No matter what your stance on candy is as a parent, all bets are off on Halloween — a day that’s, literally, centered around collecting and ingesting sugar in every sticky, gooey, crunchy form.<\/p>
Experts agree that sugar — excessive amounts of it, at least — isn’t good for children. The American Academy of Pediatrics<\/a> (AAP) recommends “rationing” Halloween candy, due to health impacts, including cavities, type 2 diabetes<\/a> and more. But for parents who don’t want to take the rationing route (which, let’s face it, is easier said than done), there’s the Halloween Switch Witch. <\/p> The Halloween Switch Witch has been around for a while, but, thanks to social media, has gained much more visibility in the last few years. (I, personally, first heard of the Switch Witch in 2008 during a babysitting gig, before I had kids of my own.) <\/p> The Switch Witch Halloween concept goes like this: Kids choose a few pieces of candy to keep, after trick-or-treating<\/a>, then leave the rest out in a bag overnight, where the Switch Witch comes and takes it, leaving a toy in its place. (The candy, it should be noted, is typically donated, not thrown out.)<\/p>What is the Switch Witch?<\/h2>