Just a Halloween/Candy question .... Parents are trying to improve school lunches ....

[defendandprotect]

What about this Dentist Holiday?

Why is everyone still so anxious to shove all this sugar-stuff on kids???

Is FLUORIDE that effective?

[Drunken Irishman]

1. Because candy is good...

And it's easier to throw fruit than chocolate bars.

[ejpoeta]

2. uggh. give me a break. my kids like trick or treating. then i take their

candy and put it in the back of the cupboard. once in awhile they will ask for a piece of candy. otherwise they forget it's even there. i end up throwing it out and replacing it with the next year's candy. they get to have fun trick or treating. they don't feel like they are being denied candy.

[defendandprotect]

6. How about giving the kids money -- dimes, nickles ... let them buy their own stuff ?? ... eh...

well -- not any kind of "stuff" -- :evilgrin" --

but they'd probably bring in a fair haul of money -- maybe enough for a CD?

[seabeyond]

16. it really is in the fun of it. if people did that, then cool. nt

[GReedDiamond]

18. I have given out Kennedy Half Dollars...

...I just bring $50 to the bank, and change em for Kennedy Halves. That's enough for, uhhmmm, let's see, I'm guessing 100 Trick or Treaters.

Everybody loves em!

[defendandprotect]

21. Once I made little bundles of coins ....let the kids pick ONE ....

Some of them had larger coins in them -- or more --

but not all --

[CreekDog]

88. they'd probably buy candy

:eyes:

[seabeyond]

14. just like my house.... posted down below. ah ha... high five to parenting. nt

[femmocrat]

3. They are???

Not that I have seen--- Those children will have tons of candy bars in their packed lunches next week.

The packed lunches (I see a lot of "Lunchables") are just as bad or worse than the school lunches, in many cases. And of course, kids are kids and will eat the sugary stuff first and throw away the sandwich and fruit.

[defendandprotect]

8. Is the FLUORIDE really working that well ...???

[Bonobo]

4. I hope your house is egg-proof!

Just sayin'.

:+

[defendandprotect]

9. Money works ... !!

[sufrommich]

15. lol,I was thinking the same thing.nt

[defendandprotect]

29. I've always done things like pretzels ... little boxes of raisins for younger kids ....

little boxes of animal cookies -- money --

Cans of beer for the teenagers ....




ONLY KIDDING!!

:evilgrin:

[Phentex]

38. raisins are not good for your teeth!

worse than some candy

[wtmusic]

5. Kids need that extra burst of energy to compete in today's world

j/k, but candy is awesome. Stay away from my chocolate. :scared:

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. I don't give out candy

I hand out pencils and little trinkets. It's better for the kids and far less expensive.

We had a friend years ago who gave out quarters. The kids lined up at his door early every year.

[SheilaT]

12. Maybe I'll do that this year.

I find I can never correctly estimate how much candy I need, and I always buy stuff that I like, so I wind up eating the leftovers myself.

Quarters, quarters, quarters. And what I don't give away, I can still use in a sensible fashion.

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. The kids seem to like it

I have returners every year.

Sheila, were you living in KC when Kaufman gave out Royals stuff on Halloween? It was amazing. The line would form in front of his house early in the afternoon. Then a man who worked for him would come out and hand out the neatest stuff. Royals jackets, ball gloves, t-shirts, just incredible stuff. I think of it every year. Good memories.

[SheilaT]

78. I moved there

in 1990, so not sure if it was still happening then. If it was, I was totally oblivious to that.

And speaking of that area, I'm sorry I don't have US Toys near me to stock up on wonderful trinkets to give out.

[Amaril]

44. Same here

I make treat bags with Halloween themed pencils, erasers, stickers, spider rings, etc. and will usually toss a couple pieces of sugarless gum in there -- especially if I can find sugarless eyeball gum balls - those are the best!

(sigh) I love Halloween.

[lightningandsnow]

10. You should never eat anything remotely unhealthy EVER! FATASSES!

:sarcasm:

[Phentex]

34. LOL!

ever.

:rofl:

[HuckleB]

68. +1,000,000,000,000!!!

