Halloween & The Switch Witch
It really wasn’t that hard, I’m not sure why. Maybe because we had talked about it, maybe because candy is not big in our household, maybe we are just lucky. The “Switch Witch” isn’t a secret, just something we did and it went over so well. The questions about it though, were quite interesting. You see, I’ve never been a huge fan of Halloween, but this year was quite different. It’s like I developed a whole new sense of appreciation for it.
My son was going to be Spiderman on Halloween, but considering he has several costumes at home, I had a feeling he was going to change his mind at the last minute. And that he did. He put on a Storm Trooper costume (one with a shoulder pad missing, that he didn’t seem to mind), grabbed a sword and out the door he went as a Ninja. It was kind of cool, he didn’t seem to care he wasn’t all decked out, I didn’t have to put any effort into it (I’m not too creative), and he was happy.
Despite an occasional slight sprinkle and 50-degree temps, we went to various houses with our neighbors. It was really neat to see people open their doors with such huge smiles on their faces, as they gave out candy to the kids. Kids had huge smiles themselves as they ran around. There were several times I really had to watch the pack closely, as there were 10-15 kids at many doors and I would watch to wait until my son came out away from the house. There were tractors pulling dozens of kids in trailers, sort of like a hayride. There were hundreds of children all over, adults walking alongside them; some of them also dressed up, many with adult beverages in hand.
We skipped by many houses en-route to the big haunted house just up the street. This neighbor goes all out in his decorating, it’s beyond description. It attracts people from all over the subdivision, and probably beyond that. The whole front yard is a cemetery, there are moving ghosts & witches & fire in all the windows, the garage is a mad scientist lab, there’s dry ice smoke all over. It’s just amazing. In talking with the homeowner, he said he likes to just sit back and watch people as they look at everything. He looks for mistakes and what he could do better next year. Everyone was so happy.
The following day, my son & I went shopping. I told him I would buy him a toy in exchange for his candy. It’s referred to as the Switch Witch, but I wanted him to participate instead of having the candy mysteriously disappear overnight. I let him pick out a toy that he wanted. We got home and I took most of his candy away (yes saving just a little bit that he still hasn’t eaten). He didn’t care. He was happy. It wasn’t a battle, it wasn’t hard.
When I told people I was taking his candy in exchange for a toy, most said their kid would never want to give up candy. And then yes, I threw that candy away. Why would I want to donate it to anyone? Why encourage all that sugar & artificial colors on someone else? The troops certainly don’t need that sugar. Homeless people don’t. It’s better off tossed.
So this Halloween was much more fun than years past. So many people were happy for different reasons. If your child has a bunch of candy at home, consider trading it out for a special toy or something else. Children don’t need that much sugar. That is one of the reason so many people get sick around the holiday, is because sugar weakens our immune system, making us more vulnerable to illness. Your best bet to fight that fall or winter cold? Get weekly adjustments, avoid sugar, drink lots of water, get plenty of sleep and eat lots of fruits & vegetables. It’s not hard. It just takes planning. It’s one of the best things you can do for yourself or your loved ones.
