https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 27 Jun 2026 05:12:43 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switch-witchdentist-buy-back-programs-etc#post-2645906 Mon, 31 Oct 2016 21:54:36 +0000 JoyfulKiwi 2645906@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think the Switch Witch is silly (why be MORE of a consumer?!) but I like donating extra candy to be sent overseas. I could care less that the dentist "buys" it from us. We trick or treat for the experience/neighborly aspect, so I don't care what any kids do with the candy later. </p> <p>Our son went to maybe 15 houses and got gobs of candy. We let him sift through it all and choose 23 pieces to keep. That's a piece a day until Thanksgiving, which seems like more than enough candy (and, he is not a kid who will "forget" the candy is there. Last year he didn't stop asking until the beginning of Dec and that's because St Nicolas filled his stocking with more candy!!) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switch-witchdentist-buy-back-programs-etc#post-2645877 Mon, 31 Oct 2016 20:03:01 +0000 ShootingStar 2645877@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I guess the thing about TOT is that it's not actually about the candy. I mean, it's not like we need to go door to door in order to get candy for free. If it was about the candy we'd all just buy a bag for ourselves and our kids. It's more about the fun experience. </p> <p>We went to just a few houses tonight and still ended up with way more candy than I would have expected. I don't plan to give it away but I also wasn't policing the bucket, thinking we'd be done at X amount. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switch-witchdentist-buy-back-programs-etc#post-2645870 Mon, 31 Oct 2016 19:49:23 +0000 SweetCaroline 2645870@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I always thought these were such cute ideas. However, after reading through the comments, I do think Halloween is a good time to teach self restraint. My mom let us have a piece or two a day and she said months later she would pitch it, after we forgot about it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switch-witchdentist-buy-back-programs-etc#post-2645845 Mon, 31 Oct 2016 18:12:46 +0000 sarac 2645845@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yeah, I'm with him. Totally opposed to giving it away, or 'switch witch' -ing it for something else??? Just why?? A few pieces of candy a day for the next week is a great way to teach moderation, and then they just get tired of it anyway. I think that making it forbidden is a really good way to fetishize it and make kids go nuts on it when they grow up and leave the house. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switch-witchdentist-buy-back-programs-etc#post-2645811 Mon, 31 Oct 2016 16:14:57 +0000 looch 2645811@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yeah, it makes no sense, when you think about it! I have to give it to your husband on this one. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switch-witchdentist-buy-back-programs-etc#post-2645809 Mon, 31 Oct 2016 16:10:58 +0000 Mrs. Sunshine 2645809@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catomd00: agreed! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switch-witchdentist-buy-back-programs-etc#post-2645779 Mon, 31 Oct 2016 15:32:20 +0000 catomd00 2645779@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think the but backs and switch witch are kinda lame. A little extra candy for a few weeks isn't going to hurt anyone, plus I am happy to eat that which I don't want my kids to! I don't really care what happens to the candy once I give it away though. One year I ran out and had to go get crappy candy from the dollar store and I found it all over the neighborhood lol. Embarrassing!! I wasn't mad that people wasted it, but it was annoying they didn't put it in a proper trash can. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switch-witchdentist-buy-back-programs-etc#post-2645766 Mon, 31 Oct 2016 15:02:23 +0000 Mrs. Carrot 2645766@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I never heard of give back/exchange programs until just recently, and as a foreigner myself I didnt' get to experience Halloween and TOT much after I moved to the US. My kid is still pretty young to care about TOT and the candy, so we'll probably use it as a self control exercise for now, but as she gets a little older I would love to build in a donation/give away component for her. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switch-witchdentist-buy-back-programs-etc#post-2645757 Mon, 31 Oct 2016 14:53:00 +0000 Mamaof2 2645757@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: wait till your kids are older and they are having so much fun and just want to stay out a little bit longer...... its fun - its one night a year - let them grab up all the candy they want and then donate away </p> <p>We donate to the school who sends it off to the military overseas </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switch-witchdentist-buy-back-programs-etc#post-2645735 Mon, 31 Oct 2016 14:26:08 +0000 hummusgirl 2645735@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I guess it does seem bizarre from an outsider's perspective. I don't care what happens to the candy when it leaves my house. It's not a significant financial investment and it makes kids happy and it's a fun neighborhood activity and it's only once a year. As a kid, I was definitely into the idea of "it's raining free candy!!" Moreso than actually eating all the candy. </p> <p>We're taking the approach of letting them eat/keep the candy as a way to take some of the allure of sugar - if it's not that scarce then maybe they won't be preoccupied by it (like I was when my parents would only let us keep 10 pieces and give all the rest away). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switch-witchdentist-buy-back-programs-etc#post-2645732 Mon, 31 Oct 2016 14:23:37 +0000 catgirl 2645732@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think of it how I think of all gifts. I choose to give out candy (or give a gift to someone) that person gets to choose what they do with it. Some parents will let their kids keep it all, some will take most of it for themselves, some will take it to work, some will take part in the dentist buy back, and some might trash it. Not my place to worry about what they do with it. I can choose to hand out candy or a non food item or to not hand it out at all. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switch-witchdentist-buy-back-programs-etc#post-2645727 Mon, 31 Oct 2016 14:17:29 +0000 Mrs. Champagne 2645727@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't think about it or care. I don't know anyone who does the switch witch and I've never heard of the dentist thing?? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switch-witchdentist-buy-back-programs-etc#post-2645693 Mon, 31 Oct 2016 13:44:44 +0000 Anagram 2645693@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Truth Bombs: it's hard to explain to a non American, though! Everyone dresses up and takes their kids out for a few hours to gather as much candy as they can get, so that mom and dad can give it to their coworkers the next day. or to the dentist. Or to the Switch Witch. </p> <p>Of course, I'm sure some parents let their kids keep it all, and I did read a good article in favor of that--teaching self control and all that. Not sure what we will do when the kids get older. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switch-witchdentist-buy-back-programs-etc#post-2645689 Mon, 31 Oct 2016 13:41:18 +0000 Truth Bombs 2645689@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I really don't care what happens to the candy after I give it away. I think it's more about providing the experience of ToT to the kids then wanting them to eat the candy. The dentist office near my house that does a buy back sends the candy to troops serving over seas so I was more than happy to give away all of our extras. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switch-witchdentist-buy-back-programs-etc#post-2645664 Mon, 31 Oct 2016 13:21:19 +0000 Anagram 2645664@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Last year, our oldest was only 2, so we went to the TOT area of our town, did 5-6 houses for the experience, and called it a night and went home. Tonight we are going TOTing again, but with little sister in tow, so again I think we will just hit a few houses.</p> <p>But last year, we passed a dentist with a "Candy Buy Back" program sign, and my husband (who didn't grow up in the US) started asking a lot of questions. Basically, it boiled down to, "If parents don't want their kids to have so much candy, why don't they take them home when they've gotten the amount of candy the parents will allow? And don't the people spending their money on the candy resent having to buy it for kids that are going to give it away?"</p> <p>I was like.....uh.....yeah, when you put it like that.</p> <p>I grew up in the country with about 5 houses within walking distance, so I never had a giant pillowcase full of candy. And our kids have been too young to do much TOTing so far.</p> <p>What do you all think? If you live in a popular neighborhood, does it kind of piss you off to spend the money if you know parents are taking it to their offices or whatever? </p>