How do you do Halloween?
This is a question I get a lot this time of year. Generally, anyone who knows me gets the sense that I’m a bit of a stickler on what goes into my children’s bodies.
That said, I do realize they are kids and Halloween is an amazing time of year for our little ones. I remember all the excitement and joy around this time of year when I was growing up; and I of course want my kids to have fond memories of happy Halloweens.
When my children were quite young, we began with the Switch Witch. Now at 8 and 5, the fun continues… although this year my 8-year-old is a lot more inquisitive. He’s noticed that the Switch Witch (which is a plush toy) has a tag that says made in China. Lol!! But I believe they want to be in awe. They want magic. So we design our story similar to Toy Story - she’s just a toy until we’re not around and then “things” happen. She moves about and messes around a little while they sleep and sometimes while they’re at school. The Switch Witch shows up at our house sometime in October and waits until Halloween night when she gets to make a special switch-a-roo. Throughout October this is a hot topic of conversation around here. We wonder why she’s come and how she’ll get home. We’ve generally come to the conclusion that the Switch Witch needs ALOT of candy to fuel her cauldron for her trip home.
My kids absolutely love this! They know the treats they get aren’t that good for their tummies, but they also know that a few treats occasionally are not a bad thing. On Halloween night, they choose one treat to have and 3-4 pieces to keep for the next couple of days. They leave the rest by their bedside, fall asleep dreaming of helping the Switch Witch make her way home and knowing they’ll wake up to a special little toy they’ve been wanting.
And Mom doesn’t have to deal with sugar overload challenges such as mood irregularities and lowered immune system function.
Win! Win! Win!
What do I do with the exchange of Halloween candy? This is usually the second question I get. I throw it out. I know some will say this is wasting - there are people going hungry. I get that, and if I believed this was food that could help people survive let alone thrive I would donate it. I however do not believe this. These are the kinds of foods that make people sick and I do not want that on my conscious. I make and will continue to make donations of food items I would feed my own family.
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We're here to help! As parents, we get it, how to convince our littles to take care of their health especially during the Halloween season. Reach out for more ideas or support!
