10/30/2025
Halloween is tomorrow, and for many parents, the thought of all that candy can be a bit spooky! 😱 But here’s the thing: Your child’s relationship with candy doesn’t have to be a scary one. 👻
I discourage families from putting tight restrictions on dessert and Halloween candy and treating it as forbidden. Research shows that the more attention we give to dessert, the more fixated a child will become. ⠀
Children are naturally drawn to sweet food, and the key is to neutralize its power by using these four tips in your household to help your child have a healthy relationship with dessert and learn to self-regulate.⠀⠀
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1) Dessert/treats should not come with conditions (clean your plate or eat your vegetables).⠀⠀
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2) Dessert should not be treated as a reward or a bribe.⠀⠀
3) Incorporate sweets into the meals as a snack or part of the meal. This helps to teach children that desserts can fit into a balanced diet and shouldn’t be treated as a forbidden food.⠀⠀
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4) Avoid “good food and bad food” comparison. I like to refer to food as “growing food” or “lasting energy fuel” and sugary foods as “fun food” or, better yet, call it what it is, “cookie, candy bar.”⠀⠀
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I will be letting my children enjoy their candy on Halloween 🎃 night. I’m always surprised one of my kids will wait until they get home to dig in, and the other will eat a few along the way, and they will happily share with me. When they get home, they love to spread it out and sort it in piles and trade between them. They always have a stash they want to enjoy and set aside others they don’t like and will donate(skittles), and some are contributed to a shared bowl that the whole family will bring out for dessert throughout the week or include some with afternoon snacks. After a week, it seems to lose its novelty and magically disappears (ok, I can’t resist the peanut butter cups), and we’re done with it.
Remember, Halloween is about fun, costumes, and making magical memories. Candy can be part of the fun without being a source of fear. 🦇
