That’s what Derek says every time he samples another piece of Halloween candy. “It’s for the children!” Yes, he’s testing every type he can find to make sure it’s safe for the children to eat. There’s no end to this man’s willingness to sacrifice!
In my news casting sideline we have been covering every possible angle to Halloween. You’d think there was nothing new about it. There are the warnings about costumes: Make sure kids can see! There’s the street-safety tip: Don’t zigzag, do one side and then the other! We all know the drill.
But this year, there was one aspect I’d never thought of. Dropping into long term care and retirement homes to get some candy and leave some joy. Life is pretty predictable for residents. Happy kids in costumes would certainly break up their day.
Many fire halls and EMS stations apparently participate as long as those who staff them are not out on calls.
Taking “Local” Too Far
I noted a fascinating discussion about trick-or-treating on Reddit. The consensus seemed to be that people should stay in their own neighbourhoods for candy acquisition. One person wrote, “Why should I buy candy just to give it to kids from other neighbourhoods?”
Oh. My. GOD.
That person should turn off their lights and avoid the night altogether. What’s next? Checking children for ID and addresses before they can have a fun size Aero bar?
They’re children! On this one night, they get to be greedy sugar-monsters who try to gather as much as they can. We don’t have a lot of kids on our immediate block but I don’t care where they’re from. If they come to my door in a costume, they’re getting candy. That’s the deal.
Another Thing I Learned
The longer I live, the more I realize my relationship with food is messed up. Part of it comes from treat confiscation. When Halloween goodies are labeled “bad”, food choices become tied to kids’ self-worth. And calorie restriction to make it “legal” to eat treats only leads to harm. Binge eating. Over-indulging. It’s just not a good way to live.
Trust me. It’s been my life.
Or trust Registered Nutritionist Emily Szatrowski whom myFM interviewed about candy. She didn’t suggest it’s wise to stuff yourself with goodies. But it’s also not healthy to feel shame over munching on a few treats. We’re only human. And after all, it’s for the children.
I’m with Derek, you have to sample the goodies to make sure they are safe for the children. Most times I do a double sampling, just to make sure.
Lisa, when I was reading “The Naked Truth,” I was reminded of a couple who lived on the street I grew up on. They belonged to a nudist resort, but we were too young to really understand what that meant. However, their house was the very first one we would dash over to every Halloween because they used to hand out the best stuff. Full sized chocolate bars and money for our Unicef boxes.
For many years, when our kids were still living at home, we had an amazing display at our house for Halloween. We built scary mechanical devices that did weird things, had friends placed throughout the front yard who each had a particular acting role to entertain the kids. It was always an interesting challenge for the kids to make it to the front door for their treats, lol We also set up a huge bin each year for food donations that we would deliver to shelters. Honestly, we would get a minimum of 500 people show up (thanks to word of mouth, and our local newspaper who often ran a little story on the occasion.) Halloween at our house was very well celebrated with everyone, near and far.
That sounds amazing, Claire! And I can tell you that as a kid who was scared half to death when a skeleton “came to life” on a porch one year, I have a deep appreciation for those who put a lot of effort into Halloween. I will never forget that man and how hard he laughed when I screamed! All in good fun.
So the Redditor who asked why he should buy candy to give to kids from other neighbourhoods — I bet I know which political party he supports!
Just saying!
Yup. It’s easy to guess! 😉
Let’s celebrate kids. Their excitement, laughter and joy. Everyone needs to keep the kid in them. Let’s all laugh more.
The reddit person…yikes.
Derek is the best.
Happy Halloween to everyone who celebrates it. Let’s always live life to the fullest and block out the outrage and negativity.
That works for me! Thanks, Nancy.
I agree, it does not matter where the kids come from – give em candy. I have no issues with teens either, but I definitely saw an adult come up to my mom’s door – if you’re out with your kids, you should bring them to the door if they’re shy. Going on your own for your kids (which is what I assume this adult did) is a no no – or they were going for themselves :/ this is why you buy stuff you enjoy, so when the kids are finished- any left overs you can munch on over time 🙂
Good points!