Disposal strategy: divide and conquer
For the past two days here at the HEALTHY HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN site we’ve been looking at ways to control the impact of the one-time huge infusion of candy and empty-calorie treats that will find their way into your home on the holiday. We have surveyed the landscape for strategies that work for both children and for adults. Today’s question looks more like this: is there an early preemptive strike that you can make to minimize the danger of sugar consequences?
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When the children finally return home from collecting treats, first inspect each item for safety of course, and then have your kiddos divide their “loot” into two piles — one for the candy they really want to keep and eat (and will promptly divide into daily portions to stuff into zip-lock plastic bags for storage inside the food freezer as HEALTHY HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN recommended earlier) but the other for any candy they do not intend to consume. Once divided, pack up the surplus and promptly donate that second pile to a food pantry, a shelter for the homeless, your local Ronald McDonald House, the United Service Organizations (USO) or a nearby senior center or children’s hospital.
To make the donation process even easier — and more fun — perhaps you could plan a special Day After Halloween party to include a few of your children’s friends. Each guest would be invited to bring along all the uneaten/unwanted holiday candy left at that child’s house. You could then pool together all of the donated candy into one big container and allow each child to choose two or three favorite pieces from the treasure chest to take back home. All the rest of the candy is then ready to be donated to the site of your choice. Get it completely out of your house before anybody is tempted to dip into the non-favorite items out of boredom or just because the treats are easily accessible and in plain view. In other words, pass along those “blessings” before they turn into burdens … or excess pounds and inches to carry with you into the month of November.
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For an alternate (and potentially lucrative) strategy to get rid excess candy, come right back here to the HEALTHY HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN site tomorrow. You might be surprised at some of the opportunities right in your own community to convert candy into cash.