[nolabear]

11. The pleasure and delight of being a little bad once and a while is a GOOD thing.

Giving and getting candy is a social bond, having special days relieves the stress of everyday life, and if you're living healthy most of the time it's a win/win. People enjoy giving, kids enjoy getting, and parents enjoy sneaking it out of their bags and noshing it after they've gone to sleep.

[defendandprotect]

23. Kids also like money .... and they don't get cavities from it ... PLUS ...

from what others say, I think parents -- probably MOM -- eats the leftovers!!

:evilgrin:

[Phentex]

37. What do you think they buy with that change?

candy

[Scout]

65. +100 n/t

[KittyWampus]

64. A friend told me the same- said "giving the Devil his due".

:)

[seabeyond]

13. moderation, moderation, moderation. my kids are beyond the candy fest but

when young, i would let them have a couple after trick or treating, put in cabinet and they would forget about it. hubby and i pick and chose, then threw the rest away. my kids were not obsessed with it. very forgetful. was the fun in doing.

parenting...

it is a good thing

[Abq_Sarah]

19. I only get 4 or 5 kids a year

So last year I did origami dollar bills.

The kids and parents really liked them.

[defendandprotect]

24. ART is SMART --- and much smarter than support candy companies/cavities --!!

[WillowTree]

20. Do we really need to find a way to take the fun out of absolutely everything?

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

22. Yes

And there are teabaggers who don't want to give anything out at all.......encouraging handouts and all that.

[defendandprotect]

25. Why can't it be "more fun" .... ??? Cavities are fun?

[Phentex]

35. So is it okay for those who don't get cavities?

:shrug:

[defendandprotect]

47. If you think sugar is good for your body ... why not?

:shrug:

[TZ]

79. Actually YES SUGAR IS GOOD FOR YOUR CELLS

You need it to survive! Obviously you never learned about a little something called cellular respiration.- Biology 101
Geezus. You know that fruits are just loaded with sugar right? Its the amount of sugar thats important to monitor. And having candy every now and then isn't going to kill you.
Boy, you are as judgemental and ignorant as many Republicans I know....:banghead:

[Codeine]

41. Cavities come from poor brushing.

Teach the rugrats to brush and they'll be fine.

[defendandprotect]

48. Your diet effects your teeth -- especially sugar ---

It's not simply brushing -- when you eat sugar, it effects your overall health --

including your teeth!

[Codeine]

62. What aspect of the diet damages your ability to punctuate sentences? nt

[Codeine]

26. I'd love to monitor your food intake for a week

and make all sorts of judgments and pronouncements as to the quality and acceptability of that which you consume.

It's Halloween, ferfuxsake -- let the kids gobble some candy.

[wtmusic]

27. +1

[defendandprotect]

30. Why ... I'm a VEGAN ...???

[Codeine]

32. As am I, for over 20 years. But I'm sure I could find any number of unhealthy

dietary choices you make.

[defendandprotect]

45. You're a VEGAN ... ??? And, do you think I eat Halloween candy ... ???

[Codeine]

59. Yes, I'm a vegan. Have been since I was 19.

We're not all loopy woowoos with a penchant for castigating others. I just happen to love animals more than I love steak, leather, and cheese.

And I love chocolate. Hasn't harmed my health or my teeth.

[HuckleB]

73. +1

[SidDithers]

55. +1...nt

Sid

[lynne]

28. Let's give them each a potato!

Full of Vitamin C and fiber, I'm sure the kids will love it. :eyes:

Seriously, if you don't want your kids to have candy then don't celebrate Halloween. I'm handing out chocolate and some of that crap sugary candy that kids love. It's Halloween and it's time to have some fun without obsessing and wringing our hands over every little thing.

[Phentex]

36. with broccoli...

that would go over well!

[defendandprotect]

72. Celebrating Halloween has nothing to do with candy ... it's Autumnal Equinox ... not M&M day!

And Happy first days of Fall to you!!

:)

[KansasVoter]

31. Jesus, this is why some people HATE democrats!

[defendandprotect]

46. Obviously, people with limited imaginations -- !!

[surrealAmerican]

33. Fluoride really IS that effective.

It worked remarkably well for my children and their friends.

