A Few Tricks To Limit the Unhealthy Treats

TraceyS... that's what we started to do too! When the kids were very little I tried to put it in a bowl and dole it out but it was stupid to make such an issue out of it. After they got past the age of about 4 or 5 (?) we would let them keep their Easter or Trick or Treat candy in their own rooms. They were the boss of it. Like you said - when the mystique is gone, they tend to eat it slower. Now I'm not sure they ever finish it all before the next holiday... LOL. Candy and sweets become a 'non' issue... as a matter of fact my kids will choose CHEESE AND CRACKERS for a snack over ANYTHING else available. :)

As a Mom of three kids that are now 17, 16 and 12 (quite a few years of parenting under my belt) I can assure you that a night of trick or treating is not going to ruin your kids health, cause obesity or anything else for that matter. How they eat on a day to day basis and how much activity they have, coupled with a good teeth-brushing routine is what is important.

I think the tips provided are a great start! I agree that one night of indulging is not going to cause a great deal of harm. It is so important to be educating children on making good choices in life, and in regard to food.

I remember as a child getting some pretty bizarre trinkets in place of candy and not appreciating it... one person gave me a pocket dictionary!?!?! As a 7 year old, that was not what I had in mind! I also remember knowing that when the candy was gone, there would be no more. This was enough of a motivator to only eat a bit at a time. This is probably the most effective control of over-eating. I wanted to make the candy last!

Happy Halloween!

What cracks me up is I see TEENAGERS doing it and getting a bunch of candy too! After 12 or so, it should be over and done with!

You know, it's still OK to trick or treat and get candy. It's fun! Instead of going to EVERY house in the area, limit it to just a few. As with every diet and bad habit, it comes down to portion control!

Some parents are out for hours with their kids...some even driving from house to house...now that's just wrong!

I believe all kids should go trick or treating. We all did it when we were kids. It is a special experience every child should have. You just need to go with them or make sure they are in an area you know. The candy should be examined and they should be taught they amount they are aloud to have. Food allergies is another issue for a lot of kids. It is so common. Most kids can't eat half of what is in the bag.

we only go to people we know. the kids are happy with that.

My youngest son LOVES candy. I mean LOVES it all, doesn't matter what kind. Its kind of weird actually b/c we don't ban it but we also don't keep a lot around the house. He's just got a great big sweet tooth. We tried the whole "stashing it away and doling it out" a few years ago and it was SO annoying. Several times every day he would beg for it. So last year we told him he could keep it in his room with the understanding that all trash went in the trash can and once it was gone, that was it. I seriously expected it to only last a day or two but it lasted for several weeks. He got a lot more "choosey" about when to eat it when he could see it was dwindling. Plus we don't do a lot of candy for Christmas stockings or Easter so he knew there wasn't going to be more coming at the next hol;iday. Luckily my son is very active so the extra calories don't really affect him- its more his teeth I worry about!

I also give pencils out as a treat AND my kids love getting things like that as a treat as well.

I think the tips offered above are good. My son is not old enough to go trick or treating yet, but, when he is, we will have a rule that he can't eat any candy while actually out trick or treating and all candy must stay in the kitchen once it is in the house. He will be allowed to indulge on Halloween night, but then will get whatever is left slowly, as treats throughout the rest of the year. He won't be allowed to just gorge or keep it in his room, but he certainly won't feel deprived, either.

Instead of trick or treating, we go to local fall festivals. That way we're still out enjoying the season without the risks of door to door treating.

I giveaway pencils and funky straws and etc... also items like snack size chip bags