With fall leaves changing color and nights becoming brisker, we know that the Halloween season is about to make its way into our homes. For many parents, it is a tricky time where they have to keep their kids from indulging in extreme sugar highs.
Although you would want your child to enjoy all the fun and sweetness that Halloween brings, you need to teach him that too much of everything is bad, including delicious Halloween candies!
So how should you go about it? Should you set limits? Should you keep a tab on how much your child is eating? Here are a few tips that you can follow to keep your kid’s sugar intake to a moderate level this Halloween!
Prepare Your Kid For Halloween
1) Serve Pre Trick-Or-Treating Meal
Serve your child a healthy meal before letting him out for trick-or-treating. The meal should be well-balanced with all the necessary nutrients – whole grains, vegetables, and proteins. Since your kid is already full, he will consume less candy in the evening.
2) Teach Your Child To Be Picky
Not all candies are created equal. This is the reason why you need to talk to your kid about his favorite treats and how much of them are healthy to consume at a time. Make a pact with him to eat candies only after he reaches home. Also, don’t forget to discuss what you will do with the leftovers.
3) Use A Mini Bag
Many experts argue that people eat more food when it is packaged in big boxes. Hence, it is a good idea to give your kid a mini bag to take with him for trick-or-treating. A small bag will naturally limit the amount of candy your little one will acquire.
Things To Do Once Halloween Is Over
1) Split The Halloween Loot
Divide the leftover candies into small batches. Keep every batch separately as a single-serving treat that you can give your child once a day to enjoy. You can also formalize these portions by putting a few treats in different-colored favor bags. Staple the bags properly and label them for a different day of the week.
2) Give Away Leftovers
If your kid has collected a large number of candy that you know is unhealthy for him, consider giving the excessive treats to other people. Distribute them in places like your workplace, libraries, or pediatrician offices. Ask your kid to share candies with his friends and give away some to less fortunate children.
3) Move The Candy Jar
As they say – out of sight, out of mind. If you keep the candy jar within the vicinity of your kid’s vision, he will ask you for treats again and again. You can put the excessive candy and chocolates into a jar and keep it in a hard-to-reach cabinet or in the very back of your cabinet. Eventually, your kid will forget about the treats and you can give them away.
Things To Do For Trick-Or-Treaters Who Come To Your Door
1) When kids come to your door for treats, give them non-food alternatives, such as stickers, false teeth, toys, and little bottles of bubbles. You can also give small games like tiny decks of cards as treats.
2) If you are giving sweet treats, choose the ones that have less quantity of sugar in them, such as pretzels, sugar-free gum, raisins, popcorn, and sugar-free candies.
Remember, Halloween is just for one day. If your family eats sensibly throughout the year, eating sweets will not have a lasting impact on your kid’s dental health. You can also encourage good eating habits in your child during Halloween by eating in moderation yourself.
Don’t forget to bring your child for a regular dental checkup after Halloween. At Abingdon Box Hill Family Dentistry, we offer all the assistance you will need to keep their teeth healthy and bright! Make an appointment at 410-569-8500.
Skip to content