Halloween . . . Make it about more than just the sugar. Healthy Tips For "Trick-or-Treat"
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Halloween doesn't HAVE to equal your children consuming 100 pounds of sugar, it can be an opportunity to teach them a "healthy lesson" using a reward system to your liking!
In the same manner that we discuss what they want for Christmas or their Birthday, this is the time of year we discuss what they want for their reward of giving up their candy from Halloween! Similar to our advent calendar "rewards" tradition, we make a game of Halloween every year as well. On October 1st, the kids write down their top 5 "trade" ideas and have to turn them in to me by October 15th.
When my children were younger, I would let my kids trade in their candy for a gift from the "switch witch", similar to the tooth fairy, who "swoops" in at the "witching hour" and takes their candy, leaving toys in their wake! As they have gotten older, the "switch witch" still visits our home annually, but leaves other incentives through this "top 5" program such as music CD's and video or board games.
This year for example, my middle child Caleb has only one item on his list and has already turned it in to me. This item really surprised me and is also a good idea if you have a child that loves to cook! Caleb recently received an autographed cookbook, "Let's Paint Lunch" from a client of mine and is eager to make some of the recipes in the book. Therefore, his list suggests that I give him "cold hard cash" and take him to the grocery store so that he can buy the ingredients to one of the recipes and make us dinner! Ahh ... count me in! You got it kido!
("Let's Paint Lunch" is a fabulous book offering recipes for children from preschool through college! The book itself would make a great gift if you have a child of any age that loves to cook! The cost for the book is only $20 and will be featured in our new show The TriCityBUZZ airing on October 18th on Charter Mainstreet at 9a.m.!
If you hand out candy, make healthier choices this year, as a responsible adult! Try giving alternatives to candy such as raisins, apples w/mini caramel dips, stickers, pencils, Play-Doh or glow sticks, things that are affordable but fun! With the availability of numerous dollar stores these days, the alternatives to candy can be endless, if you simply put some thought into it.
Still, there's no doubt that come Halloween, millions of princesses, sports stars and other costumed kids will scamper from house to house, dropping fistfuls of candy into their plastic pumpkins and pillowcases and trying to shed those wrappers faster than they can yell "Boo! I know i did ... but that, was before I became a mother myself!
Despite the heightened awareness of health and nutrition, the fact remains that kids (and adults) are tempted with sweets at almost every corner even without a holiday devoted to sugar. About 30 percent of children ages 2 to 19 are overweight or obese.
As the average amount expected to be spent on Halloween candy is rising -- to $20.39 per person, according to the National Retail Federation -- this year, I challenge you to find creative ways to keep your children from gobbling it all in one stomachache of a night and take that average, $20 to turn it into a reward. The only problem with this is, your left "holding the bag" of candy! Take it to the workplace, a retirement home or (my favorite), your dentist office to avoid chomping at the bit yourself!
If you really want your children to still enjoy this holiday as it was created, to enjoy the childhood memories of eating mounds of candy, another tactic has parents buying it back for money or books. This tactic allows them to enjoy limited amounts of this "sweet" time of the year, but not go overboard!
Buy back as much of it as you can, offering a nickel for each piece of candy they like but don't love, and a dime for each piece of something they love. Some offer their children the opportunity to keep 10 pieces of their favorite candy, give up the rest and get $10! With teenagers, it works!
Rationing is also an effective method.
If you let them, they will have a free-for-all with the candy they receive on Halloween. Another tactic is giving a piece of candy a day to each of your children. Your setting boundaries and limits with the consumption and you can make it a challenge, to see if you can make it through to spring with a piece per day!
A one-night candy splurge won't make a child fat, and doctors and nutritionists say that everybody can enjoy a little Halloween candy in moderation, regardless of their weight. However, personally, I prefer to "bribe" my children out of their candy all together. Dental costs keep rising as they get older, their vanity takes center stage and the importance of a bright, white healthy smile becomes much more important ... even to them!
By using a reward system and turning the night into a teaching moment about portion size and limits, you will notice, these lessons can can be reinforced all year with many things such as Report Cards, Christmas/Birthdays and allowances!
It's important that we as parents help them find the balance between that very traditional fun activity and a healthy lifestyle.
Also, don't forget to fill their belly's with a "ghoulish" meal before heading out to Trick-or-Treat which will fend off the temptation to perform a trick, get a treat and EAT!
For Information On How Your Business Or Event Can Be Featured, Call Sales & Marketing Director, O.J. Cunningham At ((989) 892-8501 Or Email OJ@MyBayCity.com TODAY!
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