This year, I’ll let Big A handle her stash. I hope you all have a safe and fun Halloween.
Halloween and all the festivities are right around the corner. Kids love it. Parents dread it. But as we’ve been talking about in our managing sweets series, teaching kids how to handle sweet foods is important. And what better time to test this out than during Halloween.
Last year was the first year my daughter went trick-or-treating. I admit I was a little nervous when she came home with a bag of candy. But it went pretty well because I had a (sort of) plan.
Knowing what you are going to do ahead of time can help you deal with a child who is either new to this Halloween gig or a veteran.
1. Consider their age: A reader wrote in asking the appropriate time to introduce kids to sweets. In general, age 2 is when parents can start offering kids sweets. Kids under 2 have small stomachs and are still in that rapid growth/critical nutrition period so the majority of their food should come from nutrient-dense choices. They also are not as mentally aware and so usually aren’t even asking for sweets.
It’s up to parents to decide when their children can start trick-or-treating. By age three, my daughter had a better understanding of Halloween and was excited to try it out.
2. Pick out candy that is a choking risk: Last year you better believe I sifted through my daughters stash to pick out the hard, round candies. Heck, I don’t even like to eat them.
But on a more serious note, any candy that is the shape of a hot dog should be removed or watched closely. That’s because it’s the same size as a young child’s airway, making it an easy plug that is also difficult to dislodge.
High risk children include those 4 years and younger, kids with chewing or swallowing disorders and any child eating while running, walking, laughing and talking.
3. Don’t over healthify: I remember getting raisins while trick-or-treating as a kid. I didn’t like it. And it didn’t make me want to eat raisins.
Halloween is a once-a-year event that is tied to eating candy — not other, healthy everyday foods. I believe that pushing healthier items during Halloween makes candy even more desirable and healthy not-so-desirable. Of course, this is my humble opinion and it doesn’t count for kids who are on restricted diets due to allergies or intolerances.
4. Let them eat as much as they want the first day (or two): Last year my daughter had candy during the Halloween festivities but still wanted more when we got home.
Her: Can I have more candy?
Me: okay.
Husband: (glared at me)
Her: (after she finished a small candy bar) Can I have more?
Me: okay
Husband: (glared at me — again!)
Her: (after one more bite) I’m done!
Husband: (smiles)
I follow the advice by feeding expert Ellyn Satter who says let children eat as much candy (from their stash) as they want for the first couple of days. Since my child is young I wanted her to have one night of telling me she had had enough.
5. Let kids handle their stash: Satter says that older kids with leftover candy can learn a lot from managing their stash. That means that after eating what they want for a day or two, they get to decide what candy they’ll have as part of a meal or for snack time each day.
I think next year when my daughter is 5, I’ll let her handle her stash but for now, I’m in charge. I’ll include her candy for some snack times and after dinner for dessert. She usually forgets about the candy after a few days so if there’s extra my husband and I will take it to work.
I do the same thing for myself — eat a bunch of candy on Halloween an then have some for snack time the days following. I’m usually over it by post Halloween day 3 or 4.
There are many different ways to handle candy and kids before, during and after Halloween. What do you typically do at your home?
{ 1 trackback }
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
I think this is the first year that I am just going to let my kids do whatever they want with their candy. My kids are 8 and 11. In the past, I let them eat what they wanted on Halloween and then I just gave them a little at a time. My son is pretty picky, so by the time he weeds out everything he doesn’t like, he never has that much left. We donate the rest. We will see how that goes.
Sometimes the best plan is to let kids take the lead ; )
Maryann, thank you for reposting this! Love it and wholeheartedly agree. Have passed it on via my blog for others to learn from.
As the mom of 3 teens, I’ve been through many Halloweens. I never pressured them to limit their candy intake on that night; they seemed to like to sort it and quantify it as much as eat it! I found the real challenge was the week or two after Halloween when the candy lingered. I set a limit of two small pieces a day and it seemed to work. You have to do what’s right for your family!
I found this information very helpful. It is nice to have a plan in mind before the holiday, and yours is in agreement with my food philosophies.
Love this, and it’s basically what we did with my 3 year old. Including, candy for breakfast the first few days. But then, she forgot about it and so I’m letting it be.
But, I have a friend who is OCD about any sugar (claiming dental concerns) and generally GREATLY restricts her kids sugar intake, including that in granola bars at play groups. Her solution to Halloween? Go trick or treating early. Let the kids each eat a couple of pieces. Then, hand out the rest to the kids that come to their door later. I was just horrified at that idea. And yes, her kids are frequently caught by the other moms in our group gorging on sweet stuff behind the couch when she’s not looking. And no, not one of us says anything. And yes, I’ve sent her to your site. I’ve tried to explain your philosophy to her and get no where so…
I know it’s hard when you see parents going over board. I recently emailed with a lady whose dad was a dentist and they could not eat ANY sugar. It took her years to eat normally again but now she does. Hopefully your friend will get it after a while.