10/31/2025
What if the real danger this Halloween isn’t candy, but the guilt we pass down about it?
Maybe sugar isn’t the problem, but the fear and shame we attach to it can quietly shape how kids feel about food, their bodies, and trust.
It often sounds like this:
– “I don’t eat sugar.”
– “You’ve had enough, haven’t you?”
– “I’m being good today.”
– “That stuff is poison.”
To a child, those comments don’t just describe food. They teach what’s safe, what’s off-limits, and when pleasure has to be earned.
Here’s what helps instead:
1. Stay neutral
Avoid “junk food” or “healthy food.” When kids hear some foods are “good” and others are “bad,” they learn to judge themselves by what they eat. Talk instead about how foods help the body.
2. Let candy be part of the experience
Restriction makes it more powerful. When candy is allowed and enjoyed openly, it loses its charge. Our family keeps it in a bowl on the kitchen table because accessibility removes the power of restriction.
3. Model calm
Eat a few pieces with them. No commentary, no guilt. Kids learn more from what we do than what we say.
4. Pair with protein
Candy with nuts, cheese, or milk slows the sugar spike, steadies energy, and prevents the crash.
5. Create rhythm, not rules
Help kids plan when candy fits. Even with breakfast! Pair with meals and snacks so blood sugar stays steadier.
6. Trust them
If they overdo it, that’s part of learning. Ask, “How’s your tummy feeling right now?” Kids build self-regulation through experience, not control.
When kids feel safe around food, they learn to trust their bodies instead of doubting them. That’s the real goal: not less candy, but less shame.
