I don’t love Halloween - sorry, I know, downer over here. But here's the thing - I don't love a costume and knowing all the sugar my kids are about to consume really is enough to make me want to just turn all the house lights off and pretend it isn't happening…
Anyway, I was recently reading this article on Division of Responsibility in feeding children. If you don't want to devour the whole thing like I did, the basic idea is that you (as the parent, guardian, caregiver, etc.) lead the what, when, and where of feeding and your child determines how much and whether to eat what's presented to them. The idea is that by giving your child both freedom and responsibility in eating times, you begin to teach them to trust themselves, listen to their bodies, and ultimately develop a healthy relationship with food. Makes a lot of sense…and in a home where we talk, talk, talk about food a lot, I want to make sure to be careful to avoid micromanaging what they eat.
In the past couple years, I've taken all the paths on Halloween candy - doling it out individually, letting them choose a random number of pieces, throwing it away, etc. but this year, I've decided to take a different approach and that is that I plan to give my girls freedom with their Halloween candy - it's theirs and they can be responsible for how much and whether to eat it. My hope is that by giving them permission to eat their Halloween candy as they please I will help encourage a healthy food relationship and some listening to their bodies.
In full transparency, my kids have never been given full control over a candy stash before, so I fully expect them to eat more than they should and probably walk away with a stomach ache, but that's ok! With continued communication and experiences, they will begin to make the connection between what they eat and how they feel and their ability and desire to listen to their bodies will kick in.
That being said, here are some things I am going to be controlling when it comes to a healthy and positive Halloween experience:
What we eat for dinner tonight before they trick or teat - I know that a full belly will likely lead to less candy consumed. So I'm going to try to serve a meal I know they like to ensure they'll be eating something beforehand.
How many houses we'll trick or treat at - since our kids are still young, we can decide ahead of time how many houses we'll go to which will equate with how much candy they end up with in their bags.
How we talk about candy - simply engaging with them in conversation about candy instead of talking about it negatively, i.e. asking them what their favorite piece of candy is and telling them mine or asking them to describe the candy they're eating (taste, texture, etc.) and staying away from negative food-talk.
Our regularly scheduled programming - it's the day-to-day habits that truly make a difference so continuing to serve healthy meals and snacks on a regular basis will be more beneficial to them in the long-run than micromanaging their candy stash.
We'll see how this approach goes tonight and who knows? Maybe we'll even use our candy as an opportunity for a sorting/counting learning game? Do I get extra mom points for that?
Have a safe and happy Halloween!
