I don’t know who came up with the idea of the switch witch, but I would love to give them a HUGE hug.
Once my kids turned 4, Halloween became the best and worst holiday EVER for me. I loved seeing everyone dressed up, especially my children. There is something about listening to them say, “Trick-or-treat” and “Thank You” as we went from door to door that kept me grinning from ear to ear.
The pure joy of coming home and being speechless as the candy was inventoried and strewn all around the floor is priceless to experience.
The look of pure joy and excitement. One of the many reasons I love Halloween!
The smiles on their faces and the fun this holiday brought was hard to hate, but boy oh boy, hate it I did. It all seems so magical and amazing (which it is the majority of the time) until the constant phrases of “can I have my candy” or “I want CANDY!!” start echoing throughout the house, day in and day out….over and over and over again.
It is one thing to have a few pieces of candy to share with your children occasionally, but when there is a HUGE amount in the home and the children know about, oh man, talk about a test of parenting and patience, right there!
One time we even found wrappers of candy stuffed under the couch, in an attempt to hide the evidence of any wrong doing.
Arguing, sneaking around, and constant begging tend to drive a sane person insane. You better believe that in time, the hard earned candy started getting death threats and mysteriously disappearing the moment my sweet children went to bed.
After complaining to my friend about how much fun and hate existed in just this one day, she told me about the Switch Witch.
The Switch Witch is the Tooth Fairy’s sister. Her job is to go around from house to house the days following Halloween and gather all the candy that was left out for her. In return for left out candy, she would leave a gift. She believes that by taking away the candy kids will get more money from her sister, the Tooth Fairy, because it will prevent cavities and keep teeth clean. (I totally added the part about the cavities and teeth, I just think it makes more sense. ha)
Sorting, organizing, counting and preparing the Switch Witch exchange.
The first year we attempted the Switch Witch my children were allowed to keep 10 pieces of their Halloween loot. They carefully counted and selected their favorite treats and the rest was left out for the Switch Witch. The next morning, small toys were found where the candy was left.
This year the Switch Witch was very excited to find great costumes on Halloween clearance! However, in years past, prizes were under $5 and very simple.
I was pretty skeptical of it working at first, but after seeing their reactions I knew I struck gold. No arguing or whining over candy occurred. Everyone knew what they had and they were happy.
It has been 3 years now that the Switch Witch has been part of our Halloween tradition. My kids love it and always try to guess what type of prize they will find when they wake up.
New dress up costumes, thanks to the Switch Witch! Success!!!
Now that they are older we allow them to have 15 pieces of candy, instead of 10. We also give them the option to keep their candy or leave it for the Switch Witch. I know the time will come when they will not want to participate, but for now the Switch Witch has saved my sanity and made Halloween something we look forward to every year.
If you do the Switch Witch in your home, here are some ideas for all that leftover candy:
1. Donate it to your child’s classroom
2. Take it to work to share with co-workers…after all adults love candy too
3. Keep hidden for rewards around the house
4. Use in stockings at Christmas
I hope this idea helps you enjoy this festive holiday a little more, or at least brought a smile to your face. What other ways do you get rid of all the leftover candy? (Eating it doesn’t count as an answer. Just Kidding!)
Leave a Reply