We don’t celebrate Halloween, so there is no “trick-or-treat” stuff to deal with, but my kids have acquired more candy than we’re used to having around at various parties and church harvest events during this season. In the past, we also had my two stepsons whose mother insisted on taking them out that evening, and they would return with two pillowcases about 1/4 to 1/3 filled with candy….I’m getting dizzy just thinking about it!
So, we would allow them to choose two pieces when they returned, then I confiscated the stash. For the next couple of days, they could choose a piece or two from their personal containers after school and one or two after dinner. By the following weekend, we threw everything (including the younger kids’ harvest party stuff) into a huge bowl with a lid (and I mean larger than most popcorn bowls to share) and we continued to let them choose a piece or two each day until the supply dwindled (which it did within a week or so because my husband and I also snacked from the bowl). Then, it was put away in a smaller container and whatever was left (usually the stuff that was less popular) was kept out of sight in a cupboard, ready to be used as a special treat or reward.
These days, I am trying to keep my kids off sugar as much as possible. We haven’t had a candy bar for weeks. However, we have been invited to a movie night party on Monday as a Halloween alternative, and the hosts (who are very sold on a low-carb way of eating) have surprisingly said they will allow candy to be eaten at the party. *Sigh* Well, I think I will provide a few sugar-free candies for my kids to eat while there and then simply insist that they not be allowed more than two pieces of the regular stuff. I can trust that the mom there will do her best to monitor and remind them of this, so at least there will be some restraint.
If we did trick-or-treat, I don’t know what I would do with all of the candy. First, I would probably limit the trip to one or two nearby streets and keep telling the kids “We have to get home soon so we can watch our movie/have our game night/whatever we decided to do and have our special snacks!” Then, I would probably allow them to choose a couple of pieces for that night and a few pieces for the next day, and after that, the candy would “disappear.” For a loooong time. Maybe even donate it to some place that helps kids. Although, I am no longer comfortable with giving candy to other kids all of the time, even as a Sunday School reward.
