I am struggling. Struggling to find the balance between adhering to my environmental preferences and not making my children the Halloween outcasts of the neighborhood. In recent years, I have been growing increasingly uncomfortable with the large bowl of garbage wrapped goodies that I put out for Trick or Treat. Aside from my aversion to candy on the whole (we use individual M&M's for behavioral rewards if that tells you how rare candy is in my house). In fact, at this moment we have no candy in the house outside of the super mega 4 lb. bag of the afore mentioned melt-in-your-mouths that is out of kid reach.
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I tried a search of ecofriendly Halloween candy and came up with lots of Fair Trade and organic options that, while better on the whole, made the blood pressure of my inner tightwad start to rise and didn't solve my packaging problem. I also searched for Trick or Treat alternatives and got many good suggestions for needless junk that would ultimately create even more trash and cost more, as well. The one idea that fit my bill was to give out change, but I had flashbacks to birthday parties when my mom would give out pennies for the game prizes and I tried to envision how much the disappointment of child faces in 1984 would rise in the year 2009. Maybe not.
Of course, I would love to put out a big plate of homemade baked goods or even some of the Halloween molded chocolates that the kids and I always make, but I hear the voices of my youth saying things like "razor blades" and "cocaine" and it makes me wonder if anyone would let their kids take them. In reality, the treats should be individually wrapped to keep things sanitary. Could I get away with wrapping up my new little Pumpkin Whoopie Pie gems? Although this would be some waste, at least I would feel better about what was wrapped inside. I may take a bus stop survey and see what people think. I don't mind being different and I think a lot of kids would appreciate the change, but you never know. Maybe a move like that would finally put me in the "crazy lady" category. I could live with that. I'm not so sure about my kids, though. I'll have to pitch it.
i go through the same dilemma every year too. the past few years i have opted for the cheap crap over the candy. i try to keep the plastic to a minimum. pencils, stickers, bouncy balls, erasers. we don't get a ton of kids (maybe 35?) and if i have any leftovers i throw them in storage for next year. the only faces i get are from the teenagers but we haven't been egged yet! this year we will be at the in-laws and i am happy for the year off.
ReplyDeleteI think I may have an idea and it is out of recycled materials. I am going to do an experiment to see if it works before I commit to it. I'm crossing my fingers.
ReplyDeleteHeather Jean, I am not even as close to econice as you, but don't be that mom! You will end up being like those kids at the end of Academy!
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