by Kym Byrnes
It’s a spooky, sweet holiday, but Halloween can create a sticky problem. All that candy coming in at once can be daunting, but several Carroll parents said they have a strategy for dealing with abundance.
Eat Some Now, Save Some For Later
“We love Halloween,” says Jessica Lynn Wojcik of Eldersburg. “Our whole neighborhood goes all out. Everyone decorates, and it’s a blast when they go trick-or-treating. They have music playing and animatronics going everywhere.”
Wojcik loves the fun, but there’s plenty of candy afterward. “My husband and I have a tradition where our two girls spread out all their candy to see what they got. I usually let them pick two or three pieces of their favorites to eat that evening. Then, they can have a few pieces in their lunchbox the next day, and a few when they get home,” she says.
Wojcik is strict about limiting her kids’ candy intake. “Cavities would be our No. 1 reason,” she says. “We had a bunch of issues with my oldest with cavities. But also, too much sugar doesn’t have a great impact on anyone, and teaching moderation is always a good thing.” Taneytown resident Tara Stanczyk says the amount of candy has definitely increased since she was a kid in the ’90s. But she and her husband, Marcin, don’t allow their daughter, Sylvie, to eat all the candy nonstop.
“My husband and I go through it and pick out our favorites. Then we go through looking for our daughter’s favorites and set those aside in a bowl on the top shelf of our pantry,” she says. Stanczyk allows her daughter to have a little candy after the festivities have ended, and the next day, she can have a bit more. The family then shares the rest of the candy among them.
Keep Alert About Allergies
With children ages 2 and 5, Kristin Williams of Sykesville handles multiple anaphylactic food allergies in her family. “My daughters are allergic to dairy, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts. We don’t attempt any candy with dairy,” she says. Her first baby had an adverse reaction to tree nuts at the age of 8 months.
Williams is an advocate of offering nonfood items for Halloween and participates in the Teal Pumpkin Project. A teal pumpkin outside your house tells trick-or-treaters you offer nonfood items. “On my cul-de-sac, everyone is aware of their allergies, and they all have something safe for them,” she adds. “My community is just wonderful.”
Outside her neighborhood, verifying that Halloween treats are allergen-free can be a challenge. Williams brings along Yum Earth organic candy, which is free of the nine most common food allergens, for trick-or-treating outside her community. When her kids’ friends stop to eat a few pieces of candy, she offers the Yum Earth candies to her children.
Back home, the Switch Witch also steps in. “I have a basket made up ahead of time for each child. They give me their candy, and I hand them each a basket that has a little Play-Doh, a shirt or outfit they like and a small toy — like a bubble wand — plus I split up a pack of Yum Earth Candy in their baskets,” Williams says.
Turn Treats Into Toys
Some parents swap out the edibles for kid-friendly entertainment. In Manchester, the Good Witch visits Amber Rigg and her three children. “About 10 years ago, when my second daughter was 2 or 3, I knew it was too much candy, so I say, ‘Let’s set the candy out on the porch for the Good Witch. She’ll come and bring you a toy for the candy.’”
On Halloween evening, her costumed kids eat a little candy, then each puts some of their candy haul outside. In the morning, they find toys in place of the treats. “Whoever sets their candy out gets a toy, and they all choose to participate,” she explains.
Although Hampstead resident Nancy Jean Fields’ son is grown up, she still thinks about allergens when she chooses Halloween treats. “I give glow bracelets or necklaces — super popular,” she says, “and I only get candy without nuts. The kids love glow bracelets and glow sticks.” She recalls one trick-or-treater from a past Halloween who had a peanut allergy.
“I had one little boy with an empty bucket. He was going through the motions, coming up to the door and saying trick-or-treat, but he said he couldn’t take any candy. When I asked why, his sister explained, ‘We can’t take a chance because he can’t have nuts.’ I called him back and told him none of my candy has nuts in it, and I have glow sticks. I gave him a ring for each finger, a bracelet and an anklet,” Fields says. “He sat on my porch and didn’t want to go away. He told his mom, ‘This is the only house who likes me.’ It made me almost want to cry.”
After Halloween, Fields donates her leftover candy to AWCPP, the America’s Warriors Care Package Projects (AWCPP.com). This Westminster-based program sends care packages to deployed American troops, ensuring they know they are not forgotten.
“One thing we have in the U.S. is an overabundance of Halloween candy,” says Dawn Geigan, who leads the AWCPP. “However, that’s not the case for our deployed military. Many troops overseas are at locations that do not have stores…. Candy is considered a luxury. That’s where the community and the team with AWCPP come together to fill the void.”
Geigan says drop boxes in Carroll County can be found at the following locations:
- Community Foundation of Carroll County, Westminster
- Freestyle Hair and Body Spa, TownMall of Westminster
- Hahn’s Pork and Beans Store, Westminster
- Legacy Septic & Excavation, Manchester
- U.S. Army and Army Reserve Recruiting Center, Westminster
- Westminster Paint, Westminster
Candy dropoffs should be made by Nov. 14, she says. The thought of Halloween candy shouldn’t frighten you. Kids — and parents — can have a spooktacular time at Halloween by exercising a little moderation and a little creativity.
