Diabetes and Halloween

  It’s a fact of life: kids love Halloween. For them, dressing up in zany costumes and trick-or-treating with friends leads to mounds and pounds of candy. But for children with diabetes, binging on candy isn’t a healthy – or safe – option. NARA encourages parents of diabetic children to have a plan that allows their kiddos to enjoy all the perks of Halloween in a smart way, candy consumption included. Plan Ahead Your child may ask it dozens of times a day, but this is one “why” you’ll want to answer directly. Help your child understand that eating excess sugar found in candy doesn’t help them stay healthy, and make sure dialogue flows before the candy does. A conversation before trick-or-treating means they’ll be more likely to manage their candy responsibly rather than doing it after when they’ll be distracted by the sugar buffet they’ll unload in your living room. If your child will be attending a Halloween party, whether at school or at a friend’s home, make sure the adult in charge knows about your child’s diabetes ahead of time. If you are spending Halloween at home, you can still have a lot of Halloween-themed fun. You can make a sugar-free treat, carve pumpkins or do a Halloween arts and crafts project. Managing Excess Candy Even children without diabetes can’t eat all their Halloween candy in one night. Your child is going to have a lot of extra candy, so it’s important to have a plan on how to ration it out. Luckily, most candy will stay fresh for a decent length of time, so you can ration it out over a few weeks and even months. Start by giving your child a couple of pieces to take to school every day. You can also make trades at home, where your child turns in pieces of candy for other items like small toys or a fun family activity. NARA wishes you and your family a happy and healthy Halloween! Stay up-to-date with information on events and news post-Halloween at http://www.naranet.org/news/.