Avoiding the post-halloween sugar fest

Hello, Happy Humans!

We're here with our weekly 3 things...

1️⃣ A question from our community

2️⃣ Our actionable tip of the week

3️⃣ A resource from our toolkit

1. The question

“How can I help my kids enjoy their Halloween candy without it turning into a month-long sugar fest?”

2. Our actionable tips

There’s no “one-size-fits-all” solution for managing Halloween candy because every family is different. 

But… we’ve been there.

Those post trick-or-treating sugar meltdowns and the feelings of our boundaries starting to slip around sweet treats is always hard.

But the good news? It doesn’t have to be this way!

Here’s how we handle all of that Halloween candy in our home:

1) We fuel up before heading out.

We make sure our kids have a substantial dinner before trick-or-treating. Special thanks to our generous neighbors who always put out a kid-friendly, protein-packed spread every year!

When our kids have full tummies, they’re less likely to have meltdowns and more likely to enjoy their candy without overindulging. It’s a win-win!

2) We don’t restrict candy on Halloween night.

That's right… permission granted (not that you need it!) to let them eat ALL THE CANDY they want on Halloween night. 

For us, it’s just not worth the power struggle. One night of treats isn’t going to derail our kids’ nutrition and can actually reduce the temptation to binge later.

3) We create a post-Halloween plan TOGETHER.

After Halloween, we sit down with our kids to sort through their candy. 

They choose their favorites to keep and decide what they’d like to donate. 

Then, we agree on a donation date. This year, we’ll donate any uneaten candy two weeks after Halloween. The leftover candy can be traded in for a $5 toy, book, or activity (they usually pick an activity with mom or dad!).

By having a chat with our kids ahead of time, they are able to weigh in and co-create a plan with us… which leads to more buy-in.

4) We manage our expectations. 

We anticipate whining and meltdowns around the boundaries that we set, especially with candy in the house and growing kids. 

Let’s be real… it’s tough to stick to these limits (even for us adults!). 

So, managing our expectations can help us stay more in control when things feel chaotic.

We hope these tips help you and your family navigate all of that Halloween candy with a bit more ease. Happy trick-or-treating!

May your night be filled with more treats than tricks. 🎃

3. From our toolkit

Looking for a place to donate your Halloween candy? 

We’ve got you covered!

Soldiers’ Angels Treats for Troops is a Halloween candy collection program where local businesses and organizations register to collect extra candy. 

Many schools, dental offices, local gyms, and churches register as collection sites. 

Check out their website for more information here. 

We also encourage you to reach out to local food pantries and shelters. Many food pantries, homeless shelters, and community centers welcome candy donations… just call ahead to confirm, as needs can vary.

By donating candy, you’ll not only avoid future candy struggles, but you’ll be giving back to the community too!

*We personally use and love all of the products and resources we suggest. If you decide to check out any of the affiliate links we share, just know that we may get a small commission.

P.S. The first 7 modules of our 10-module ‘57+ Ways to Chill’ workshop are posted within The Collective!

We’re going to help you build a personalized toolkit of regulation strategies so you can:

✅ Regain your calm when you feel it slipping away.

✅ Lower your overall baseline emotional temperature. 

✅ Teach your kids the invaluable skill of self-regulation. 

We’ll be keeping our 7-day free trial in The Collective until the full workshop is ready to launch, so come explore the workshop (along with our biweekly live meetups, digital resources, and more) at NO COST while you can!

Once all 10 modules are ready, we’ll offer the workshop as a standalone activity, but for now, the only way to access it is within The Collective.

Use this link to get started.

Thanks for being here!