@pedsdoctalk: Your kid will forget most of the candy they ate this Halloween. They won’t forget how you talked about it. 🎃🍬   Research backs up the “predictable, not forbidden” idea. In a classic study, when preschoolers had a tasty snack kept off-limits, they paid more attention to it, asked for it more, and ate more of it once they could have it. Restriction tends to shine a spotlight on the very food we’re trying to downplay. 🔦 Have you heard the concept of "forbidden fruit?" Same thing here ya'll.   In our house, we do “don’t offer, don’t refuse” when it comes to candy through Thanksgiving: 👉 If they ask, the answer is yes, and it comes with dinner or a snack. 👉 If they don’t ask, we don’t bring it up. 👉 We allow one piece with a snack or meal. 👉 At parties and events, we have no restrictions. We tell them to listen to their bodies and it usually means they're not binge eating sugar in a corner because we don't restrict it routinely. 👉 We surprise them with a candy here and there when they DON'T ask. Even though we stick to a don't offer, don't refuse model. I know they love candy, so I'll surprise them. Maybe I'M eating chocolate and share or I ask them if they want some. This allows them to see that you see them, their wants, and are taking it into considersation as you set limits and guide them.   🦷 Pairing candy with meals helps teeth too. Your mouth makes extra saliva during a meal, which helps rinse away sugar and acid. Grazing from the candy bowl all day keeps teeth soaking in sugar for hours. Chocolate also clears out easier than sticky gummies, taffy and caramels.   And if Halloween night turns into a candy free-for-all? That’s okay. One night won’t undo the habits you’re building. The long game is a kid who can enjoy a treat without guilt and trust that more is coming another day.   For more on this, check out the PedsDocTalk Podcast episode, “Why We Shouldn’t Put ‘Sweets’ and ‘Treats’ on a Pedestal,” with registered dietitian Jennifer Anderson of @kids.eat.in.color. We talk about how to handle sweets without making them the main event.   How do you approach candy and Halloween? No judgement please--just curious! Comment ⬇️

Dr. Mona

Open In TikTok:

Region: US

Wednesday 28 October 2026 14:15:13 GMT