How was Halloween?

Hopefully, we are all coming out of our Halloween chocolate-induced comas. Now it's time to reflect on the holiday. How did it go? Did your children eat every piece of candy in sight? Or were they able to moderate their intake?

I'll be honest... my plan backfired. Throughout the year, I monitor my kids' junk intake but I have a sweet spot (ha!) for Halloween. So, as in the past, I told my children they could eat as much candy as they wanted. In the past, they ate a decent amount and then decided they were finished. This method allowed my children some unrestricted candy intake- but I was there to make sure it didn't go overboard. And in the past, I didn't have to intervene.

This year was different.

My son didn't stop eating chocolate. I broke my first rule by not leaving enough time for my children to eat a healthy snack before leaving the house. So we went trick-or-treating on an empty stomach. And we went before dinner so they were hungry.

By the time we got back home, I was in a bind. Naively, I had told my son that he could eat as much candy as he wanted. But I realized that I didn't really mean it. I was getting nauseous as I watched him eating chocolate after chocolate. My husband and in-laws actually intervened. We were all aware of the irony of them telling me that I was giving the kids too much chocolate. Luckily, they played my usual role of the 'bad guy' and made him stop eating. But I learned my lesson. There will be different rules next Halloween.

Hmmm... maybe I need to read my own newsletters a little more closely!

Happy Halloween. And don't forget to vote on Tuesday.