Handling Halloween Candy
Halloween’s here, and candy is top of mind for many parents & teachers. There are many different opinions and strategies for managing it. In the end, you should always do what feels right for you.
Here are my thoughts on how to handle the sweet stuff to make this a happy holiday for everyone:
Play the long game - think of your child as a “future adult” and consider how your strategy today will play out down the road. If you’re taking control of the candy and managing it for your child, how will they relate to this food when they’re out there on their own?
✅ Try This: focus on the long term goal of raising kids who are relaxed eaters who can independently manage all foods, including candy.
Fact: candy tastes good. Research shows that demonizing or restricting any food often results in children becoming more attracted to and obsessed with that “forbidden fruit.” They can develop negative feelings about wanting or eating those foods. It’s perfectly fine to allow kids to express how much they like candy, and to say that you like it too.
✅ Try This: Invite your kids to explore their candy using all their senses, just like any other food. Ask them to describe what they notice about how different candies look, feel, smell, sound and taste. Invite them to share which candies are their favourites and why. Share your own thoughts and observations.
Hands Off: Allowing kids to enjoy their stash and have their fill gives them the chance to relax and learn about how different foods make their body feel. If they get a stomach ache from eating too much candy, this will be part of the learning experience. It will help them learn to tune into their body’s internal cues.
✅ Try This: Skip the nutrition lecture, but maintain structure around eating. Let your kids sort & gloat over their stash, and have free rein with their candy for a day or two. Then invite them to choose what they want as dessert with your regular meals and at snack time. I promise, you’ll find that the thrill wears off much sooner than you think!
The bottom line: Learning about food & eating is a process that takes time and patience, especially if this is different from your past experience. If adults normalize candy and allow kids to learn how to enjoy and manage it themselves, the payoff down the road is a relaxed and positive relationship with food.
🎃 In the end, Halloween is a time for creating happy memories together, isn’t it?
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Happy Halloween!
🌈 Janet