Am I Evil????

Even if I'm there with them, they can still get hurt. There have been so many kids shot and killed on Halloween night in my area because of stupid gang fights and such. I would rather have my kids live and be healthy than have ****ty candy and increase the risk of them dying.

You know what ruins your childhood? Getting really overweight when you hit puberty and no one wants to be your friend because of it. I don't want my kids to go through the same thing as I did.

When you have kids, tell them each year you are going to go on an adventure and take them to a safer neighborhood. Kids don't get fat from one night. You can always go with the ideas given to this woman--tell the kids ahead of time that the majority of their trick or treating will be to help out with a good cause. Let them keep some of the candy and then take them in their costumes to a nursing home or a children's home and dole out the rest.

I genuinly do not understand why most people (not you specifically) are convinced the fun has to include the candy and unhealthy treats though. We had a lot of fun at the healthy Halloween event yesterday. In fact, it is all my daughter has talked about. I think it is all in finding the alternatives.

Because that is a huge part of the holiday for Halloween for kids. It was a joy as an adult just to hand out the candy. The kids were so excited and fun. I worry about the eating habits of children and how much junk they are exposed to, but the solution isn't to banish the holidays, it's to change the regular days. You can do whatever you want with your own kids, but this particular OP asked a specific question, and it was all about her needs, not the health of her kids.

Take them trick or treating. All that walking is still exercise! Then get them a little box with a lock on it and tell them never to let you have the key, even if you beg.

I agree with the others. Go to Zumba another night. Your kids are only young for a short while.

I'm considering not letting my kids trick or treat at all (when I do have kids) because it's too unsafe to have them walking around at night, all for candy that will just make them fat anyway.

They aren't alone, you are with them. In regards to candy, I do not let my children gorge on candy never have never will. They get to eat 2 pieces when they come home and get one treat a day for a specific amount of time and that is it. You control what they get don't kill it for them. being an adult is ****ty and no more innocent fun. Let them enjoy being kids.

Even if I'm there with them, they can still get hurt. There have been so many kids shot and killed on Halloween night in my area because of stupid gang fights and such. I would rather have my kids live and be healthy than have ****ty candy and increase the risk of them dying.

That sounds like a lovely idea...if I can get the father to cooperate and not sneak them candy when I'm not looking. Training him to eat well will be harder than getting the kids to eat right. *sigh*

You know what ruins your childhood? Getting really overweight when you hit puberty and no one wants to be your friend because of it. I don't want my kids to go through the same thing as I did.

ah yes husbands…
Sorry I wasn't aware that your area was so dangerous, that is terrible!
Remember this for when you become a parent, you control what your children eat, give them healthy foods and they will always make healthy choices. I am so sorry you had a rough childhood

Yeah...my cousins don't even trick or treat anymore because of it. Then again the youngest just turned 12 so she's about the right age to grow out of it. I think it's illegal for people over the age of 12 to trick or treat in certain areas.

Right. Hopefully my bf assimilates to my eating style without too much struggle but considering he's a beer and wings kind of guy...it's gonna be hard. >.<

It's okay. It's bad enough to have Aspergers but to be fat too? People avoided me like the plague. It got better in college where the people were smarter in general.

When you have kids, tell them each year you are going to go on an adventure and take them to a safer neighborhood. Kids don't get fat from one night. You can always go with the ideas given to this woman--tell the kids ahead of time that the majority of their trick or treating will be to help out with a good cause. Let them keep some of the candy and then take them in their costumes to a nursing home or a children's home and dole out the rest.

...yeah, good luck finding a safer neighborhood. The neighborhoods that used to be safe no longer are.

Hmmm...hopefully they'll go along with that. >.<

I'm considering not letting my kids trick or treat at all (when I do have kids) because it's too unsafe to have them walking around at night, all for candy that will just make them fat anyway.

They aren't alone, you are with them. In regards to candy, I do not let my children gorge on candy never have never will. They get to eat 2 pieces when they come home and get one treat a day for a specific amount of time and that is it. You control what they get don't kill it for them. being an adult is ****ty and no more innocent fun. Let them enjoy being kids.

Even if I'm there with them, they can still get hurt. There have been so many kids shot and killed on Halloween night in my area because of stupid gang fights and such. I would rather have my kids live and be healthy than have ****ty candy and increase the risk of them dying.

That sounds like a lovely idea...if I can get the father to cooperate and not sneak them candy when I'm not looking. Training him to eat well will be harder than getting the kids to eat right. *sigh*

You know what ruins your childhood? Getting really overweight when you hit puberty and no one wants to be your friend because of it. I don't want my kids to go through the same thing as I did.

Evil, no.......selfish, yes. Part of the deal when you become a parent is that your kids come first (especially if they're still young enough to be trick or treating), yeah, it's a PITA sometimes but it comes with the job.

