Halloween Candy policy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We put it in a bowl on the counter and the kids had a free for all the first night. They'd have some more the second day and then it tapered off. I never had to make a strict policy. We taught our kids to self-regulate food in general pretty well.

How did you do that? I think people say this but they don’t really know what it is like to have a sugar addiction/food addiction.

It was just our lifestyle and modeled behaviors as they were growing up, I guess. Teaching moderation from an early age. Involving them from a young age in meal planning and cooking. I don't know what the magic answer is really. We've always had healthier diets, but we also aren't strict. It's true though, none of us has ever struggled with weight, but we aren't naturally skinny either. And we do love food and eating too. Most people aren't born with a food addiction. While genetics do come into play, it's majorly a learned behavior.

We did all of that and my kids still don't have what I consider a healthy relationship with food. I have one kid that for the longest time seemed to not know when he was full and would keep eating until he made himself sick if I let him. I have another who giving one or two treats a night is still not enough for him, so he will take them when we aren't looking, which causes us to remove all treats. Its worse if they are at a friend's house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stop giving you children so much unhealthy food & sugar from an early age. Also, don't ban it either. Moderation and a variety of foods are key. And stop blaming genetics for everything. Genetics have not changed so drastically over the past 50 years. The way we consume food has. But yes, blame it all on that sugar addiction your child was born with. lol

[Anonymous]

DD likes the idea of having candy, but doesn't have a major sweet tooth. She can have a few pieces each night, but will forget about it by the weekend, so I'll bring it into work next week with my leftover candy.

We do split her loot three ways (me, her, and her dad). She keeps reminding me that parents don't trick or treat but that's why the kids share with the grown ups.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We put it in a bowl on the counter and the kids had a free for all the first night. They'd have some more the second day and then it tapered off. I never had to make a strict policy. We taught our kids to self-regulate food in general pretty well.

How did you do that? I think people say this but they don’t really know what it is like to have a sugar addiction/food addiction.

It was just our lifestyle and modeled behaviors as they were growing up, I guess. Teaching moderation from an early age. Involving them from a young age in meal planning and cooking. I don't know what the magic answer is really. We've always had healthier diets, but we also aren't strict. It's true though, none of us has ever struggled with weight, but we aren't naturally skinny either. And we do love food and eating too. Most people aren't born with a food addiction. While genetics do come into play, it's majorly a learned behavior.

We did all of that and my kids still don't have what I consider a healthy relationship with food. I have one kid that for the longest time seemed to not know when he was full and would keep eating until he made himself sick if I let him. I have another who giving one or two treats a night is still not enough for him, so he will take them when we aren't looking, which causes us to remove all treats. Its worse if they are at a friend's house.

My child never ate past being full, but not sure I had that much to do with it. Even as an infant, when he was done, he was DONE. Not another bite. But I don't think it was anything in particular I did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Switch Witch gets the lot. Kids get sth cool. They dress up and have fun. They are 6, 4 and 1.

What is the point of collecting the candy if they aren't allowed to have it ? Jeez.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stop giving you children so much unhealthy food & sugar from an early age. Also, don't ban it either. Moderation and a variety of foods are key. And stop blaming genetics for everything. Genetics have not changed so drastically over the past 50 years. The way we consume food has. But yes, blame it all on that sugar addiction your child was born with. lol

In fact I said the opposite- he doesn’t like sweets at all. We were both raised on the same diet (think healthy Asian diet) yet I have a extremely hard time resisting sweets. Kid doesn’t. Plus science clearly states genetics are in play. So it is super annoying when people smugly announce their kids don’t have issues bc of how they were raised. They just got lucky their kid didn’t pull that gene card. Over the past few weeks I’ve read several DCUM posts from parents struggling with a child’s sweet tooth. The parents don’t seem to be feeding the kids particularly poorly. The kids are just predisposed to love sweets.

Also you are right that we have changed in 50 years as far as food we consume. Those with the addiction issue have a much harder time nowadays bc sweets are everywhere and sugar is in everything.

I know! I walk through the grocery store and the employees throw sugar filled items into my cart until it'f full and then tell me I havre to checkout and go home without stopping in the produce section. I should ask to speak to a manager.

I don't mean at the store idiot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We put it in a bowl on the counter and the kids had a free for all the first night. They'd have some more the second day and then it tapered off. I never had to make a strict policy. We taught our kids to self-regulate food in general pretty well.

