The Hubs and I often disagree on how much sugar and "junk" to allow the kids. I want them to eat as healthfully as possible. I've even been known to tell my kid she can't have any candy at a birthday party. The more I learn, and the more I reflect, and the more I realize he has a point. (Just don't tell him I said that -good thing he doesn't read my blog).
With Halloween fast approaching, I've been thinking a lot about candy and sugar consumption. This is the first year that my oldest daughter will be trick-or-treating with friends and it is unlikely she will forget about the candy after a couple of days, as she has in the past. We've been reading a book called, The Switch Witch (how does one underline on a blog, anyway?) by Charity O'Neill. The premise of the book is similar to the tooth fairy. You leave your candy for the switch witch and while you are asleep the switch witch comes and trades your candy for a gift. It is a nice idea and we'll see how well it goes over this year. However, the more I think about it, the more I'm starting to think it is important that I let my kids indulge in Halloween; sugar included. The thing is, what we put into our body is actually considered secondary nutrition. Our primary nutrition is how we feed our soul. It is what makes us happy. It is why I named my company Not Just Kale. You can eat all the kale you want, but if you don't have things in your life that make you happy and make your soul feel nourished, you still won't be healthy. Think about it. If your marriage or job isn't what you want it to be, are you REALLY happy? I mean, at your core of your being happy? Probably not. If your not really happy, are you at your optimum health? Probably not. So, anyway. I'm getting onto a tangent here. The more I think about Halloween and candy, the more I think it is important that my kids feel included and not deprived on Halloween. So I'm going to let them have candy. Probably more candy than they, or The Hubs, expect. I'll try not to have a nervous break down as they eat, either.
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I like it :) How much did they end up having?
ReplyDeleteI totally get where you're coming from but for the time being, I see it a little differently. Tyler is only 2 1/2 but I've decided to go with the Switch Witch tradition. We celebrate Halloween, get all dressed up, and go Trick-or-treating then when we return home he can choose a handful of candy to keep. (Plus, I make him a holiday treat bag of candy filled with all Organic candies and some healthy treats too!) I can't see sending him the message that it's okay to put junk into his body for a whole day or month, or until he feels sick because it is Fun. Processed sugar is terrible for our immune systems, especially when the weather is changing and cold/flu season is upon us. So, a handful, or a few pieces should be enough for him to see what the candy is like and the next day it is gone from our home - out of sight, out of mind. Of course, I completely understand your thoughts behind Primary vs. Secondary foods and I think it's good to let our kids get a taste of what is out there- but they need to know... it's CRAP! LOL!!! Thanks for posting this Joy and getting me thinking, as you always do!!!
ReplyDeleteWe did the switch witch. It worked wonderfully. The two year old got almost no candy as I feel she is too little to know the difference. She got dressed up, went trick or treating and then all her collected candy went back out to the neighborhood trick or treaters. THe first morning afterwards she got an organic lollypop and that was the end of it. She was thrilled as even the organic lollypop is a treat. The four year old got to pick out 8 pieces of candy to keep a long with her switch witch gift. Of course, she chose the biggest pieces possible. She got to choose one piece of candy a day. Most of the time she didn't even finish it and after a few days she forgot all about her candy. I'm finding as they get older, you have the let them make their own decisions to some degree. I dont want her to feel deprived. For example, every Wednesday her schools gets crap pizza delivered. I dont pay for her to have the pizza everyone else does, but I do try and remember to send a healthier version of pizza to eat with everyone else. We talk about it. She knows pizza and candy isn't healthy for her. She's able to articulate what is important to her. In this case it is that she has cheese pizza with her friends...it doesnt have to be the SAME pizza...so I send with olives and mushrooms. Compromise and education. They eat so well. It is the 80/20 rule. Hard when we know all that we know but I dont want her to end up with an eating disorder later in life so if it means a few extra colds then so be it. :)
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