Why are people so against children having fun these days?

I genuinly do not understand why most people (not you specifically) are convinced the fun has to include the candy and unhealthy treats though. We had a lot of fun at the healthy Halloween event yesterday. In fact, it is all my daughter has talked about. I think it is all in finding the alternatives.

It's a tradition. It's fun. And IT'S ONE NIGHT A YEAR. Halloween is not the cause of the obesity problem in this country.

I loved trick or treating as a kid. I loved taking my daughter when she was little. I miss being able to do it. It isn't the candy I miss. That was just part of the fun. Now everyone wants to take it away. It's not just Halloween falling prey to this thinking, but it's a big part of it. Sad. Very, very, very sad.

And for the record, I got and ate candy every year. And on Easter, too. And I wasn't overweight until I was 29 years old.

I think the problem is that generally we (Americans especially) celebrate most things (Holidays, Birthdays, Successes, you name it.. etc) with food. Food is delicious and it is nice to have treats every once and while, of course it is. My point was that the trick or treating and unhealthy candies to not have to be the centerpiece of the holiday. We celebrated the holiday and had a great time. I think our beef personally with the food is the ingredients rather than the amount of sugar. Not all people feel that way and that is perfectly acceptable. To each thier own I suppose. To infer that I robbed my child of the holiday and that is it "sad" is over reaching, in my opinion.

Below is a valid point as well, so my response was not completely in line with the original question. I would not take the celebration away from my children to go to a Zumba class. I would find some other way to celebrate or let them go with someone else if that was my only reasoning.

"I don't think the OP had spared a thought to whether the candy would be good for her children. That's not what motivated her post.

It seemed to all be about her inability to not steal her children's candy resulting in her denying them a happy and fun night because she sucks. "

Sounds very selfish to me! Get some self control and skip the zumba for tonight!

Aw heck. Go t-o-t'ing.

W/my kids, I limited how much they could have ea. day. When there was tons of candy, I would take as much as they did, but rather than eat it, I would put it away. A week later, the candy that the kids know about would be seriously depleted, so this doesn't go on forever. AND, the candy that I'd been collecting was brought to work and shared (left in the lunchroom).

I could never take away the fun that is Trick-or-Treating.

I'm considering not letting my kids trick or treat at all (when I do have kids) because it's too unsafe to have them walking around at night, all for candy that will just make them fat anyway.

They aren't alone, you are with them. In regards to candy, I do not let my children gorge on candy never have never will. They get to eat 2 pieces when they come home and get one treat a day for a specific amount of time and that is it. You control what they get don't kill it for them. being an adult is ****ty and no more innocent fun. Let them enjoy being kids.

Even if I'm there with them, they can still get hurt. There have been so many kids shot and killed on Halloween night in my area because of stupid gang fights and such. I would rather have my kids live and be healthy than have ****ty candy and increase the risk of them dying.

That sounds like a lovely idea...if I can get the father to cooperate and not sneak them candy when I'm not looking. Training him to eat well will be harder than getting the kids to eat right. *sigh*

You know what ruins your childhood? Getting really overweight when you hit puberty and no one wants to be your friend because of it. I don't want my kids to go through the same thing as I did.

...thanks for your valuable contribution to the discussion. *rolls eyes*

Your are very welcome! :happy:
But if you really think of smothering your kids like that... dont have any..... :indifferent: sorry I am direct and honest... but just dont....

As a kid, it would really hurt and upset me if my parent did this to me (especially if it wasn't the norm to miss trick or treating).

Don't be a jerk to your kids.

Let them BE kids. Let them have fun. Let them do the things they enjoy and if you're worried about the candy, have them donate some of it to family members and/or share it with their friends at school or whatever. There are ways to get around that if you're concerned with too much candy.

When I was 9 my mother stopped taking us trick or treating. ): Saddest day ever.

PS: My sister takes her kids trick or treating. They can't eat ANY of the candy (allergies) but they don't CARE. The trick or treating is fun to them anyway.

Evil, no.......selfish, yes. Part of the deal when you become a parent is that your kids come first (especially if they're still young enough to be trick or treating), yeah, it's a PITA sometimes but it comes with the job.

Exactly!

Your are very welcome! :happy:
But if you really think of smothering your kids like that... dont have any..... :indifferent: sorry I am direct and honest... but just dont....

So wanting my children to not get shot by gang members and to eat healthy is smothering, then what kind of parent should I be? Suuuuure, eat all the fatty foods you want and then dance in the middle of traffic at night. I wouldn't want someone on the internet to think I'm no fun!

Evil, no.......selfish, yes. Part of the deal when you become a parent is that your kids come first (especially if they're still young enough to be trick or treating), yeah, it's a PITA sometimes but it comes with the job.

Exactly!

This.