Now that the Halloween candy overload has come, it’s easy for kids to get carried away in the indulgence. Here are some tips I’d like to share with you for managing your kids’ treat intake!
Sort, Save and Donate
Now that the kids are home with their goodies, have them sort the candies out. Typically, I’ll let my kids have a treat or two that night. Enjoy the candy for the evening and get back on track. Let them have fun going through everything. Learning how to manage treats in a healthy way is a valuable lesson for everyone.
Make the sorting into a numbers game. Dump the candy on a table and have them estimate how much candy they think they have, then get them to count how much of each type of candy they get, and see how accurate their guesses were.
Save – these are the kids’ favourite treats. Consider saving Smarties and M&M’s for a baking day with your kids.
Donate – these could be taken to a local food bank or packed up for Christmas shoe boxes to be sent to countries where children may have never had a piece of candy before!
Keep Candy Out of Sight
The pieces of candy that you do keep need to be kept out of sight; not in the pantry where you go to get food for every meal. This way, the kids aren’t tempted to seek out candy when they get home from school or when they feel bored. Don’t leave the pile of candy on the dining room table either. Make sure there continues to be a bowl of fresh fruit there instead!
Buy Back Halloween Candy
If you have older kids who like having their own money to spend, you could buy back their candy from them, this way they aren’t eating it. You can also have them trade in candy for a trip to a swimming pool or bowling game.
Next Year Handout Healthier Stuff!
Consider handing out healthier options such as orange cheese sticks or sugar free gum as fun, dental-friendly options that kids will love and are healthier for them too. Your neighbours may even take a cue from you for next year and hand out healthier treats for the kids as well!
