This is the first year Quinn has a good understanding of Halloween and will be SO excited to get all.the.candy! Yesterday we were at Target and she was whining and begging for us to buy the huge bags of candy. While trick-or-treating can be a fun family activity, trying to figure out how to talk to your kids about candy and monitoring their intake can be stressful and confusing for many parents.
Halloween is the first festive holiday of the season and this time of year can cause many to have increased anxiety about how to handle being around treats, candy, sugar, etc. Here are my thoughts on Halloween candy and how I plan to manage it with Quinn.
Don’t put your food issues or fears on your child.
Halloween is an exciting time for kids, so let them have fun and eat the candy! I think it’s smart to have boundaries of course (as you would with any other activity). There shouldn’t necessarily be a “free for all” with the candy, so have a plan on how you would like to manage the candy.
If you (the parent) are feeling anxious or nervous about having a bunch of candy in the house then work on that independently without taking the fun away from the kids. Talking negatively about food, body image, or weight will rub off on your kids. If kids are made to feel guilty or are shamed for their intake this can lead to behaviors such as sneaking it, eating in secret, or overeating it. Kids like candy and if they don’t feel shame about wanting or eating it then they can naturally learn to self-moderate their intake.
Have a plan to manage the candy.
Every family will have a different strategy that will work for them, so discuss it ahead of time. Give kids a heads up of what to expect. Let them know they are likely to get a lot of candy and they will get to enjoy it, but you’ll want to take it home first and make sure it’s all safe.
I’m realistic and know Quinn will eat her fair share of candy on Halloween. I don’t plan to overly micromanage it, but I have some strategies I will practice. I plan to have Quinn pick out a few handfuls of her favorite treats and toss the ones she could care less about. From there she will ideally have 1-2 pieces of candy a day as dessert. Some people like to donate candy, switch witch, give it to the dentist, etc. but by forcing kids to give up their candy (especially the older kids) this makes them want it even more. It’s a fine line between having boundaries with the candy, but not being so rigid you cause kids to obsess over it.
Quinn is allowed treats and desserts pretty regularly (not daily) but we don’t have any strict rules about sugar. I’m obviously mindful of her intake, but she knows treats will always be part of her life. By not making a big deal about the candy; hopefully, she will understand this is not the last Snickers she will ever eat and move on!
Take the focus off the candy as much as possible.
Spend time getting excited about decorations, costumes, Halloween movies, etc. Have a yummy nutritious meal before heading out…we love having chili and cornbread.
When I think back about Halloween growing up I have happy memories. I remember going home after trick-or-treating and sorting all my candy into categories, trading with friends, and eating a bunch of my favorites. I also remember being allowed to bring a few pieces of candy to school in my lunch daily until my candy ran out. What I don’t remember is having any strict rules about my candy besides it having to stay in the kitchen and my dad stealing all my Butterfingers 😉 I hope Quinn will have similar fond memories of her childhood Halloween.
Happy Halloween!
xx,
Alix
