Around Halloween time I was listening to CBC radio on the way to school and heard about the Dentist Halloween Buy Back program.  Some dentist practices participate in a program where the kids can sell their candy back to the kids for $1 / lb.  Most Dentists send the candy to soldiers overseas.  I hope they send toothbrushes too!

Initially this sounds like a good idea.  It might be a help.  But $1/lb.  A kid is going to figure out pretty quickly the deal stinks.  ON the CBC program they counted over 30 mini chocolate bars before they got to a pound of candy.  That is a lot of min chocolate bars!  Maybe if they offered a little more money it might be more appealing to kids.  It would probably be better for the parents to buy back the candy or at least half the candy at a better price.

There was a mix of comments on the CBC website of pros and cons about the idea of dentists buying back the candy.  People saying that it is taking away from Halloween.  A parent letting their kids have candy the first week and then it disappears after that.  A dentist who hands out a toothbrush with candy (my favourite comment).  I know of someone who got little trinkets to give out on Halloween instead of candy.

My Mom makes candy apples every year (65 of them) to give out to the kids.  If that doesn’t need a toothbrush after I don’t know what does!  This has been a tradition since I was a kid.  The kids I grew up with are now parents and they go out of there way to go to my parents to bring there kids to get a candy apple and try to snag one for themselves.  Are they really thinking about all the candy their kids will consume?  Maybe they are hoping the kids forget about the candy apple so they can have it.

So what does a parent do about all that candy?  You could send it my way, but I think that I have eaten enough in the last few days.  I know, I’m suppose to be living a healthy lifestyle … the tag line IS one day at a time… I’ve been a little off the last couple of days…or should I say weeks.  Anyway, back to candy.  Give your kids a little big and you eat the rest.  Throw it out.  Give it away to other people.  Swap it for little presents.

The night of Halloween I was on Facebook and saw a friend who had swapped the kids candy for toys and books.  What a great idea.  Where the kids disappointed that the candy was gone or did they think it was awesome that the Halloween Fairy made a switch-a-roo?  For this family it was more than just taking away the halloween candy and depriving the kids.  It was a health conscious choice along with a medical concern for one of their children not to have the candy in the house.

Next time I give out halloween candy I’m going to add in a toothbrush too.  One day when I have my own kids, the candy will be regulated for the kids and for me.

There is a whole other post that could be written about whether or not the kids should participate in Halloween or not!  Maybe I’ll keep that one for next year.

Should parents keep Halloween candy from their kids? Share your thoughts below in the comment section.

You can listen/read the CBC broadcast Here.