Parents, what's your rule re: Halloween candy?

[Horseshoes]

Ok, I've figured out what I'm going to do. Come Halloween night, when trick-or-treaters come to the door I'm going to ask their parents how they deal with the Halloween candy. If they throw most of it out, their little darlings are getting the Smarties. If they keep it all, at least until Christmas, then they're getting the Reese's and Snickers.

Actually I like Smarties

 

[kasar]

Ok, I've figured out what I'm going to do. Come Halloween night, when trick-or-treaters come to the door I'm going to ask their parents how they deal with the Halloween candy. If they throw most of it out, their little darlings are getting the Smarties. If they keep it all, at least until Christmas, then they're getting the Reese's and Snickers.

Sounds good to me. I bought FULL SIZE bars this year (great sale at Target and we don't get many kids) - nobody better be throwing those babies out!!!!!

 

[mommaU4]

I agree the candy should not be just thrown away. We only do that with the questionable ones that have wrappings opened somehow or have been squished. The rest usually go with DH to work. It always gets eaten there!

I also try to make sure my kids eat some breakfast first. It goes something like this:

Kid: Mom, can I have some candy?
Me: No, you know you have to eat first.
Kid: Okay can I have some waffles with butter and syrup and then have some candy?
Me: Sure honey.

Yeah, sign me up for that parent of the year award!

 

[C.Ann]

DD & her DH allow my granddaughter to have a couple of pieces on Halloween.. The next day she's allowed to have a piece after school (for snack) and a piece after dinner - if she even remembers to ask for it..

The candy is hidden though.. Not from the 7 year old - from the 66 year old grandfather who stops by every day..

 

[aprilgail2]

Sounds good to me. I bought FULL SIZE bars this year (great sale at Target and we don't get many kids) - nobody better be throwing those babies out!!!!!

Wow, can I come to your house??? We got new neighbors last year and they said they were going to buy the full sized bars and they asked how many kids we usually have coming around...when I told them they changed their minds LOL!!!! On a weekday we can get 200-250 kids..on a weekend it can go WAY over that....last time Halloween was a weekend my daughter was out for at least 6 hours, I swear that kid had about 25 pounds of candy..we had to keep coming home and emptying the bag becuase it would get to heavy for her to carry! We start out going to the 4 closest neighbors to us becuase they give her gift bags full of things, toys, candy, books etc...I always kid and say she is the only kid I know that actually gets gifts while she is trick or treating!! So those big bags come right home and then she starts goign to other houses....

 

[skuttle]

DS is only 2 so he doesn't really understand the whole Halloween thing yet. We did go trick-or-treating at the zoo last sunday (only trick-or-treating we're doing) and we let him eat whatever he wanted while we were at the zoo. Since then, if he asks, I'll give him one piece each day. He hasn't really asked much. DH and I have been picking at it.

 

[tiggersmom2]

Ok, I've figured out what I'm going to do. Come Halloween night, when trick-or-treaters come to the door I'm going to ask their parents how they deal with the Halloween candy. If they throw most of it out, their little darlings are getting the Smarties. If they keep it all, at least until Christmas, then they're getting the Reese's and Snickers.

LOL....I'll be giving the "throw-out" people those nasty tootsie rolls.

 

[mommaU4]

Sounds good to me. I bought FULL SIZE bars this year (great sale at Target and we don't get many kids) - nobody better be throwing those babies out!!!!!

Full size bars? Ahem...I'll take those of my kids hands...

 

[kasar]

Wow, can I come to your house??? We got new neighbors last year and they said they were going to buy the full sized bars and they asked how many kids we usually have coming around...when I told them they changed their minds LOL!!!! On a weekday we can get 200-250 kids..on a weekend it can go WAY over that....last time Halloween was a weekend my daughter was out for at least 6 hours, I swear that kid had about 25 pounds of candy..we had to keep coming home and emptying the bag becuase it would get to heavy for her to carry! We start out going to the 4 closest neighbors to us becuase they give her gift bags full of things, toys, candy, books etc...I always kid and say she is the only kid I know that actually gets gifts while she is trick or treating!! So those big bags come right home and then she starts goign to other houses....

That's how my neighborhood was when I was a kid - I miss it. We live on a cul-de-sac with only 8 houses and it's off a main road so we don't get too many outsiders - just the people on our street and a few older kids brave enough to cross the busy road. I'm bribing them with my big bars!!!! I love seeing the costumes and seeing how cute everyone is.

My mom bought yucky Dots - she wonders why she doesn't get too many kids! Um, maybe because they like their teeth to stay in their head???? LOL

 

[charabby]

Normally, we let the girls eat a few pieces Halloween night (their favorite part is sorting it, actually) and then I'll send a piece with their lunch each day and let them eat some after school and after dinner until they forget about it. Meanwhile, I will throw handfuls away or take some into work to share with my coworkers. They know I do it, but they aren't around when I do it.

