Halloween

We it's official the holiday log jam has begun and the children couldn't be happier. I read this article yesterday about something that parents are doing up north called the SwitchWitch. What this is, is a "witch" who comes and visits your house while your children are asleep and takes the candy in trade for a present of greater value as measured by the amount of candy that the child is willing to give in trade. This way the kids eat less candy and have a chance to get a toy with a longer play value than a momentary sugar high while allowing the kids to still participate in the candy haul of the season.

While I see the logic behind this practice and in some ways agree with it in principle I feel the need to say that my kids already have some supernatural person who has the ability to sneak into their home and leave gifts two months from now.

Why can't a parent say no? why can't a parent limit the amount of candy that a child can eat at any given setting. So far I have learned that it's all about setting boundaries and understanding the precedent that you as parents set. I have always let my children eat a couple of pieces during the individual trick or treating events. But as home they are allowed to pick one piece of candy out of their bucket at the appropriate times. As a dessert. Or they can make the choice to have a piece of candy instead of their snack. It's their little bit of control while I as a parent control the amount of sugar they consume. To me the SwitchWitch seems like a way for the parents to absolve themselves of being the bad guys by being parents and saying no to their precious darlings.