October is a month filled with fun Halloween activities. Costumes, parades, and trick-or-treating all make for special times for the whole family. Like it or not though, almost all Halloween activities are inextricably linked with candy. Lots and lots of candy. With all the negative impacts we know sugar has on health, the last thing we want to do is fill our children with pounds of candy. But how do you keep your children from gobbling up all that candy without eliciting cries and protest? Read on for sweet solutions to a sugar overload.
- Find a Candy Exchange Program. Many dentists, pediatricians, and other health-minded community professionals offer candy exchange programs at Halloween. Your children can cash in their candy for a toy or other prize. This way they still get a reward without all the negatives of candy!
- Use Candy for Kindness. Consider taking all that candy to a local fire or police station. Younger kids will get a kick out of getting to see the station and talk with the police officers or firemen. Another great option is to mail the candy to soldiers overseas. What can be a huge bag of candy for one child is just a small sweet treat split among large groups like this.
- Exercise Moderation. Let your children pick a few favorite treats to have spread out over the course of multiple days. This helps your children learn the importance of making choices and using moderation. Encourage your kiddos to pick a protein filled snack along with the candy to help stabilize blood sugar.
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