Every year on Halloween night my two children voluntarily surrender their Halloween Candy.
If you’re wondering what this has to do with travel…keep reading.
Actually, I’m totally kidding. This post has nothing to do with travel. But, I decided to take a quick break from travel tips to share about our Candy Fairy. If I had to pick my all time best parenting achievements, this would probably top the list. Over the years so many people have asked me to share, so I decided to take the opportunity to put it into a blog post. I promise, we’ll be back to talking travel tomorrow!
First, you must be wondering, what is the Candy Fairy? I’m glad you asked.
The Candy Fairy is close friends with the Tooth Fairy. The main difference is that instead of taking teeth and leaving money, the Candy Fairy takes candy and leaves a toy. A simple tradition that produces a simple (yet, oh so wonderful) exchange.
How does it work?
Well, the short answer is that you bag up your Halloween candy put it by the front door. Overnight the Candy Fairy will drop by and in the morning your children will wake up to a new toy. And, the beautiful detail- the candy is gone.
Over the years my children have begun to ask more and more questions about the Candy Fairy. And thus, there have been a few more details added to our simple story. Fortunately, I’m pretty quick on my feet. Here is a small sampling of the questions and details that have been added over the years.
FAQ’S About the Halloween Candy Fairy
Why don’t my friends have the Candy Fairy?
Well, you have to apply. There’s a very strict application process because the Candy Fairy can only come to a very small number of homes. You were VERY lucky to be chosen. Siblings are grandfathered in, of course.
Where does the candy go?
No one knows for sure (I mean, where does the Tooth Fairy take all the teeth?), but I’ve heard that the candy gets distributed to children who didn’t have the opportunity to go Trick or Treating.
Parent Question: Where does the candy REALLY go?
I sort out everything I want and hide it for MY future consumption (obviously), and then send the rest to my husband’s office.
Parent Question: What kind of toy does the Candy Fairy bring?
Honestly, this is where it gets a tad tricky. The toy has to be nice enough that your child feels like it’s an equal (or better) exchange. Our Candy Fairy started out pretty small, but she’s gotten exceedingly more generous as the years have gone on.
Parent Question: So your children don’t eat any Halloween Candy?
Oh wait, did I leave this detail out? Here’s the key (I think)- they are allowed to eat as much candy as they want on Halloween night. I let them have fun. And most years they quit eating it WAY earlier than I would if I were in their shoes. Then they select 5 pieces to set aside for the future. I tell them that candy is 100% theirs to eat whenever. One of my children will then eat 1 piece per day for 5 days. And the other child will likely consume all 5 pieces for breakfast on November 1st!
Compared to more hands-on traditions like Elf on the Shelf (which, we don’t do)- this is a pretty simple little holiday lifesaver.
Obviously, the biggest benefit is that my kids don’t eat gross amounts of sugar for days on end. Additionally, I don’t have to monitor their candy consumption. It brings a quick end to a really fun holiday without any arguing. Both my kiddos are “all in” with this tradition and already speculating what the Candy Fairy will leave this year.
You might also enjoy reading:
5 Unique Theme Parks To Visit With Kids
Do you have a random holiday tradition that you’ve created for your kids?
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