“Unfortunately, no candy is good. But kids are allowed to be kids. So enjoy it that night and then just get rid of it,” says Dr. Geri Kleinman, a dentist at Clayton and Canby Dental in Northampton.
Trade the candy for something your child would enjoy, such as a trip to A2Z for a fun toy, she says.
Ahead of time, stress the importance of costumes and seeing friends instead of the amount of candy they’ll get. And when trick-or-treating, “I suggest that you stick to ‘healthier candy,’ in quotes,” she continued, noting that “dark chocolate is better than milk chocolate because there’s less sugar. A ‘no no’ is any sour candies, like gummy candy.”
If you stop by Dr. Kleinman’s house on Halloween night don’t expect to receive a Hershey’s bar or a Kit-Kat.
“FYI, I give out toothbrushes at my house for Halloween. You would think the kids wouldn’t like it, but they’ve come to expect it,” she said. – Andy Castillo, acastillo@gazettenet.com