The Candy Conundrum

And so it begins. The kick-off to the holiday season starts with a one-nighter anticipated all year by children and dreaded by parents who sigh and shell out money on ludicrously overpriced costumes and stockpiles of bite-size candy for the hordes of children that will descend on their doorsteps.

On this night, it’s a giant scavenger hunt, masquerade, and free-for-all, bundled together with the enthusiasm of sugar-crazy kids on a quest to score as much candy as their big bags and little legs can carry.

Candy from strangers … it really goes against the grain of everything we teach our children. Any other day of the year this is a no-no. But on this night, rules are relaxed, belts are loosened, and common sense goes out the window like so many discarded wrappers.

Aside from the hunter-gathering activities, Halloween is also a big social event. My older daughter is now at the age where she has separated herself from the family unit and wants to go trick-or-treating with just her friends. Friends meaning, a ‘mixed group’ with both girls and boys. By far, that was definitely the scariest thing I saw this Halloween. At 13 she has officially reached “the teen-aged years.” Years that inspire terror in parents across the globe. It’s not a trick and it’s definitely no treat when your kids want to go off and do their own thing. It means a whole new set of worries when your kids reach that age and that new stage in their lives. But it’s part of growing up, and if I want my daughter to learn to do that well, I guess I need to let go of her hand a little.

Speaking of ‘Little,’ I had a totally different experience with my younger girl. 

This year my also-growing seven year old made it her personal mission to collect candy that I like. Can’t say what prompted that (and no! I didn’t ask her to do it!) but when she gets something set in her mind, she is unshakeable. It was truly wonderful to see her chatting up the neighbors and showing off her costume and just being her sweet little self. So we had a really good time together, and as tired as I am today from all the walking, it was worth it.

Now we have a pretty sweet stash of candy between our two girls’ collective efforts. And I’ve decided this is a good thing. If you can’t trust a skinny cook

(and I do love to cook!) then maybe I shouldn’t worry so much about my weight. So if I eat a little candy each day, I ought to start bulking up. Winter hits pretty hard in Central New York, and I might as well appreciate the built-in padding that will help keep me warm during those long, cold months.  

So really, there’s no reason to worry going into the holiday season. Don’t fret about your kids’ teeth or the future dentist’s bills. Don’t obsess about the crick and crack from your back every time you have to stoop to pick up another dropped candy wrapper.

Think about it this way: you want to be able to pack it in on the mother of all eating holidays, right? So go ahead, sneak a few extra of your favorite treats from the kids’ candy stash, and enjoy the pre-Thanksgiving stomach stretch. Cut yourself a little slack and learn to indulge your inner child. Just don’t forget to brush regularly between steals.