My husband and I used to have an argument every fall. I would be dreading the approach of Halloween because I was worried about the quantity of candy the children would collect.
Because the rest of the year, I so carefully kept processed sugar out of their diets.
I just couldn’t stop focusing on what to do with Halloween candy.
Brian would say, “Oh lighten up! It’s one day a year.”
And I would feel this impending doom as the holiday approached, feeling like my heroic efforts of the rest of the year were being erased.
Here I was striving to be the perfect Waldorf parent, and this one day was going to ruin it all!
The real issue was that I could see both sides of the argument! (This is often a hang-up for me.)
I wanted the children to be able to participate in the annual ritual of dressing up, walking the neighborhood after dark, and shuffling among the leaves. Being outdoors at an auspicious time of year.
But I felt like the candy affected our lives for weeks on end.
What To Do with Halloween Candy
Then one year, I came across the idea of the Sugar Sprite. A little fairy that no one ever sees who is fueled by candy and sweets. She NEEDS our candy.
So we devised a plan whereby the children would have the joy of trick-or-treating.
After that, they would come home, sort their candy, and pick out a few pieces to keep for themselves. Then they would help to craft a note to the Sugar Sprite to go with the candy they were gifting to her.
Before bed that night, or the next, we’d put the candy in the front foyer with the note. And in the morning, the candy would be gone, replaced by some small, simple toy or plaything for each child. One year it was a dolly high chair, another it was a set of jacks. Just a small toy as a thank you.
If you’re grappling with the same dilemma, go and enjoy your Halloween. And then gift the bulk of the candy to the Sugar Sprite.
(Just be sure to get the candy out of your house or you may end up stashing it in the back of a high kitchen cabinet and eating it all yourself!)
Another possibility for all the Halloween candy?
Participate in the Halloween Candy Buy-Back program!
Looking for other ways to expand the Halloween fun and make this holiday about more than just candy? Read A Mother’s Love-Hate Relationship with Halloween.
Happy Halloween!
And please share in the comments if you have any clever ideas for dealing with all the candy collected!
That’s a great idea! I’ll save it for when my children are older. Right now I have a toddler, and this will be her second time trick-or-treating. We’re planning the same as last year- to swap out the candy with treats we approve of like fruit leather, bunny grahams, and homemade things. We figure she would rather have those things because she likes them, and she doesn’t even know what the other candy is.
Yes, swapping out for healthier treats is great. One year, we were all on no sugar but could eat honey. And I made homemade candy for my kids to swap out. Oh, the blissful ignorance of toddlers! Thanks for sharing here, Helen.
Thanks for sharing Jean, I think it’s a fabulous idea 🙂