How to Get Your Family to Eat Less Halloween Candy
Three weeks before Labor Day I was shopping for our family’s upcoming camping trip when I came across rows of Halloween candy. This wasn’t a timid pre-season display lost in the middle of an aisle but rather a full frontal assault at the store entrance hyping five and ten pound bags at legendary low prices. I pushed my cart along, marveling as a couple placed multiple bags in their cart. Maybe they owned a piñata factory, I thought. The prices were tempting to be sure, but the consequences of buying Halloween candy this early in our house would be catastrophic. In fact, it took years to devise before and after strategies for eluding the onslaught of Halloween candy.
Buy Late or Hide It
If you are likely to fall in the category of the above bargain shoppers, then find a hiding place for the candy and put it there under lock and key. Do not open the bag. Not even for one piece. Do not bring it to work unless you’ve asked a trusted co-worker to lock it in her desk. Bring the bag home on Halloween day, or the closest day to that, and don’t let anyone near it until the first trick-or-treaters ring the doorbell.
Stay Away from the Good Stuff
The good stuff is whatever you define as your favorites. Love the gooey chocolate coated caramel bars? Don’t buy those. Can’t stay away from the peanutty confections? Pass those up. Now this doesn’t mean that you buy the worst candy that no kid would like; after all, your kids have to live and play in this neighborhood. Just don’t buy the candy that you and your family can’t refrain from devouring before the first ghoulish visitor even knocks.
Welcome the Halloween Fairy
The Halloween Witch is as real as the Easter Bunny but expects a tip for her troubles. Her uncontrollable sweet tooth has her scouring the country in search of candy, which she will gladly transport away in exchange for a small gift. This token of her gratitude varies by household and can take the shape of cash or a small toy. Some children are encouraged to turn over all of their spoils while others keep five or ten pieces of trick-or-treat candy because, in truth, they walked hard for it. For good measure, gather up the leftover candy you didn’t give out to trick-or-treaters and add it to your child’s donation. Leave the candy “outside” in a plastic pumpkin or container of choice and in the morning the exchange will have taken place. Voila!
Talk to Your Local Dental Professional
On a more serious note, the Halloween Candy Buy-Back Program offers dentists and orthodontists the opportunity to participate in an organized candy buy-back program to benefit US soldiers overseas. Dental professionals schedule a buy-back event, typically the day or weekend after Halloween, where people can exchange candy for cash, coupons, toothbrushes or prizes. The medical offices then send the candy to Operation Gratitude, which in turn sends the candy to US military troops. To find a dental practice registered with the program in your area go to halloweencandybuyback.com and search by zip code. If no dental offices support the program in your area, you can organize your own candy collection event. For more information visit operationgratitude.com and select the Get Involved / Volunteer tab followed by How You Can Help.