What To Do With Halloween Candy
Nora trick-or-treating
As a new-ish parent (Nora’s only two. I think that makes me new-ish!). There are some things I’m still learning as I go along –particularly as Nora grows up. I’ve come across a new one this week: what do I do with Nora’s Halloween candy? Previous Halloweens Nora didn’t collect much candy or was too young to eat it anyway so it wasn’t an issue. This year my two year-old has an excellent memory and will definitely remember her trip around the neighborhood collecting a bag full of candy.
The way I see it there are a few different options:
- I could let her eat as much candy as she wants whenever she wants
- I could ration the candy for her and allow her to have one piece a day
- I could confiscate the candy and use it as a reward for potty training
I’m not sure which of these we’re going to do yet. I don’t particularly like the idea of letting her eat as much candy as she wants whenever she wants. She can already be a handful when she’s her normal self. I’m not sure I want to see Nora on a sugar high.
I feel a little bit bad rationing her candy for her (but only a little bit!). I could blame the rule of one piece of candy a day on the dentist. I’m sure he’d agree with me if she ever asks him about it.
I think Halloween candy would be a really good incentive to continue her potty training. Right now we’re on to marshmallows because M&Ms lost their appeal. Does it make me a bad parent though to take the fun out of Halloween by forcing her to work for the candy she already rightfully earned?
What are your thoughts? What will you be doing with your kid’s Halloween candy?
nope not a bad mom! save the candy for potty training. She might love it. Knowing she can look through her big bag and pick a piece!
We ration around here, though it’s more like one piece in the mid-morning, one (or two) after lunch, and one (or two) after dinner. Mom and Dad *may* also be helping work down the buckets. Good luck figuring it out!
If she has too much, you could always donate some of it. I certainly don’t like the idea of having a ton of candy around so that every time Gracie runs by the bucket, a tantrum ensues. I like the idea of using it as a reward, but how many days…weeks… err uh, months will it take to finish off the bag? Thankfully, we didn’t go out long this halloween, but for next, I believe we’ll be dishing some out for donation (hey, they even do donations of candy to troops overseas! they’d certainly appreciate it). And if we’re lucky, it’ll teach them something about charity. hehe. Good luck! … especially with that potty training.
I think I will do the ‘switch witch’ once Bobby is old enough for candy. Basically, your child gets one piece of candy everyday until Thanksgiving. The night before Thanksgiving the kids put the rest of their candy out on the front porch. After they go to sleep the ‘switch witch’ shows up and takes the leftover candy leaving a small toy in its place. I think its a good way to have them involved with Halloween without rotting their teeth. And it is a fun, imaginative tradition that young kids can really get into.
Toni,
Thanks for your vote! I’m so curious to see how you do things with Reed when he’s a toddler. It’s going to be so fun raising our kids together! Thank goodness for Skype!
Brynn,
I’m all about helping Nora work down her bucket! I probably would be doing more damage if I didn’t have to fit into my Marine Corps ball dress right after halloween!
Lindsay,
Donating is such a good idea! I’d much rather give the candy away to someone else than deal with crabby Nora. Thanks for sharing!
Christie,
I love your idea too! I bet Nora would enjoy a toy more than candy anyway. She has already forgotten all about her halloween candy and hasn’t asked for it in days. Next year, however, her memory might be better so I’m glad I’m getting all of these ideas now!
Thanks for sharing ladies!
Kelly
Why would you want to associate achieving a goal with eating candy? For the rest of her life she will think eating junk is how she treats herself well after achieving her potty training skill.
I would just let her have a couple of pieces of candy and call it a day, she will never know if you get rid of most of it.
Lind