The Halloween Fairy: How We Solved the Candy Problem
We’d dressed our daughter up in the standard, adorable ladybug costume, taken about a million photos, paraded her happily around the neighborhood, and felt enormously proud every time she squeaked out a tiny “thank you” in her two-year-old voice.
But it was upon returning home — our little girl clutching her pumpkin bucket full of Halloween loot — that the terror finally struck.
What were we supposed to do with all of this candy?
Just skimming the ingredient labels (when they were actually listed) was a nutritionist’s nightmare. It seemed we had two options:
- Let her eat the candy and feel tremendous guilt while our child ricocheted around the house on a sugar high, or
- Throw it all away and become the mean, strict parents who ruin Halloween forever.
Neither option would do.
Enter: The Halloween Fairy.
I’ll bet you’ve never heard of this wonderful, magical, sanity-saving creature — so let me tell you about her. (You have my full permission to adapt this story however you like as you spread the word.)
Here’s how it works: On Halloween night, children go trick-or-treating and collect vast amounts of candy that we all know is impossible to consume in one sitting and not exactly ideal for strong, growing, intelligent kids. Meanwhile, the poor little magical creatures of the world — elves, fairies, gnomes, sprites — are left with nothing. Ask any child under five and they’ll tell you that’s simply not fair.
So, the children enjoy (insert number here) pieces of candy on Halloween night, then leave the rest outside for the Halloween Fairy to collect and distribute to all those deserving little magical creatures. In exchange, the Halloween Fairy leaves behind gifts — toys, a fun activity, and treats with ingredients that are far more pleasant to read.
Win-win.
(Just make sure the Halloween Fairy disposes of the candy properly. The dumpster is far more forgiving than the gut.)
Does It Actually Work?
After nine years of Halloween Fairy visits, I’m happy to report: kids are more excited than ever to make the trade. When they wake up Sunday morning to a new board game, a few handfuls of Sunspire SunDrops, and a stack of Chuck E. Cheese tokens — they forget all about that pumpkin bucket full of junk. And I get a few hours of peaceful reading. Everybody wins.
As for the inevitable day when they grow skeptical — like with Santa and the Easter Bunny, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
One More Thing Worth Noting
It’s no coincidence that flu season tends to kick off right around the Halloween candy gorge and winds down after Valentine’s Day. Excess sugar and artificial additives place real stress on the immune and detoxification systems, leaving us more vulnerable to the viruses and bacteria making the rounds this time of year. A little awareness goes a long way.
Know a family who could use this idea? Share this post with someone you care about — and leave a comment below telling us how you keep your kids happy and your family healthy through the holiday season. We’d love to hear from you!
