Do your kids end up with a huge pile of Halloween candy that they never manage to eat? Or maybe you’re concerned about the effect all that sugar is having on their teeth and health? If so, you’ll be happy to know that there’s a way to limit their sugar consumption and avoid having the excess candy go to waste, and that’s by participating in a Halloween candy buyback program.
In conjunction with Operation Gratitude, dentists all over the US are taking part in this scheme, which involves buying back your spare Halloween candy, and sending it to American soldiers serving overseas.
It’s no surprise that kids love candy, and Halloween is one time of year when most parents are happy for them to enjoy some sweet treats. But what often happens is that they collect such an excess of candy from trick-or-treating or generous relatives and family friends that they end up coming home, dumping the candy in a pile on the table, and then just picking out the bits they like the most. The rest gets placed in a bowl or cupboard for the next few months, until finally it ends up in the garbage.
So, if you’re like many families, you end up with more candy than your kids can eat. Or if they do try to eat it all, you worry about their dental health. And with good reason too – dentists are all too familiar with the ravages that too much sugar can wreak on children’s teeth. Even a good oral hygiene regime with daily brushing and flossing doesn’t always compensate for a day spent nibbling on sweets. As a result, dentists have endorsed the candy buyback program, which not only helps children to keep their teeth healthy, but provides a nice morale boost for the soldiers too.
The aim of this scheme isn’t to deprive the kids of their Halloween fun, but to prevent wastage, and also to give them the chance to voluntarily do something good for others. Most kids will be happy to choose their favorite candy to keep for themselves, and let the pieces they don’t like so much go to someone else – especially if you explain what the scheme is all about, and how they are helping a good cause. And then there’s the financial aspect – since dentists pay for this candy, your child can use the proceeds to buy or put towards some toy or other (non-edible!) treat that s/he really wants.
With this scheme, everyone’s a winner – your child gets to enjoy his or her favourite candy while helping their teeth by giving up the pieces they don’t like so much, the candy isn’t wasted, you both get to make a bit of cash, the dentists promote better dental health within their community, you all get the ‘warm fuzzies’ from doing something to help others, and the soldiers overseas get to enjoy a sweet tasting reminder of home.
So if you and your kids would like to participate in the Halloween candy buyback scheme to help the soldiers, ask your dentist if they’re involved, and if not, look out for one in your area who is.
Related posts:
