My most memorable Halloween growing up was the year my Mom decided to let us go bananas and eat as much candy as we wanted on the night of Halloween. I don’t actually remember eating lots of candy or anything about my candy in particular. What I do remember is seeing my little sister in my parents’ bed after throwing up her candy packed stomach contents and my Mom saying to her, “You don’t feel so good do you? You probably won’t want any candy tomorrow will you?” And my sister responding with a smile and a twinkle in her eye, “Well maybe just one piece.”
In case you can’t stomach the thought of candy laden throw up or having the indulge-a-thon go on forever here are a few strategies to manage your kid’s loot and hopefully their tooth decay:
- The Candy Fairy. Whether you call it The Candy Fairy, The Candy Witch, The Candy Goblin, The Switch Witch, The Halloween Fairy, or The Halloween Goblin the story is the same. Once the child has selected their favourite pieces of candy from their loot, the rest is left out over night for The Candy Fairy to pick up and leave a toy or book for the child to find in the morning. The beauty of The Candy Fairy is that she is really good friends with the Tooth Fairy and can come at any time of year to help your kids take care of their teeth. After Christmas, Easter or any candy laden time of year, just leave the candy out in that specially selected spot (like the hearth where we leave cookies for Santa) and voila in the morning there’s a present from The Candy Fairy!
- The Candy Exchange. This strategy is a direct exchange candy for cold hard cash. The child presents the parent with the candy they are ready to exchange for cash. The candy can be exchanged piece (eg: $.10 for small & $.25 for large) or by weight (eg: $5/kg). It’s up to you.
- Life is Sweet Enough Reward In this one the child is rewarded for consuming the least amount of candy. No matter how much candy the child collects, payment is based on how much candy the child keeps. The candy/money exchange must be done as soon as the candy is sorted. For example:
Keep 10 pieces the child gets $20.00
Keep 15 pieces the child receives $10.00
Keep 20 pieces the child receives $5.00
Keep +20 pieces the child gets $0.00
- Halloween is the Season of Sharing. The neighbours shared their candy with you, it’s your turn to share your candy with kids less fortunate. Let them choose a selection of their favourites then help them pack up the rest and donate it to your local food bank or see if your church or community centre is holding a candy drive.
Of course you could let your child gorge like my Mom did that one time and see if they end up throwing up like my sister or horde their candy until it was stale and forgotten like me. If you have other strategies we’d love to hear them! Either leave a comment on the end of this blog post or on our facebook page.
Also don’t forget to remind your kids Hallowe’en night they’ll be brushing and flossing before bed!