It also turns out to be useful for children to have one night a year when they learn that eating all the candy they want will make them feel horrible. They never quite believe this until they experience it themselves.

[eShirl]

39. Bah! Humbug! What do you give out, single-use lengths of dental floss?

:crazy:

[defendandprotect]

58. Money ... pretzels .... raisins .... cookies ... popcorn ....

BEER ... PUPPIES ... KITTENS ... !!



Only kidding ... !!

[AsahinaKimi]

40. Well if the fundies

Get their way we won't have to worry about Halloween anymore. :sarcasm:

Seriously, My dad is a dentist. He used to allow me to go trick or treating when I was a kid, but he would always hide all the candy after the holiday. He used to throw it out, until my mother jumped on him and said, "She gathered it, let her have it... but over time.".

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday, despite my Dentist dad not caring for it. For years we had to explain to him what it was about. One year He tried to give out sample tooth brushes but people would scoff and walk away. From then on it was my mother's job to hand out candy. She would always buy candy corn and candy pumpkins, and those became my favorite! Dad just never got the idea of the holiday despite how much we explained it to him.


I hated that one year my dad had thrown out the Candy after Halloween. I cried for days about it, until my mother made him go to the store and buy what was left of the on sale Candy. Even then, I only got some when my mom felt generous.

Halloween will still always be my favorite holiday. I buy my own candy, and don't eat it as much as I want to. (Guilt trip?) I do enjoy giving it out however, despite the phrase "Dame dayo" (Bad) haunting me each year.

[semillama]

87. This isn't your father by any chance, is it?

[FLPanhandle]

42. Does EVERYTHING have to be good for you and perfectly safe?

Halloween is the perfect holiday. The kids get candy and piss off the fundies at the same time.

[HuckleB]

76. +1

[Angry Dragon]

43. I am going to go as a Dragon this year

and do that fire thingy

Chocolate rules

[Dr. Strange]

49. I plan on handing out Chick tracts along with the candy.

It balances the bad influence from the candy.

[TZ]

51. .

I think this post should have its own thread to discuss the merits of this suggestion...:evilgrin:

[flvegan]

52. Thread won. Last one out, turn off the lights please.

[Posteritatis]

50. ITT: 1/365th of the year is blown way the hell out of proportion. (nt)

[defendandprotect]

60. Go into the grocery stores and see the aisles filled with candy for Halloween....

and commercials on TV --

it's not a minor thing --

[Dappleganger]

53. Bah, Humbug!

Turn the lights off your porch, then--be THAT neighbor, LOL.

[SidDithers]

54. My kids brush their teeth...nt

Sid

[NeedleCast]

56. ROFL...really...now you think a tradition that goes back 100s of years is a Dental Conspiracy?

You should meet my friend, Occam's Razor. You and he would have a lot to talk about.

[defendandprotect]

67. Try thousands of years ... it's based on Autumnal Equinox -- a PAGAN holiday ---

Do you think the pagans were dispensing M&M's ...

Yikes!

[Warren DeMontague]

71. No, I think the pagans never would have made it past the Van Allen Radiation Belts

science says so!!!1....!!!!

[Heidi]

57. Why do you call it a "Dentist Holiday"? Even when I was a kid (35 years ago) dentists were AGAINST

sugar-dosing of kids and advised parents accordingly. If "everyone" in your circle is anxious to shove "sugar-stuff" down kids' throats, perhaps you need to reconsider your associations.

And I can't believe you're asking whether fluoride is effective. www.paho.org/English/DD/PUB/Flyer_SP+615.pdf

I live in a country that uses salt fluoridation rather than water fluoridation (as I was accustomed to in the US) and I believe--but have no scientific evidence to prove--that my teeth are not nearly as healthy since I moved to Switzerland as they were when I lived in US communities with fluoridated water, despite the fact that while I've always practiced very good dental hygiene I've stepped it up a lot in my middle age, just as I've stepped up exercise and other healthy habits.

[Codeine]

61. salt flouridation?

Neat! I wonder if that might be a good idea here considering the high-salt diet many Americans have.

