We asked our fab Facebook fans about their Halloween game plan for the candy haul. Halloween candy buy-back? Steal all the Snickers? Let them have only so much and then quietly throw the rest away? Science experiments?
We got some great suggestions:
1. They get to choose three favorite pieces each then everything is put together in a big bowl (I have three kids). I dole it out here and there, and whatever is left after 1 week is either tossed (hard candies usually) or chopped up and baked into a batch of cookies (chocolate stuff).
2. I'm going to stash everything that would go on a gingerbread house, freeze the chocolates, toss the ones he's too young for (bubblegum, atomic fireballs, jawbreakers), and let him have the rest to eat over the next week or so.
3. We have a candy drawer - it all gets tossed in and is very slowly dispensed. They are only young once!
4. We got a little trick-or-treating at U Village and three neighbors - and we put it in the "Lollipop Bag" on top of the fridge and give it out slowly over the next couple of months. (That way she doesn't realize all the chocolate is gone before it should be!)
5. Our kids got a HUGE haul this year. We don't generally purchase candy, so we just let them have it as they see fit. It's hidden in their room somewhere and they know that the rule in the house is no candy before lunch. Both of my boys have candy left over from their sister's birthday in July and another birthday they went to last month. I'm guessing since we don't make sweets an issue, they don't feel the need to gobble it up. However it came to be, they have a huge stash and hardly ever get into it. LOVE that.
6. My 7-year-old gave 90% of her candy to the Sugar Fairy, who comes at night and leaves gifts in exchange for the candy she needs for the winter. Socks and a new ballet leotard were the gifts and she's thrilled. So are we.
7. Mine get to eat to their hearts content on Halloween. Then they choose their favorite 10 candies to save for the next week of lunches and treats. The rest they dump on their floors and the great pumpkin comes and replaces it with some simple presents while they're sleeping.
8. We only trick-or-treated our block, so the tyke (3.5) got around a dozen pieces of candy. (We learned our lesson last year when we ended up with a bagful of loot that she had forgotten about entirely after a few days and ultimately went to my husband's coworkers. We don't normally keep candy around.) I asked her how many pieces she thought she should have last night, and she said, "One" (!!). I said, "Oh, I think you should have more than that - it's Halloween!" So she suggested three pieces. Until the rest are gone, she's allowed one piece after dinner each night and after lunch too if she's eating at home. Her preschool is doing art projects using extra candy too, which I think is a fun idea. It's up to her if she wants to donate some of hers.
9. Taking it to Bridgeport so they can send it to the troops. I let them keep 10 pieces.
