How to Handle Halloween Candy with Kids
One of the first things that makes parents skin crawl around Halloween isn’t the spooky decorations or costumes. It is the sheer amount of sugar our kids are eating - my own included!
We all recognize that the candy consumed on (or near) Halloween is “too much” compared to what amount of sugar is a more “acceptable” for kids (or any of us). For many parents though, there is a lot of stress and internal conflict amidst the uncertainty of how to handle holidays that are so overwhelmingly sweet - like Halloween. This post will review how to handle Halloween candy with kids in a sweet and stress-free way!
How to Handle Halloween Candy with Kids
Each year, I am asked by parents how to handle Halloween candy with kids. That’s why in this post, I am highlighting some of the key takeaways for how to handle Halloween and all the candy that comes with it before, during, and after the festivities are over. These tips originally appeared in a post I wrote in partnership with Healthy Height that you can read in its entirety here.
How to Handle Halloween Candy on the Day of Halloween:
Focus on Fuel First
Just like any other day of the year, your role as a parent on the day of Halloween is to focus on what, when, and where food is offered. I share more about this here on How to Handle Halloween Candy and the Division of Responsibility in feeding. Since kid’s excitement will be growing as the day goes on, it is wise to start their day with a breakfast filled with fat, fiber, and protein so that they start the day as properly fueled as possible (with as minimal added sugar as possible). I share 10 simple breakfast options you can instantly download here.
Then, in that gap between classroom parties and after school (but before they go trick-or-treating that evening), offer a hearty snack or an early dinner. Include your favorite green smoothie with added sources of protein, fat, and fiber for a festive “Green Goblin Smoothie” as shared here with Healthy Height. Or, consider what meal your whole family can enjoy before going out to trick or treat for the night. Mummy English Muffin Pizzas might be a playful option you can prep ahead or consider having a family favorite in the slow cooker that is ready when you all get home. Whatever option you decide on, aim to offer something that will help to satiate your kids. This will help them to better regulate their appetites among all the sugary snacks presented throughout the rest of the evening!
How to Handle Halloween Candy on the Night of Halloween:
Choose Joy, Not Control
One of the quickest things we can do to rob our children and ourselves of the joy on Halloween night is worry over how much sugar they are eating.
The reality is in many families, including my own, our kids will eat too much sugar on Halloween (based on most standards). This is one night though and does not (or at least should not) represent your family’s usual intake of sugar. While my aim is usually to minimize added sugars in each of our diets, there are a few other points I think are important here to note:
Don’t be the food police. Kids notoriously enjoy holidays that are centered around sugar and “special foods.” This is normal! That’s why the best thing we can do as parents is to help neutralize the often expressed forbidden nature of such foods, like candy. As much as possible, give your children the freedom to enjoy candy (or like options) as part of the special occasion, if they so choose*. This approach is supported by research that shows trying to control our children’s intake and access to such foods (like candy) can create the opposite effect. That’s because when we restrict certain foods our children perceive as “special” or “forbidden,” their overall selection, intake, and behaviors actually piques and thus can be more problematic in the big picture. For this reason on a night like Halloween, parents need to remember that their job is not to be a food police but rather a partner in crime to enjoy the festivities with their child(ren)—food and all. You can come alongside them and shepherd their current sugar craze into one that fosters both fun and freedom as well as balance and moderation (moving forward). With this, remember that you know your child’s sweet tooth and tendencies best and are encouraged to adapt how you execute a Division of Responsibility on Halloween accordingly.
* In children three and under, we want to minimize their exposure and intake of added sugars as much as possible. While some children may be able to maintain minimal sugar intake even after three years and others well before three, the less added sugar intake the better in young toddlers. This helps to promote safety from choking hazards, dental health, and nutritional density.Aim to foster intuitive eating. Our children’s mindset and growing relationship with food is as important, if not more important, than the food that actually makes up their diet. It should go without saying that I am all-for promoting nutrient-rich diets, particularly in small kids. However, Halloween brings up a unique opportunity and reminder to parents that it is not only about what our children eat but the attitudes we raise them with towards such foods. Beyond not acting as food police (as shared above), we also want to consider how we can equip our kids to be self-regulators and in tune with their appetites for such foods, like Halloween candy. Coming into an evening like Halloween as Intuitive Eaters, we can help our children to better understand the attitude and application of how all foods, including candy, can fit into a healthy lifestyle.
