Trick or Treat?
So many look forward to Halloween. You get to dress up, have fun, go to parties and of course collect LOTS of candy. How can you have fun but not overdue it? Navigating these holidays in the last part of the year are challenging to say the least. When you think of Halloween you automatically think of candy!
The candy you collect throughout your journey up and down the neighborhood streets is loaded with artificial colors and dyes, excessive sugar, GMOs, trans fat, preservatives and who knows what else. The most challenging part…how do you keep your children and yourself from eating gobbs and gobbs of these unhealthy treats?
I’ve got my top 10 helpful hints, in no specific order, on how to navigate Halloween and all the candy that comes with it.
- Lead by example: This is not the time to decide to go on a candy binge. All the work you do all year round shouldn’t be blown up on this one day. Be the example to your children and explain to them that you will be enjoying candy on Halloween. At the same time you’ve decided to pick out 1 or 2 of your favorites and leave it at that.
- Feed your children nutritious meals and snacks: It’s important that you get some good nutrition into your child on a day that you know is full of pure JUNK! Feed them a balanced breakfast, lunch and dinner if possible. Pack some healthy snacks, for the school day that you know they love. Make a plan so you and they can succeed!
- Talk to your children: Talk about your favorite treats and which ones you are looking forward to enjoying. Talk about how much fun it will be to find favorites in the treat bags. Also, how you will enjoy them once you return home.
- Encourage your children to not eat candy while trick or treating: Again reinforce that you all will be waiting until you return home to enjoy treats.
- Put emphasis and excitement on all things Halloween…minus the candy: What else is Halloween about besides candy? What about all of the fun that comes with Halloween? Dressing up, seeing your friends dressed up, all of the different and unique costumes, costume contests, all the parties and just getting to be around friends and family.
- Don’t let your children have their treat bag in their bedroom: This is giving them the go-ahead to go hog-wild with their candy. It’s important to reinforce that candy continues to be an occasional treat for everyone to enjoy.
- Pack up the candy and get it out of the house: Get involved with a local “Halloween Candy Buy Back” organization. This is a great learning opportunity for your child. It teaches them good dental hygiene, helping out others and earning a few dollars for that something special.
- Be consistent: Your words and actions guide your children so they can make better decisions for themselves, especially when they are up against a challenge.
- Substitute some of the junk candy for something a little better: YUMEARTH has a variety of candies that are free of artificial ingredients, vegan, nut-free, gluten-free, non-GMO, USDA Organic and Kosher Pareve. This sweet treat might be a good alternative to all the junk in the treat bag.
- The weeks leading up to Halloween focus on creative projects: Pinterest has so many wonderful ideas on creative projects to share with your children. Use these fun times to take the emphasis off of all the candy and junk foods. Prepare them for trick or treating so they are armed and ready to navigate Halloween.
Setting guidelines for your children is a gift you can give them. It allows them to make better choices. Choices that are healthier, so they feel better and with that you feel better. Let’s face it, none of us want to deal with our children’s ever changing moods. Especially those that are directly related to the ups and downs of having way too much sugar! Happy Trick or Treating.