This year, their after school childcare is collecting candy from the kids and sending it to some soldiers in Iraq that the kids have been writing to since this summer. My oldest was all for it right away, but youngest needed some convincing. Then she realized she could send the candy she doesn't like.

 

[DVCLiz]

DD's school asks the children to bring in a portion of their Halloween candy (it used to be half, but I think it's been reduced somewhat over the years) to give to the Pediatric Unit at the hospital. Wrapped candy is used as a reward for some of the therapies done for the small patients. The school has a "service learning" component, and this is a part of a year-long program. So we get to reduce the candy stash and feel that we have helped other children who didn't get to trick or treat.

And it's an excellent way to get rid of the things you don't like, too - although I always make DD go through and choose at least a handful of the things she really likes! I said, "How would you like it if you were in the hospital and all you got was some kid's leftover licorice (which she hates) and a few squashed Tootsie Rolls?" That usually gets her to cough up a Snickers or two.

Once she has the candy she is keeping, we don't have any rules. Halloween candy is for eating and making yourself slightly sick, and thrilling to the possibilty of what you'll eat next. If I put rules in place, I'd simply restrict the amount of time she could trick or treat, but I'd never tell her she had to pick a few pieces and store or throw out the rest.

Of course, this is the first year with braces,s ow e'll see what she can't eat. But I'll have some extra M&Ms on hand for her, just in case!!

 

[aprilgail2]

My mom bought yucky Dots - she wonders why she doesn't get too many kids! Um, maybe because they like their teeth to stay in their head???? LOL

My daughter likes those better than chocolate!!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I also try to make sure my kids eat some breakfast first.
Yeah, sign me up for that parent of the year award!

Mine would be eating Cap'n Crunch first.

I'm up for the parent of the year award, too.

We get too many to give out the big bars. We have lots of kids in our neighborhood and the connecting neighborhoods.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

LOL....I'll be giving the "throw-out" people those nasty tootsie rolls.

I like the Tootsie Rolls so you can give those to me! We can give Horseshoes the Smarties. aprilgail2's DD the Dots.

 

[skiwee1]

Sounds good to me. I bought FULL SIZE bars this year (great sale at Target and we don't get many kids) - nobody better be throwing those babies out!!!!!

Same here. We bought 250 fullsize Butterfingers this year. I doubt anyone is throwing one of those babies out!

 

[rigs32]

After last year, with some parents requesting candy for themselves AND when they don't live in the area (4 houses on our block), coupled with how much of the candy seemingly gets tossed, I don't feel so bad that both DH and I will be at work that night.

 

[YourMajesty]

My boys get to eat what they want. They have never been sick from too much but I might remind them that they could get a tummy ache. They also have control over thier stash. They have never tried to eat it for breakfast but I wouldn't let them (not that donuts or sweet cereal is much better but they would feel a little too powerful eating candy for breakfast ) We do end up throwing some out because it gets old. The bad part is I love the chocolate and the sweet stuff (dots, totsie rolls, runts, laffy taffy etc) so there is no bad stuff....except for those gross chewy peanut butter things in the black and orange wrappers (anyone remember those)?

 

[golfgal]

My kids are healthy, proper weight to a little under weight, eat well otherwise, they can eat all the candy they want. I find it is a self limiting thing anyway. The first day or two it is exciting and fun to eat the candy, after a few days they pick at the candy. When it gets to that point, all the candy gets dumped into a big bowl and we all eat it.

I don't understand letting your kids go trick or treating and then throwing away all their candy. What's the point? Go to a Halloween party then.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

I don't let my 3 keep all of their candy because we live in an AMAZING subdivision and they get some really great stuff--lots of full size stuff, etc. We put it all into a big bowl. I save the full size stuff for lunch treats.
Then usually I take about 1/3 of it to school. This will include the yucky stuff no one wants--dots, etc. (no one in my house likes Twix for some reason). Since I teach 16-18 year olds, I just say "I have some candy if anyone wants some" and get out of the way of the stampede of kids up to my desk! So it does not go to waste.
Robin M.

 

[mom2boys]

My boys get to eat what they want. They have never been sick from too much but I might remind them that they could get a tummy ache. They also have control over thier stash. They have never tried to eat it for breakfast but I wouldn't let them (not that donuts or sweet cereal is much better but they would feel a little too powerful eating candy for breakfast ) We do end up throwing some out because it gets old. The bad part is I love the chocolate and the sweet stuff (dots, totsie rolls, runts, laffy taffy etc) so there is no bad stuff....except for those gross chewy peanut butter things in the black and orange wrappers (anyone remember those)?

My youngest is allergic to peanuts so I get my fix of Reese's cups, sticks, pieces & Butterfingers. OF course I have to beat his brother to them. My guys will be getting braces in two weeks. They were so relieved when the ortho's receptionist said their appt was the 2nd week of Novemeber. They similtanious cheered "Yes! After Halloween. We can eat our candy."