For kids on Halloween, nothing can be scarier than ghosts, witches, vampires and other things that go bump in the night. But for many parents of MTHFR Kids, there is something far more real and scary than any of those fictitious frights combined:
Candy.
Sugars, preservatives, food dyes, hydrogenated oils, MSG… these are a handful of the things we dread our kids consuming and that we usually make a concerted effort to avoid. It’s clear we need an MTHFR Kids Halloween survival guide to get us through this haunted holiday. And really, MTHFR mutation or not, this is a survival guide for any parent who is more conscientious about what goes into the bodies of their kids.
This can be tough stuff, I know. We want our kids to feel included in the fun, and we may want them to be able to have a treat every once in a while, and we definitely want to avoid any tantrums or power struggles. But we also really, really want them to be healthy. Here are some strategies on how to ease some of the stress and anxiety on Halloween.
MTHFR Kids Halloween Survival Guide
The Switch Witch
The kindly Switch Witch visits kids on Halloween night and replaces their candy with a toy. Your MTHFR Kids can collect all their candy while trick-or-treating, leave it out when they go to bed, and wake up to a new toy. There is a whole movement around The Switch Witch — you can find books and even a doll; lots has been written on how to incorporate this tradition.
The Trade-In
This strategy is good if you’re cool with your kids having some candy, as long as it’s of a higher quality. Moms and dads stock up on “good” candy, and at the end of the night the kids hand you their sack full of junk and you hand over the good stuff. Need some ideas on better candy choices? Look no further:
Justin’s Organic Dark Chocolate PB Cups
Annies Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks or Bunny Grahams
YumEarth Organic Lollipops
The Out of Sight, Out of Mind
You can probably figure this one out on your own: the candy comes home, but when your kids wake up in the morning, it’s gone. This probably works better on kids with less long-term memory — when my son was 3 and younger, he never gave it a second thought once he woke up on November 1st. After that, he mentioned it the first day, but I was able to distract him with something else.
These days, they’re allowed a piece of candy when we get home from trick-or-treating, they get one after dinner the next day and then by the day after that, they’ve completely forgotten about it. Maybe I’m just lucky.
The Donation
There are organizations out there that will accept candy donations to hand out to those in need. Examples of these are Operation Gratitude or Ronald McDonald House. Be sure to check with your local homeless shelters, retirement homes, etc. if you want something local. Not that I really think any of these donation recipients should be eating this junk either, but it’s another alternative to consider instead of just trashing it all.
Pick Your Poison
If you do allow your kids to eat conventional candy, you might think about setting some boundaries around it. As I said above, our kids get one piece the night of Halloween, and then one a day after dinner the following nights. I also tend to say absolutely “no” to sugar based candy like Nerds, Sweet Tarts, etc. and stick more with chocolate. If they eat hard candy like a lollipop, I like to brush their teeth right after they’ve finished.
The Spirit of Halloween
No matter which method you choose, try to move the focus on Halloween away from the candy and onto the fun of it all. Talk with your kids about how much fun it is to dress up in their costumes and to visit with neighbors and friends for a touch of frightful fun. You could also talk to them about how in some cultures, Halloween is a time for remembering loved ones that have passed.
Hopefully, this MTHFR Kids Halloween Survival Guide will help you and your family make it through the candy downpour relatively un-spooked. Happy Haunting!