Prioritize your Halloween candy pieces. One way to sort through which candies and sweets bring pleasure to eat versus those that do not is to sit with your child(ren) when you get home for the night and to sort through their stash. This allows you to immediately remove any choking hazards, open packages, or items that may be unsafe. Additionally, it is a fun family activity (and likely tradition and memory!) that can prompt friendly conversations around what kinds of candy each family members enjoys (or doesn’t) and why (further fostering intuitive eating principles). Coming up with simple “keep” vs “pass” piles also helps your child to quickly narrow down which candies they want while releasing those they choose they don’t want. In most families, this reduces the stash of candy by at least half. Siblings may then trade between one another to swap for their favorites and “pass” piles can be passed along to the “Switch Witch” or a variety of organizations shared here.
How to Handle Halloween Candy the Day After Halloween:
Create a “Dessert Policy” with the remaining candy
If the idea of enjoying endless amounts of Halloween candy in your house is creating anxiety for you, it’s time to create a dessert policy and share your plan with your family moving forward. On the night of Halloween, after your little monsters have sorted through their stash and are in bed, is a great time for you (and your spouse) to evaluate how to handle the remaining Halloween candy.
When you create your dessert policy, determine what, when, and where Halloween candy will be available. Often times, I recommend parents allow kids to choose one piece of candy as part of an afternoon snack or with dinner. Regardless, the what/when/where of Halloween candy being offered is now up to you. This makes the Halloween candy available at a predictable time and place, as well as in an expected amount (limit to 1-2 pieces per day). Doing so will help to reduce kids endless number of requests for candy each day and the chances of such candy disrupting their overall intake of other nutrient-dense foods. This also helps promote mindfulness in eating their remaining Halloween candy in the days to come, rather than falling into a tendency where it is eaten in front of the tv or “in passing” (as when left out on the counter).
Then tomorrow morning (or you can wait a day if you so choose), share the dessert policy with your children. Together, in a transparent and team-oriented fashion, relocate their candy stash to the pantry, a cupboard, or some place where it isn’t in everyday, plain sight. This makes it so they know where it is (rather than feeling you hid it from them), while also helping everyone to shift their focus off of eating it all day and onto other fun elements of the season. This is also a natural time to share with your kids what, when, and where candy will be made available. Allow your child(ren) to ask questions to gain understanding and better get on board with the plan, but remember it is your job to decide when it’s offered. Be clear and consistent about these boundaries around Halloween candy to lessen the stress for both you and your child in the days to come.
How to Handle Halloween after Halloween is Over:
Remember it takes time to cultivate healthy habits
For many kids, the thrill of Halloween candy wears off before the candy runs out. If this is the case in your home, you can consider keeping it but not offering it as regularly. Then it can become of your overall dessert policy moving forward.
However, many of the principles for how to handle holidays oriented around food and sugar also apply to our everyday life. That is, fuel our families with nutrient-rich food before we go to a feast. Enjoy a celebration and savor the sweets, treats, and seasonal eats that come with them. Then, return to a healthy lifestyle while finding ways for aspects of the holiday or it’s foods to fit into an overall healthy lifestyle.
Many parents wonder and worry about how long their kids will want their Halloween candy after the holiday itself—what if it rolls into the other often food-oriented holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas? That’s when I remind parents that these are not just habits we form around one given holiday, but rather ones that we instill in our families as part of our year-round lifestyle. This requires an intentional approach on how to handle sugar with your kids in a way that sets up a positive feeding foundation 365 days a year.
For more on how to do this, check out next week’s post for a more long-term, big picture perspective on, “How to Handle Sugar with Our Kids."
“On Halloween night, don’t stress over the sugar. Just cherish the times with your kids. See the joy in their eyes. Embrace their sticky fingers. Teach them to listen to their tummies. Foster freedom around food. Brush their teeth. Tuck them in agreeing that the day was the “best day ever” (in their innocent eyes).
Then tomorrow, you can begin to implement the following ideas for how all foods fit - including all that candy they carried home.”