How do you handle the candy thing without feeling like a jerk?

How do you handle the candy thing without feeling like a jerk? I’m gonna offer two solutions so you don’t go to bed tonight feeling like mean old mama and papa bear. First, what does processed sugar do to their body? This is important because knowledge is power and it will help you make the right decision without feeling guilty. Processed sugar and candy can cause hyperactivity, hunger, tiredness, headaches and tummy pain. Psalm parents may say, “Good! Maybe they’ll remember next time!” No they wont! They will crawl through broken glass to get to a snickers bar! I promise you! Also, the next day, it can cause constipation, excessive hunger and cravings. It’s a little known fact that attendance at school is down for the rest of the week and the doctors office sees more patients. It has something to do with a lowered immune system. We know there’s a lot of stuff out there. As a matter fact, I was in the doctors office for two bouts of strep throat this last week and I could hear the doctor through the walls saying, “Yup it’s strep!” Yup it’s strep!” Then they got to us and said “Yup!” So keep that in mind knowing that there’s a lot going on out there and when they’re immune system is compromised things can sneak in! So here are the two solutions that can help you feel better and make your kids happy: First off, have them eat a great meal that they like before they go trick-or-treating. Something a little heavier. I’m doing my famous Dragon’s Breath Chili that I do every Halloween and so their tum tums are full and that means less candy going in. Second idea, have them pour the candy out on the floor and separated i to three piles. Their least favorite candy in one pile, all the hard candies in the second pile and all the chocolate covered candies in the third pile. Tell them you’re taking the chocolate candy to put it in Tupperware and placing it in the freezer so that you can take it out occasionally and make muffins and ice cream toppings with it. Let him have one piece of candy for five days in a row and then toss the rest out. And one thing that’s important, candy should never be seen as something that’s earned because that will lead into their sense memory as adults that earning processed sugar is a reward. It’s not! Perhaps let them have it that afternoon when they get home from school and treat it like it’s no big deal. With that, go have fun!