Nourishing Healthy Halloween Traditions

"What do you do with all that candy that comes into your home?"

This is a question that I was recently asked and here is the solution that we have found works best for our family.

Trick-or-Treating is a tradition that is loved by children everywhere! What could be better than dressing up as your favorite super hero, cartoon character, or princess and having your neighbors give you candy?

We have chosen not to deprive our children of this night of over indulgence but to give them some restrictions. These restrictions come with a reward and they don't feel restricted. Let me explain:

After our trek around the neighborhood we sit down at the kitchen table and dump out the loot. At this point I set a timer for 20 minutes. Our children have 20 minutes to eat as much of the candy as possible. (Much of this time is used to sort and make decissions about what they want to eat). When the timer rings everyone stops eating and all the candy is placed in the center of the table. Our children then go to bed knowing that the GREAT PUMPKIN, you know the illusive character that Charlie Brown hopes to meet on Halloween night, will come and collect the candy and leave something in its place. This special gift from the GREAT PUMPKIN is for everyone to share, something you can do together as a family, because the candy was collected into one giant pile.

These are things that the GREAT PUMPKIN has left at our house before:

A giant pack of playdough
A new DVD
A set of Legos
Some new books
Puzzles
A board game

The "GREAT PUMPKIN" sorts through the candy saving some of the best peices for future rewards, and then throws the rest in the garbage. Some of you might be thinking that that would be such a waste, and that my neighbors spent good money on that candy. As I throw the candy away I say thanks to my neighbors for helping my children have a fun Halloween night, and that's the end!

The candy that I save goes into a box that I use as rewards for completing special assignments, accomplishing a goal, or for a picnic treat.