Yes! I did just write that. I'm certainly not a fan of the complete and total sugar overload, but I do think there are some valid reasons to let your kids dig in to that bucket-o-candy.

1. Everything in moderation. Yes, we eat sweets in our house as a treat. I'd much prefer something home-made to a bag of Oreo's. But treating yourself to some bite-sized Reese's or Hershey's in moderation isn't the end of the world. Set some limits on how many pieces they can eat each day or week (and don't forget to include all the stuff they get elsewhere).

2. Teachable moments. So your kid eats too much candy and gets a stomach ache. Or she gets a total sugar high and then crashes. Treat it (pun intended) as an opportunity to explain WHY it happened. Going through the experience will make it more memorable than a lecture.

3. We all have to make choices. No, I'm not going to let my kids eat ALL of the candy they bring in during Trick-or-Treating. In a few days or a week they will have to divide it up into a small "keep" and bigger "not-keep" piles and they'll need to decide which types of candy they like best.

4. Peer pressure (when it's not that big of a deal). I want my kids to know that there is a short, but non-negotiable list of things they need to say NO to, like drinking and drugs and bullying others. I'd rather have them focus their efforts on the big deals, and not have them explain to their friends why their mom doesn't let them eat candy.

5. Have a little fun! It's a right of passage and part of being a kid. I'm pretty sure that I filled up half of a pillowcase on trick-or-treat night back in the 1980's in New Jersey, and promptly ate myself into a stomach-ache later that night. But I was taught that it was a treat and not the norm, and that makes all the difference!