Trick or Treat
7 Tips for Handling Candy Overload
Oct 25, 2024 | 6:55 AM
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Wondering how to manage that huge pile of sweets? These tips can help.
Your kids come home from a night of trick-or-treating with bags full of candy. Now that candy is sitting in your kitchen, just begging to be eaten. So what can you do with that stash of sugar that won’t make your kids cry?
Here are 7 tips for handling candy overload in the days – and weeks – following Halloween:
- Don’t make candy forbidden. Using candy as a reward or severely restricting how much can be eaten sends the message that candy is “off limits” or can only be eaten in special circumstances. When you do this, you make it more desirable or it can lead to obsessive eating patterns.
- Offer to swap candy for other treats. Invite kids to exchange pieces of candy for toys, activities or even money. This puts kids in control of selecting a more positive choice.
- Keep sweets out of sight. Put leftover candy in an out of the way spot rather than right on the counter or in the front of the pantry. When the candy isn’t visible, it’s more quickly forgotten.
- Separate into categories. Have the kids divide their candy into three equal piles – what they love, what’s just okay and what they don’t like. Then let them keep just the pile of favorites and have them come up with ideas to get rid of the rest.
- Demonstrate the power of giving. Suggest that kids donate excess candy to the troops or to a homeless shelter that may be collecting candy after the holiday.
- Teach kids portion control. Give kids an opportunity to learn portion control by explaining what a single serving of candy is. Then have them put that amount in small bags and let them choose a bag each day (or a few times a week) until it’s gone.
- Be a role model. Kids model healthy behaviors after their parents. So if you’re not loading up on candy after the holiday, there’s a better chance they won’t either.
