Best Self Family Post
Your Child on Sugar: Setting Limits on Halloween
10/24/17
Some kids wait all year for Halloween to come around. The fun costumes and the sweet candy are the highlights of the day. They should be able to enjoy it without causing too much disruption in their mood, behavior and attention. As parents, how can you keep your child healthy (mind and body) while enjoying all the fun the day has to offer?
Sugar not only has an effect on attention and energy but on mental health in general. Studies show sugar can lead to a “high” when their blood sugar increases and then as it wears off they “crash” mimicking a mood disorder. After someone eats a lot of sugar, they feel sleepy, irritated and even guilty for eating so much. These feelings can lead to low self-esteem and increased sadness. Sugar can also worsen symptoms of anxiety and lead individuals to have a difficult time coping with stress. The difficulty thinking and fatigue after the “high” wears off can mimic anxiety symptoms and the “crash” can cause shaking and tension which could make anxiety worse. It is important to shape your child’s diet early on, so as they grow up and become adults they have a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle.
What can parents do to prepare for the Halloween sugar rush?
Create a plan together: Prior to Halloween, talk to your child about what to expect. Discuss how peer pressure plays a role and how to respond to it. Discuss healthy amounts of indulgence and identify consequences of consuming large quantities of candy in one sitting.
Plan for the return: Have healthy snacks and fun activities ready for when they get back from trick or treating. That way, they have something else to look forward to, without feeling the need to eat all of their candy. Pinterest is a great source for halloween games and projects, for endless hours of sugar free fun!
Modify the bag: Consider what type of bag your child brings to go trick-or-treating. Do they bring a pillow case? Or a small pumpkin? You can regulate the amount of candy coming home by choosing a smaller container so there is less to fill.
Set specific limits: Discuss as parents, how many pieces of candy each child of the family should take at each house, as well as how many houses to visit. For example, pick 1 or 2 pieces of candy (versus a handful) and visit 3 streets (versus multiple neighborhoods).
Switch up roles: When they’ve hit their limit trick-or-treating, have them help with handing out candy. This can be a lot of fun and also keep them occupied for the remainder of the evening.
Regulate the candy: If necessary, you can post their candy up out of reach and monitor the amount and times of the day they can eat it. You can also replace some of the candy with sugar-free candy.
Offer trade-ins: Give them the option to trade in the candy for something else they really want (as if the candy is money).
It’s important to stay conscious of your child’s general sugar intake, for the remainder of the year, too. Manage your child’s sugar intake and keep their diet properly balanced, to help off-set sugar. Give them plenty of chances to be active, as this will provide your child with a more natural way of regulating energy. You might be pleasantly surprised at the positive effects on their mood, attention and behavior.
It’s great to talk to your child about nutrition and how it affects not only our bodies, but our minds, too. If they grow up learning about this, they won’t see it as a punishment when it’s limited. Also, in the future, it will promote better decision making and not go overboard when they’re in a room full of sugar.
If you are in need of additional support in managing your child’s behavior or assistance with making lifestyle changes in your family, professional counseling can help. Contact us at info@bestselfinc.com for more information.
Source
Sack, D. (2013, September 2) 4 ways sugar could be harming your mental health. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/where-science-meets-the-steps/201309/4-ways-sugar-could-be-harming-your-mental-health