how do you deal with halloween candy? - Page 3

[mamaofthree]

i'm confused as to why if you are so against them eating conventional candy even for one day do you take them out to get it and then say no you can't have it for even one day.
i know at least where we are there are LOADS of alternatives to taking kids door to door to get candy. they can still dress up and you can be in total control of what they get and how much. like churches have carnivals and malls do things and schools have fairs. heck i bet there was a notice at the health food store for a junk candy free evening of fun and games.
our homeschool group (all three we have belong to in the past also) has a fun sort of "fair" with games for the kids and a little costume parade most if not all give out organic and or natural candy or crayons etc.

h

[organicmidwestmama]

Originally Posted by sunnygir1

Wow! I am surprised at how much of the stuff you all allow! I just think it's poison; especially the food coloring and artificial flavorings. Yuck!

Dd isn't even 4 yet, but we just trade her for candy from the food co-op -- good chocolate, fruit leathers, etc. I am always thrilled (and so is dd) when someone is handing out something other than candy. My favorite this year was play-doh.

I don't ever see myself telling her she can binge on candy.

just as a thought from the other side on this- i grew up being only allowed organic candy from the co-op, and i had many cavities and allergies. not that the co-op candy caused this, but i think there is a false sense of security in "organic/natural" sugary foods. fruit leather is a nice treat but still has sugar in it, not added but "natural" sugar. barley malt-sweetened chocolate from the co-op still turns to sugar in our bodies.

[zinemama]

Originally Posted by sunnygir1

Wow! I am surprised at how much of the stuff you all allow! I just think it's poison; especially the food coloring and artificial flavorings. Yuck!

I limit the candy my kids can keep (see my post above) because it's junk food.

However, if I believed candy was poison, I would not allow my children to TOT. What a mixed message to send a child!

[sunnygir1]

Oops, struck a nerve!

mamaofthree -- There actually hasn't been an issue thus far. She gets to keep the non-candy things and trade for other treats. I haven't found any alternatives here where they don't hand out tons of candy, and there was no such notice at our local health food store. We live in a very rural area, though. When my kids are bigger, I may well choose to take them to the city (over an hour drive) for a very cool Halloween theatre event they have, but it's too far and too late for my little ones.

organicmidwestmama -- I actually didn't say that my concern was cavities or allergies. My concern is not the natural sugars that occur in fruits, but all of the crazy artificial and unpronounceable ingredients in conventional processed foods, including candy. I assure you that although I indulge in high quality, sugar sweetened chocolate that I have no false sense of security about how that might affect my dental and general health.

zinemama -- Our children receive "mixed messages" all the time no matter how clear we try to be, and we should give them credit for their intelligence, resilience and ability to learn and understand. My message to my children is not mixed. It is fun to engage in community activities, and we can still choose what to put into our bodies.
We are gluten-free and she can't eat pizza and birthday cake at birthday parties...do you think I should refuse to allow her to attend her friends' parties?

[sunnysandiegan]

Originally Posted by onlyzombiecat

That's pretty cool.

Thanks! It was a pleasant surprise for me and DH to see she is still very much in touch with her body. The point I was aiming for was about writing and THAT part surprised HER! Win-win!