[Heidi]

63. In the US, might be a good idea. I know I consumed a LOT more salt before I emigrated.

My husband has hypertension, so we just brush and floss a lot more since we consume less salt. :shrug:

[Codeine]

75. I think I probably eat salt more than I drink tap water myself. nt

[LanternWaste]

66. I imagine it's a combination in various parts of...

"Why is everyone still so anxious to shove all this sugar-stuff on kids???"

I imagine it's a combination in various parts of tradition; entertainment; an indulgent in those things which, when taken in moderation amount to little serious consequence.. if any at all; a great excuse to take the kids out walking, etc... :shrug:

I don't really perceive this holiday as the death knell to healthy eating or a run on the the local dentists, but then again I'm not very clever about these things.

[HuckleB]

69. I'd probably worry more about kids that get fed juice every day...

... my kid will have a pumpkin full of candy, and it will probably last six months or more. He always asks before he gets any, and he often forgets about it. He gets one sampling a day tops.

Halloween is a fun time! Enjoy it!

[Warren DeMontague]

70. I think FLUORIDE is a PLOT by NASA to cover up the FAKED MOON LANDINGS

It's got to do with a long-range project to POISON our STAR FRIENDS at the STAR FOLKS LUNAR COLONY.

[Codeine]

74. God I love this place.

:rofl:

[MorningGlow]

77. Fuck it; it's once a year

It won't kill 'em. And by the way, I'm a Pagan, and I approve of this holiday tradition. We Pagans lurrrve our candy. :evilgrin:

[Tumbulu]

80. I'm with you- I hate the whole over the top candy thing

The first time my daughter ate a commercial piece of candy she was 5 yrs old at a ballet rehearsal. Something in it made her literally go crazy- she ran into the wooden doors after running all about hysterically. Bloody nose....oh my goodness. The only time she ever drank a soda- coke or something that someone gave her she broke out with horrible hives that lasted weeks. Now people know not to give her this stuff. She avoids this stuff as she hates feeling so sick. I do buy her organic candy that has natural colors. I give it to her teachers and the yard duty folks at the school as they like to give the kids candy for treats sometimes and this way she can get treats and they do not object as all the other kids love these little organic lollipops. It's the only thing I have figured pout that allows her to still have the fun of getting sweets like the other kids and not getting sick from them.

I totally sympathize with people enjoying giving candy to the little kids all dressed up. It is one of the things I loved when I lived in a town- getting candy for the kids and getting in my own costume to give the candy out. This was before I had children and saw how crazy they can be after eating a huge overload of candy. I understand the kids loving to get so many presents from neighbors and strangers. It is thrilling and so wonderful that it overrides the problems. But the frustration of every parent who has to control ONE MORE THING for their children is such an exhausting matter to add to an already overtaxed daily life it seems.

I like so many of the ideas above. Glad you started the post.

[defendandprotect]

84. A lot of kids are bothered by sugar --

but it's not a question of giving them chocolate or nothing --

there are other things -- MONEY, pretzels, popcorn, raisins, sugar-free lollipops --

whatever ....

[Tumbulu]

85. yes, that is why I'm glad that you started the thread

it is wonderful to dress up and give them some treat. The thing to think about is what is the right kind of treat and I like many of the ideas I have read.

I live am a farmer and no one comes trick or treating here.

[defendandprotect]

86. Especially like to see the little ones who come earlier in the day ....

but our neighborhood has also changed and we don't have as many kids coming

anymore -- and far fewer that we really know!


Happy Halloween!! :)

[Crunchy Frog]

81. It's once a year, while school lunches are an everyday thing?

One of them is a rare treat while the other is part of basic nutrition?

If you don't want your kids to have candy for Haloween, then don't give it to them. And I guess you could give out tofu nuggets instead of candy to kids who have the temerity to trick-or-treat at your house. :shrug:

[defendandprotect]

83. As I've said above, I give money, pretzels, raisins, popcorn ......

whatever ... it doesn't have to be chocolate --

You make quite a few presumptions about people --

!!

[Crunchy Frog]

82. BTW, I'm going to use FOOD STAMPS to buy Halloween candy this year.

:evilgrin:

[evirus]

89. Fluoride in water is a supplement, not a cure all.

and sugar is fine so long as you take good care of your teeth, and even a "natural" apple contains some sugar.