The Playful Parent

There’s one thing that I’m sure all our kids have in common and that’s a love for candy.  All week long they have been collecting as much candy as possible at Trunk-or-Treats and Trick-or-Treating on Halloween. My boys rushed home to count it, sort it, trade it and eat it! Now that the candy has piled up, I’m sure we are all thinking the same thing; “how do we keep this candy consumption under control?” I wrote this article last year and updated it today to offer a few ideas about how to maintain the sugar intake at a manageable level through these creative ideas.

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INSPECT AND ENJOY

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Here are a few basic rules for staying safe with candy consumption…

1. No eating candy until it has been inspected at home- Make a clear rule that they may not eat any candy until you get home and you can inspect their collection. Tip: As my kids collect their candy in a bucket, they will dump it into a large bag through out the night that I hold.
2. Inspect the candy collection as soon as you get home- The following items and candies should be on your radar:
   • Lumpy, loose, torn, punctured, or discolored wrappers
   • Candy that is not in its original packaging or looks to have been tampered with
   • Homemade treats from strangers
   • Candy that has expired
   • If you sincerely feel uneasy about the candy your child received, get rid of their loot and replace it with prebought backup candy.
3. Remove choking hazards- This is all depending on your child’s age. For younger children, remove candies that are too small, chewy or hard . Example: bubble gum, Tootsie Rolls, and jawbreaker.
4. Always report suspicious sugars to the police. Report anything hazardous immediately to your local police department.

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JIMMY KIMMEL CHALLENGE

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SWAP IT

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The basic idea is before going to bed Halloween night, kids leave their stash out for a magical tooth fairy, Great Pumpkin or Switch Witch to take and leave a gift in its place. This is a fun way to get rid of the candy, while still giving little ones something to look forward to the next day. It doesn’t have to be a toy or could be a book or money whatever you think your kid would like. You can really get creative with this idea their are tons of crafts on pinterest and even a book you can order and read called Switch Witch.

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THE DISAPPEARING ACT

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The idea here is to ration the amount of candy. When the kids go to bed sort through the candy and portion it out. Than they can pick a piece or two a day for a week or until it runs out. As far as the disappearing trick goes; I’m sure we all are guilty of taste testing our kids candy collection. I saw a cute idea last year where a few moms got together and had a wine tasting and candy pairing party.

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DONATE YOUR CANDY

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If you have way more candy than your little ones need than a great option is to donate your candy. The following locations are places hosting events or drop offs in the Southern Maryland area. Your family can bring joy to others through a give-back or buy-back candy program that delivers the sweets to the troops over seas. Always call the site first to make sure that they are participating. For more information about the program visit Halloween Buy Back or Operation Gratitude.

Dental One Associates of Waldorf
3500 Old Washington Road, Suite 301
Waldorf, MD, 20601
Phone: Phone Number: (301) 645-4434

Pinefield Dental

Sequence Orthodontics
603 Post Road, Suite 109
Waldorf, MD, 20602
Phone: 301-242-9528
Email: omidrajaei@gmail.com
www.sequenceorthodontics.com/

Smile Castle Pediatric Dentistry (Recommended Drop Off)
23076 Three Notch Rd #203,

California, MD 20619
Phone: (240) 349-5000
Details: Wednesday 11/1-11-7 drop off candy trade $1 per 1lb
www.smilecastle.com

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BAKE WITH IT

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With all the leftover candy it’s time to get creative and make something tasty in the kitchen. I’m a huge fan of baking cookies and making hot chocolate with leftover treats. A taste of home has a great article that offers a plethora of Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes.