It’s almost Halloween, one of the most fun holidays of the year. More and more families seem to be getting into the spirit, decorating their homes, having street parties and just having fun. At a time when things seem so serious in our world,  its nice to have a day when you can be a little silly and enjoy. When it comes to the tradition of shelling out and receiving candy, it’s part of the celebration and I have no intention of spoiling it for you and your kids. But, I can offer a little advice to put some sugar/candy concerns into perspective.

Moderation is definitely the name of the game when it comes to Halloween.  I don’t think this is the time to be making judgements about what’s healthy or not when it comes to candy and other treats.  These are treats and the kids (and you) should be able to enjoy them, in moderation, without worry or guilt.

Eating treats, from time to time, doesn’t mean you are giving up on your healthy eating habits.  If your kids are eating well and have lots of healthy food at their meals and snacks, that’s what is most important.

When it comes to candy, I think its best to eat something that is really delicious, enjoy it and don’t worry.  Try not to waste calories on candy or other treats that are just so-so.  Go through the kids candy bags with them and take out things they don’t like at all so when they have a treat, it really is a treat.

Candy can play a role in promoting tooth decay so it’s really important to make sure kids brush their teeth well after eating sweets.  While this applies to all sweets, it’s particularly important for sticky foods like candy kisses, lollipops and toffee.

Give your kids a healthy dinner before they start out, so they won’t be starving when they are en route with their bags of candy.

Some parents find it helpful to divide up all the candy into smaller packages so the kids can have treats over the next few days or weeks.  Put a positive spin on it…they will be able to have Halloween for more than one night if they save some stuff for later.

If you want to skip the candy this year,  a trip to the dollar store will give you lots of fun ideas to keep little trick or treaters happy. You can shell out puzzles, little coloring books, spider rings, Halloween sticker books, pencils, fun-shaped erasers, small boxes of crayons, finger puppets or glow sticks.

Most importantly, have fun!