Halloween is such a fun season. The costumes, the tricks, and yes, the treats. Even for the most sugar-loving of parents, the explosion of candy after a night of trick-or-treating can feel tough to manage. You may be asking yourself:
- Should I set limits on how much my kids can eat?
- Or do I let them decide on their own?
- What do I do once all that sugar hits their system?
And then comes the question of, “What in the world do I do with all this candy?”
Here are some ways that you and your kids can enjoy the holiday without the mounds of candy ruling your home.
Donate Your Sweets
While you may not want your children to have a ton of candy, there are organizations that will gladly take the excess treats off your hands.
Companies like Operation Gratitude and Soldiers’ Angels will donate your candy to veterans, first responders, and deployed troops. Ronald McDonald House Charities, a non-profit that supports families with ill children, also accepts candy at the local chapter level. Other sweet places to donate are your local soup kitchen, food pantry, shelters, and nursing homes.
This option also teaches your children about the importance of giving back and helping others.
Let the Candy Fairy Visit
The Candy Fairy is known for whisking away tooth-rotting candy and leaving a small toy in its place. Like the Tooth Fairy or Santa, the Candy Fairy only comes while your kids are asleep. Encourage your kids to leave a basket full of candy outside their door and see what special prize awaits them in the morning.
Participate In a Candy Buyback
Buybacks are an excellent way to support local businesses, especially dentists. The goal of a Candy Buyback is to redirect the excess candy away from kids in exchange for a treat or prize. The excess candy is then sent as a treat for different groups, like homeless shelters or our troops.
Not sure what a buyback is or how it works? In cooperation with local businesses, community members look for all kinds of donations, especially from dentists, to provide to the children. In exchange for the sweets, event hosts will give prizes, coupons, toothbrushes, and other dental hygiene items. It’s a fun way not only to be a bit healthier but also to support local businesses.
Reduce Sugar Cravings
If you can’t resist the sweets, consider lessening the cravings. No herb may be better for this than Gymnema sylvestre.
This is a shrub whose leaves have been used in ancient Ayurveda for thousands of years. It’s often used to lower sugar cravings by making sugary foods less appealing. In addition to signaling the digestive system and the brain that no more sugar is needed, gymnema can temporarily block the sugar receptors on your tongue, helping you steer clear of that sugary drink or snack food.
Don’t Forget Good Oral Hygiene
No matter how much candy your kids eat, you’ll want to make sure they practice good dental hygiene. This becomes especially important around this time of year when the consumption of sugary treats are on the rise.
- Encourage everyone to floss at least once a day, and brush their teeth twice a day.
- Keep the bristles fresh and clean by replacing toothbrushes every three months.
- Prevent cavities and strengthen their teeth – and yours – by adding Bio-Dent to your daily health routine.
Stay Safe and Healthy
There are many ways to handle Halloween candy overload. Try a few of these simple ideas and see what kind of fun you and your little ones have.
May you and your loved ones have a safe, fun, and healthy Halloween!