Halloween can be a particularly challenging period for parents, as children can go out and have access to confectionary from other parents and kids when they go out trick or treating, taking some of the influence out of your hands as their parent. Here are a few tips on how to do Halloween and keep things as healthy as possible!
Find some healthy alternatives to sweets…
Try to veer your kids into the path of healthier alternatives to confectionary and if you can, try to avoid the toffee/caramel family. Some healthy Halloween foods that embrace the time of year could be:
- Halloween gingerbread – it’s no secret that gingerbread does indeed contain sugar, but it is a considerably less damaging choice than its confectionary counterparts. Why not suggest a Halloween gingerbread making night for your child and their friends where they can decorate them in Halloween fashion.
- Pumpkin soup – full of healthy nutrients
- Ice-Cream/Yoghurt – particularly good for kids with braces who cannot break down harder foods. Yoghurt is full of calcium, excellent for maintaining strong teeth –why not suggest a luxury yoghurt desert to your kids where they can customise it with Halloween-style twists like chocolate spiders and orange candy corns? Think outside of the box…
Introduce rewards
Try to make your child’s candy that they have collected over Halloween last as long as possible by introducing a reward system. Get creative – each day that they floss, they are allowed X amount of their candy stash.
Ensure you keep on top of their dental hygiene routine
As your kids are likely to be eating more than their normal share of sweet things, it’s important to keep a close eye on their brushing routine and encourage them to floss once a day, as mentioned above. You should make sure they are brushing for 2 minutes twice a day and applying an effective brushing technique. If you are unsure about a correct brushing technique, your dental hygienist here at Cliftonville can educate you and your child on this ad offer friendly advice surrounding day-to-day dental hygiene.
If you would like more information about maintaining good dental hygiene, please do not hesitate to contact us.