Probably the most frightening aspect of Halloween is the amount of candy your children bring home. No matter which type of sweet treats they get, it all boils down to the same thing – sugar, sugar and more sugar. While you don’t want to rain on your child’s Halloween parade, there’s a lot to be said for coming up with an effective strategy that emphasizes moderation. What type of parent would you be if you didn’t lend any oversight to the candy consumption process? You’d be a parent with some very wired children. Too much candy is bad for your child’s teeth, as well as his or her health. So what’s a mom and dad to do? If you want the first night to be a free for all, have at it. Let your children go to town on their new-found goodies. But once they’ve retired for the night, put your plan into action.

Keep a small amount of candy for your children. Set a limit. Maybe it’s two pieces of candy following dinner every night. Lay down the law and be consistent. Despite the begging, be firm in your decision. If you’re averse to having your children eating candy every night for the next two months, offer up another solution they might find every bit as appetizing. Negotiate a candy-for-cash trade. With a candy buyback, you purchase the candy from your children. They get the cash. You get the candy. As for the candy, put it to good use. Use it for baking and send the treats in to school with your child or hold a bake sale. Donate the candy to homeless shelters or some other charity. Bring it to your office. Send it in care packages to the troops who are serving overseas. Just do something with it – the more altruistic, the better.