Don’t Get Sick Of Halloween Candy

For Halloween, parents know that they need to take precautions to make sure that their kids have a safe time as they prepare their costumes and head out trick-or-treating. We’ve been giving you some tips on how to make sure your kids are careful when out on the streets, and even shown you some alternatives to trick-or-treating. But regardless of however you and your kids decide to celebrate Halloween, there’s a good chance your kids may end up with lots of candy. Its important that you make sure your kids know not to eat a single piece of candy until they bring it home for you to inspect. But on top of that, parents and kids need to know that eating too much candy can make kids sick, cause cavities, or gain weight. The experts at KidsHealth offer up some additional advice for how to keep your kids safe and healthy.

• Parents should always check all candy before kids start eating, and don’t allow kids to eat anything that is unwrapped.
• For kids who may be prone to overeating, parents should regulate how much candy they can get.
• Teach kids that its better to eat a little of your favorite foods instead of enormous amounts.
• Parents should teach their kids about eating only until they are full, to avoid getting sick or gaining weight.
• If organizing a Halloween party with other families in your community, try to offer lots of candy alternatives too, such as pencils, stickers and other small items.

Additionally, here are a couple of other things to consider:

• In some communities, to help curb temptation, some dentists offer candy buy back programs that allow kids to trade candy for money.
• Keep candy out of reach of pets as well; chocolate for instance, can be poisonous to dogs.

When you start putting limits on the candy you allow your kids, make sure you talk to them and explain your reasoning. Make sure they understand that it isn’t about punishment. This might give you an opportunity to talk to them about maintaining a sensible and healthy diet year round—as well as instilling a sense of dietary responsibility and establishing good habits that will allow them to keep fit as they get older. Check out the KidsHealth site for more information about kids & candy on Halloween, plus plenty of other great topics about how to keep your kids healthy.