It's that time of the year when buzzing children with sugar seems almost mandatory.  As a parent trying to keep my kids away from sugar, Halloween was always a tricky holiday for me.  I didn't want my kids to miss out on
the fun, but I also hated to see them completely wired and high on sugar.

One year, I bribed my kids into going out to dinner and movie instead of going trick or treating.  Another idea is to have a party for them and their friends where you can serve healthier "treats." 

Recently, I read a suggestion for giving out toys instead of candy to trick or treaters.  It's not a bad idea.

It's Helen's first Halloween, so we'll probably contribute to the tooth decay of a few kids by handing out some candy.  I'm not as rigid about such things as I used to be.  (I've never believed that what you do occasionally is as important as what you do day by day.)

Anyway, halloween is the time for monsters, so perhaps one day a year it's OK to let the kids eat a bunch of sugar and act like monsters.  It's all in good fun anyway.