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With Halloween candy everywhere, how strict are you about your kids' sugar consumption?

Asked by Work It, Mom! Team, 31st Oct 07 Answer this now »
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Only one of my daughters is really old enough to trick-or-treat and this year was her first time doing so. We let her keep 1 lollipop, 1 fruity or chewy candy, and 1 piece of chocolate. Then, she puts the rest of the candy into a jar before going to bed on Halloween night and "The Great Pumpkin" comes and takes it while she is sleeping. In return he leaves a small gift. This worked very well and helped us avoid excessive sugar.
mimi416  5th Nov 07
my girls eat very well, so i don't usually restrict sugar. i don't want them to over do it with the halloween candy though so i let them chose two pieces of candy after the finish eating. it helps to make sure they finish their lunch & dinner too.
I am actually very strict on my 3 year olds sugar in take, when I buy regular treats its mostly sugar-free (like cookies) for Halloween he was with my mother in law for most of it and she let him have alot, but as far as the rest of it he gets a couple pieces a day.
They get to pig out for a day or two, and then all candy becomes community property and goes into a big tupperware bin (we call it the treat box) that sits on top of the fridge. When it's time for a treat, they can choose from the treat box, or whatever other assorted sweets we might have on hand. And, lol, they find the amount of their combined candy in the treat box WAY impresses their friends..and they feel like big spenders 'hey, I'll get a treat from the treat box'.
MaryP  2nd Nov 07
I always took a get-it-over-with approach. I figured a two-day glut, then they brush their teeth and move on with their lives. I always rather thought the "two-treats-a-day" approach (which, given how much they get, can go on for a LONG time), only taught them that it's normal to eat sweet treats every day. (Which, in our house, we don' do: not because I'm hugely controlling of their treat intake, but because it's just ... not something we do! LOL) And the sooner it's gone, the less of it *I* can eat!

My youngest decided at the last minute she would go out this year, after all (she's 14). Knowing this is certainly my last year doing it, I took more than the usual amount of pleasure in watching she and her friend dump their bags out on the floor and commence to sorting and trading.

Oh, and a few treats get snatched by me to reappear in Christmas stockings!
I say, "Let 'em eat it". Well... at least on Halloween. We had parties galore at school all day with tons of frosting piled cupcakes and sugary cookies. While out trick or treating... they couldn't munch too much because we hadn't "inspected" the goods yet. However, the firemen came to the rescue. Our town is small and everyone knows each other. The firetrucks park on the streets and hand out candy by the handfulls... so the kids got their fill because the fireman asked Mommy, "do you need to check this candy?"... we all know the firemen are safe... Lucky Monsters! Once back home, I sorted, inspected and filled a HUGE bowl with the candy which is now on the top of the fridge. They can have some everyday. Whether its one treat or a couple will depend on the day. Last year, I dumped most of the bowl in the trash several months after Halloween because they never make it through before we are adding the next Holiday's treats to the bowl. No one went into insulin shock... five sets of teeth received a thorough brushing... everyone went to bed at a decent hour... I think we did okay!
I try not to limit on the actual day. I have found (last year beign my only real experience) that she eventually stops and crashes and the sugar hype is balanced by the emotional exhaustion of the whole holiday. For the week following, I let her pick 2 pieces per day (we have to be careful because her teeth are VERY weak). thereafter, she seems to lose interest and if the bag is out of sight, it only comes up once in a while.... we still have a half-ful bag from last year which I gave to my students (college-age)
After sorting her candy by shape, size then color, my 3 year old decided to eat an apple w/out my telling her to this morning. The baby, who's only 1.5, knows she's got candy, loves to yell for the candy, will be happy if I give her a piece but is also enjoying her apple right now. I'm trying to avoid sneaking over and stealing a piece.
I'm glad to see the comments posted thus far are sensible:) Sometimes, chocolate simply helps me meet my deadlines better!
As a "dietitian mom" I happen to have a philosophy of "free choice" in my household. There are Hershey Kisses out in a dish by the front door all year long. It is my theory that kids who have a choice will control their own sugar and junk food cravings, and kids who are deprived or overly restricted of treats, will not have as much control (we can't shelter them forever...).
So go ahead and let the kids eat their Halloween candy: They'll choose their favorites, and then the bag will sit. At that point (if you can find it) you can stash it away or put it into a "family community bowl" and then announce in December: "Okay kids, it's almost Christmas. Can we throw away this candy now?"
Just be sure you are offering the apples, bananas, salads, or any other fruits and vegetables that your child enjoys- daily. Not to mention an otherwise balanced diet:)
 1st Nov 07
My daugter (15) has alwyas been freakishly sensible about sweets, so I let her eat as much as she wants and then beg her to hide the rest from me and her father. It bugs me that she will have a stash of candy still months after the holiday. How does she do that? I mean, how does she hide it so well??
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