Lions and Tigers and Zombies... Oh My

I think the most fun time of the entire year for little people is the opportunity to dress up for Halloween.  When I was a kid it was especially fun because it was a chance to express my inner actress.  Yes, I was a bit of a drama queen - are you surprised?  Hush!

My folks were really good about making Halloween a time to be active.  I went to a lot of different parties and even had a few parties at my house once in a while.  They never made the big focus on the candy, though.  They kept the celebration all about the costume and the games and kept us kids very busy running around.  We were too engrossed in our activities to think about the candy.

Although I am not a Type 1 Diabetic, I think my parents were smart to divert my attention away from the candy.  Obviously, the sweet treats are going to lure any child's attention, but we as adults can help them to make other parts of Halloween more important.  Help children focus on things like designing a costume, or decorating for Halloween.

One year my folks gave me permission to set up a haunted house in our garage.  I was so busy getting all the ooey gooey brains and different organs fixed up, I hardly even thought about candy.  The focus was on other things, so the candy really did not play a big part in my day.

Also, it's up to parents to ration the loot out to their kids.  Don't just let them sit around gobbling candy all day long.  If at a young age they are allowed to pig out, then the habit will follow them into adulthood.  It's all how children are trained at a young age.  They learn what they live, and they live what they learn.

Make Halloween a time of socialization with as little focus on the candy as possible.  But after they get home with their loot, make sure you put it away and ration it out to them.  Kids are not old enough to realize what kind of damage too much of this stuff can cause, but adults are.  Halloween can be a happy time with friends and family.  It's all about where we place our focus.

Here's the famous clip from "The Wizard of Oz"

http://youtu.be/NecK4MwOfeI

Today is PLUSH ANIMAL LOVER'S DAY!!!!!!!  I do love plush animals and have fond memories of all sorts of stuffed animals from childhood.  The car I drove off to high school had a stuffed Garfield the cat setting in the back window.