How did you do that? I think people say this but they don’t really know what it is like to have a sugar addiction/food addiction.

It was just our lifestyle and modeled behaviors as they were growing up, I guess. Teaching moderation from an early age. Involving them from a young age in meal planning and cooking. I don't know what the magic answer is really. We've always had healthier diets, but we also aren't strict. It's true though, none of us has ever struggled with weight, but we aren't naturally skinny either. And we do love food and eating too. Most people aren't born with a food addiction. While genetics do come into play, it's majorly a learned behavior.

We did all of that and my kids still don't have what I consider a healthy relationship with food. I have one kid that for the longest time seemed to not know when he was full and would keep eating until he made himself sick if I let him. I have another who giving one or two treats a night is still not enough for him, so he will take them when we aren't looking, which causes us to remove all treats. Its worse if they are at a friend's house.

My child never ate past being full, but not sure I had that much to do with it. Even as an infant, when he was done, he was DONE. Not another bite. But I don't think it was anything in particular I did.

It is another one of those things that is just inbred mostly. My #1 (very tall boy) would literally put down a spoon after 1 lick of ice cream and say he was full. My 2 (tiny girl) would have downed a quart if not interrupted. If I only had kid #1 I would have just thought I did a great job as a parent.

[Anonymous]

No policy. Kids 8 and almost 6. As much as they want night of, then a piece or two for dessert for a week or two until they forget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stop giving you children so much unhealthy food & sugar from an early age. Also, don't ban it either. Moderation and a variety of foods are key. And stop blaming genetics for everything. Genetics have not changed so drastically over the past 50 years. The way we consume food has. But yes, blame it all on that sugar addiction your child was born with. lol

In fact I said the opposite- he doesn’t like sweets at all. We were both raised on the same diet (think healthy Asian diet) yet I have a extremely hard time resisting sweets. Kid doesn’t. Plus science clearly states genetics are in play. So it is super annoying when people smugly announce their kids don’t have issues bc of how they were raised. They just got lucky their kid didn’t pull that gene card. Over the past few weeks I’ve read several DCUM posts from parents struggling with a child’s sweet tooth. The parents don’t seem to be feeding the kids particularly poorly. The kids are just predisposed to love sweets.

Also you are right that we have changed in 50 years as far as food we consume. Those with the addiction issue have a much harder time nowadays bc sweets are everywhere and sugar is in everything.

I know! I walk through the grocery store and the employees throw sugar filled items into my cart until it'f full and then tell me I havre to checkout and go home without stopping in the produce section. I should ask to speak to a manager.

I don't mean at the store idiot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No policy. Kids 8 and almost 6. As much as they want night of, then a piece or two for dessert for a week or two until they forget.

That is a policy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No policy. Kids 8 and almost 6. As much as they want night of, then a piece or two for dessert for a week or two until they forget.

That is a policy.

Yeah I guess you’re right. This is just what we’ve always done and they don’t usually ask for much outside of it. Maybe every now and then. So it doesn’t seem like something we have to take a hard line on. If that makes sense.

[Anonymous]

What's works for me is to let my daughter have dessert every other night. she can pick candy or she can pick something else if we have other kinds of sweets in the house (I definitely have a sweet so I don't usually buy cookies or cake or anything unless it's a special occasion).

I also recommend not trick or treating more candy than you think you're going to need.

[Anonymous]

I leave it out and my daughter forgets about it after a week and by Thanksgiving I’ve eaten the rest. When I was a kid, I’d eat all of mine in a few days except for the weird stuff like Bit-O-Honeys and Mary Janes. My husband is like my daughter and can take it or leave it. We eat really healthily and aren’t restrictive about food but I’m still driven by an insane need for sugar. If DD were more like my childhood self, I’d be a lot less chill about leaving candy out.

[Anonymous]

Kids are 8 and 5. I let them collect as much candy as they want when they trick or treat. They can have a bunch of candy that night (I've never had to cut them off but I would after 6 or so pieces). They sort their candy and give me all the candy they don't want, then their candy goes in a high cabinet. For dessert, they can have 2 pieces of candy until the candy runs out or it gets old/gross enough that I declare it "spoiled" and toss it.

[Anonymous]

I have a friend who lets her kids either keep the candy and have a few pieces a night or trade it in for something they want (think Pokemon cards or a book or something). She then brings the candy to work.