Face it. The fun of Halloween isn't just in dressing up, heading to a door, and calling out "Trick or Treat!" Your children want to eat the goodies they get. What's the point of trick-or-treating if you don't get to eat treats?
Unfortunately, not everyone knows a safe food from an unsafe food. And, worse yet, some people might try to hurt children by placing harmful objects or substances in the goodies they pass out. Very few treats are tainted, but parents and children need to be cautious.
You'll want to check out every treat before your child eats any. To keep children from munching as they go trick-or-treating, give your children a snack or light meal before they go out. Children will find it hard to resist the temptation to snack if they have an empty stomach.
Establish Rules About Treats
Lay down a few ground rules, go over them with your children in advance, and review them just before they head out.
- Tell children not to eat anything that isn't commercially wrapped.
- When children bring their treats home, discard any homemade candy or baked goods. Parents of young children should also remove any choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies, or small toys.
- Wash all fresh fruit thoroughly, inspect it for holes, including small punctures, and cut it open before allowing children to eat it. The safest course of all is to think of fruit as an unwrapped food, and discard it.
- Inspect commercially wrapped treats for signs of tampering, such as an unusual appearance or discoloration, tiny pinholes, or tears in wrappers. Place anything that looks suspicious where your children can't reach it and contact your local police department.
- If juice or cider is served to children at Halloween parties, make sure it is pasteurized to destroy harmful bacteria. Juice or cider that has not been treated will say so on the label.
- Many fire and police departments and some hospitals will inspect and/or even X-ray your children's treats. Think about incorporating a trip to one of these places as part of your trick-or-treating event.
- Some children are okay with getting rid of treats that are "bad for them." Other children adjust better when they can trade a "bad" cookie or candy for a favorite treat. Consider incoporating an "after-the-trick-or-treating candy exchange" in which, for example, your kids trade you four of their Baby Ruth bars for one of your homemade muffins, or a healthy carob candy bar, or a gift certificate for a frozen yogurt.
Treat Giver Advice
What kind of treats can you give that are safe? Parents are tossing out homemade cookies or candy – so don't waste time, money, and energy making them. Commercially wrapped cookies, candy, and gum will suit most children just fine.
You might want to offer an alternative to sugar-based treats. Healthier snacks include packaged fruit rolls, mini boxes of raisins, and single-serve packets of low-fat popcorn that can be microwaved later. Stickers, multicolored pencils, party favors, small coloring books, rub-on tattoos, or even quarters can be a nice surprise in place of traditional treats.
Your children, nieces, nephews, or grandchildren probably have a pretty good idea of what they think a good non-candy treat would be. Ask them for suggestions, but be prepared for a fiendishly long list! |
