"I'll have a Kit Kat with a side of Skittles." - Is this approach CRAZY or BRILLIANT?
{Ding Dong} Trick-or-Treat! When I was a child I'd dip into my trick-or-treat stash daily between Halloween and Thanksgiving. I can almost guarantee my reoccurring after-school sugar snack led to a fair share of cavities.
A few years ago Shad and I decided we didn't want to have a daily candy battle with our girls after the holiday: Can I have a piece of candy? Can I have some candy now? How about now? I ate three peas, may I have some candy? Why does she have more candy than me? Can I have some candy NOW?
How do you regulate your child's trick-or-treat intake? Yesterday I asked how you plan to keep things in-check.
We decided to take a different approach on All-Hallows-Eve. It is the kind of approach that will make your mother-in-law silently shake her head.
It is the kind of approach that makes a young child think you are the best parent in the whole wide world. We decided to let the girls have candy for dinner.
We prep the girls with a plethora of healthy appetizers before the big event. We talk a lot about the importance of healthy food on a regular basis. The girls know they need to balance out their feast with a bit of green.
We head out into the chaos with flashlights and felt pumpkin bags in hand. The girls munch on candy as we stroll from house to house. They laugh and giggle gleefully. I listen to other parents arguing with their child about whether or not they can "have JUST one more piece" and I am thankful to not have to deal with the same conversation.
Do you view candy for dinner as a lack of control? Our family follows a Love & Logic approach to parenting. In a nutshell, making responsible choices is a learned skill. We offer our girls the opportunity to share control as often as possible. You'd be amazed how little they actually eat.
Did I mention the one caveat? When the clock strikes 8pm the candy disappears as the fancy gowns magically turn into PJs. The costume Cinderella slipper lays at the bottom of the stairs as we pack up the candy into Ziploc bags.
We check the web and search for a variety of places to donate candy. Then we let the girls choose where to bring their loot. In 2010 Noodles offered a cure for the candy comma by offering a free bowl of noodles to kids twelve and under. Last year we shared our the candy with deployed troops; this brought up some interesting discussion with the ladies. This year the dentist is offering $1 per trade in pound. Since we've been studying money this month the ladies are *pumped* for the exchange.
Whatever your approach to the sweets is, I hope you have a fun and safe Halloween!
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