So earlier this month we made a deal with our lil' guy. His daddy + I would take him trick-or-treating on Halloween, but immediately afterwards he turns in his bag {in its entirety} for "One Special Lollipop" and a secret basket of non edible goodies. We closed the deal on a handshake, and he trotted off the happiest 3-year-old on the block. Ever since he's been telling anyone {I mean ANYone} who'll listen about the "One Special Lollipop" he's getting on Halloween. It's a HUGE deal to him, so there would be no skimping on style + size. Last Monday I settled on a retro rainbow Whirly pop. It's classic + colorful. The boy is still bragging about the rainbow ribbon frosting I put on his birthday cake a month and a half ago, so I figure this sugary confection will suit him just fine.
image: brungrrl on flickr
5 comments:
hey mom .. who gets the bag full? it's a great idea to start with the little ones .. love you forever
I applaud your efforts and the fact that Buby is satisfied with the one special treat. I remember you and your brothers dumping out your candy on the family room floor and trading candy bars for sweet tarts, etc... Of the three of you - I think you were the one with the biggest sweet tooth.
That must be SOME lollipop!
I'm working it from the other direction. I don't want to hold back the joy of the night from the kids. That feeling of your bag getting heavier, getting home and dumping your goods, sorting and trading. It's all part of being a kid. Maybe Buby is just better at self control than even his Aunt Jen (I've had 3 Twix and 2 Kit Kats already!). I applaud your skillful capability of getting him to trade his whole bag of loot for a lolly! Maybe he better not spend too much time with my three! lol
We let the kids have two pieces when they get home (lollipops count as 2) and then one each day after dinner until I can't stand the sight of it any longer usually a week), then I toss what's left while their at school and they don't even notice.
It's perfect that most Halloween candy is miniature size.
(....yeah, that's why I ate so many:-)
I think this is a fantastic idea, that's why there's so many kids with diabetes these days, parents just don't really care and give them what they want...I will strive to be a parent that doesn't give in...good job guys!
Yeah, I had the biggest sweet tooth of the three of us. And the most cavities. And the most migraines. And the most belly aches. I was definitely a pickier eater back then.
I'm sooo glad that Buby is such a healthy guy and will try anything, and that's (in part) because we worked hard at it right from the start. We said "no" to everyone who wanted to give him junk over the past few years and had a lot of general guidelines about food. I cannot tell you how many people (mostly older folks) tried to offer him candy, chips, cookies, high-sugar juices, fried stuff when he was practically a baby and looked at me like I was crazy when I said "no thank you!" Buby didn't know what he was missing, and we weren't about to create a bad habit for no good reason. Kids are creatures of habit. Well, mine is anyhow, so we had to be careful what we'd let him taste. He's getting older now, so he's getting the concept of treats and special "sometimes" foods. But our goal all along was to establish good habits first (pure nutritian) and then teach about moderation with the rest as he got older.
That's why I struggle with even handing out Halloween candy to young ones. I wanted to get pretzels or play-doh, but My Sweets said our house would get egged. Ha! But it sends a mixed message to your own kid. And to me, the holiday is about SO MUCH more than sugar. We do crafts, ornaments, orange food, parties, costumes, music, books, spooky neighbors, decorations, baking together, surprise baskets. Who knows how long I can keep Buby from wanting all the junk he collects. But he's only 3, so I figure we've got at least a few more years of him preferring carrots. And "One Special Lollipop" he can look forward to.
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