Update: this morning he was having cold feet about a visit from The Switch Witch. The lure of confectionery delights might be too hard for him to resist. We'll see what happens on Halloween!

I have never heard of this tradition. My son doesn't eat most of the candy anyway, but I think my husband, who does eat it, would be upset if it got switched out by a witch. Unless, of course, the witch switched it for a particularly good video game. I'm gonna ask the kid what he thinks, just for fun.

My kids are grown, but the idea doesn't interest me at all. Part of Halloween is the candy, and the way my children used theirs was never a problem. They were pretty moderate with it.

It seems a bit like...what is that new term today?...Oh yeah, helicoptering. Now, if my child were a diabetic, I'd be all over the Switch Witch idea. (And I hope no one reading this responds that one Halloween's worth of sweet treats a year is going to make an active child diabetic.)

JMHO, of course!

=)

I think that this idea is genius and I'm going to ask my kids what they think about it. The spirit of Halloween will live on without sugar rushes and the dreaded sugar crash.

The cost of a toy for the Switch Witch $9.99 - $15.99 times two. The cost of two faces tired from running in the cool fall air tumbling over one another to get the best pillow on the couch for a round of "I'll give you one of mine if you give me one of yours" while the dog wags his nubbers and the kitten chases after the strings on the costume draped over the coffee table...priceless

My kids are pretty much past the trick-or-treating age, too, but I think they'd be pretty appalled at the idea of giving up any of those much anticipated fun sized bars! I will admit that the Chocolate Witch was known to visit our house after bedtime on Halloween ... Yeah ... I'm still claiming I don't know WHAT happened to all the chocolate bars!

It's just one night out of the year. And the "good" candy only lasts a few days so I think the switch does take some of the fun out of one of the few remaining joyful "kid things".

No reason in this house to switch the candy out for toys. My children don't need more toys, and I LOVE Halloween, so we stick to the old way. My children aren't allowed to eat all of the candy in one sitting and are actually quite good at rationing out said candy themselves. Now if you want a new family tradition that I had never heard of until last year (this is after Thanksgiving and involves Christmas), you must check out Elf On A Shelf!!

I think a dentist would love to see a Tooth Fairy Witch fly in and trade oodles of candy for a fancy toothbrush and toothpaste, but where's the fun in that? My question is why don't the candy makers of the world make big chocolate witches... like they make big chocolate easter bunnies? Just sayin' .... :)

No! Don't give in to the Switch Witch! Save the spirit of Halloween for your children and tell them that she fell off her broom. The whole concept goes against the holiday.

As a mother of a kid on Feingold Program, I am very happy to say that my son can't wait for the "Halloween Fairy" to come and find his candy in the middle of the night after trick or treating. He LOVES going trick or treating, LOVES seeing what candy he got, LOVES dressing up. I usually let him have a few pieces from his bag, then I let him trade out some of his candy for candy that I buy that does not have food coloring or artificial flavoring, and then he leaves the rest for the Fairy. I don't mind the candy part--it's the diet thing. He doesn't feel cheated and we have still love Halloween.

We made our kids pour it all out on the floor and the kids had to give 10% to their parents (our cut came off the top - had to be chocolate -no jolly ranchers etc... Those don't count. THEN...they were allowed to eat for a full day until it was gone. I had no intention of having them constantly asking for a piece of their candy for weeks on end. Gorge and get it over with. It's kind of like saving money all year and then spending it all on vacation. Same thrill. Any other day of the year, you had to be conservative with candy - but not on halloween. That's waht made it so special; an all-you-can-eat candy buffet. Seize the moment - then it's gone!

Leigh, Never heard of the Switch Witch = we always have had The Halloween Store the day after Halloween to cut down on the amount of candy.
1. In the weeks before Halloween and as the season changes, gather items the kids might already need such as a heavier nightgown/pajamas, snazzy sweater, books, cool arts/crafts, little things - stickers, new fuzzy slippers, new underwear. ... you can use anything but the point is to use some things you might normally buy them anyway b/c of change of season or because they've outgrown things.
2. After the kids trick or treat and go to bed, weigh each child's candy and use about 3/4 of the weight as the total you want them to "spend." Divide that amongst the store items by weight. Jammies and books could be the high dollar items -- but it's up to you. The idea is that if they bought out the store, they will have spend 3/4 of their candy. Price it by ounces (and it's educational too! yikes!). You want them to still have some candy to eat, but wrest most of it away.
3. The next day, open the "store." Sit there with a scale. Write things up on a pad. Make a whole palooza about it. It's fun. Give the kids a shopping bag.

Rachel, I really like your plan. We had decided a couple of months ago to have the switch witch come to our house. It was actually my daughter's idea. She was so inclined to eat all of her candy at once last year and made herself sick. This year, she doesn't want to have an upset tummy. I always have a stash of consignment clothing goodies, books, stuffed animals, etc. on hand for such occasions. This way, we don't have to buy something special for the switch witch to leave. I would imagine that the adults may be eating the good candy.... hee...hee...

Hmmmmmmm. This is definitely something new to me. I'm not quite sure what I think about it. On the one hand, it's a nice alternative for parents who have children with allergies but on the other hand, it almost seems like just one more thing to add to the list: a toy for each child each Halloween. I guess we've never really had an issue with the candy here. I think it IS a neat idea, but I am not sure I will do it. I would love to know how it worked out for you and your household. I will stay tuned! :)

Update #2: We have abandoned the Switch Witch and are sticking to the candy this year. He just can't let that candy go.

I greatly dislike this idea! She has too many toys as it is and her birthday and Christmas are both coming up. The joy of sorting through all the loot that one collects on Halloween is a cherished memory for me and the tradition we are sticking with. However, her school does a Treats for the Troops project shortly after Halloween, and she has been more than willing to send in a bag full of candy in the past.

or, a parent could just tell their children they can't eat all the candy, and then explain why. I call it parenting...