Halloween this year was a real eye-opener. As Ian gets older, we are able to trick-or-treat at more and more houses. Of course, we went through his candy and sorted through everything to make sure it was safe for him to consume. I thought it was odd when I saw a square piece of chocolate from Royal Caribbean. I updated my status on Facebook to the following:
"oddest piece of Halloween candy collected by far is the Royal Caribbean chocolate they give you when they turn down your bed at night. Seriously?!?!? Someone went on a cruise and collected them to give out for trick-or-treaters? So bizarre! And no, we won't be eating it."
Then in Ian's pumpkin bucket I came across a baggie with a loose marshmallow in it. What is going on here!?!?!? So I added the following comment to my Facebook status:
"2nd oddest prize goes for the random marshmallow in a baggie. heheheheheheh. Don't these people realize if it is not wrapped, we won't let our children (or ourselves!) eat it?!?!?!"
I quickly had friends chime in with their kid's strange candy collection and realize we were not alone. Apparently every neighborhood has an nut who will give out loose candy to kids. In one instance, my mommy friend wrote that she had the marshmallow thing beat and had a lady handing out candy corn (loose in a bowl); every child who came got to reach in the bowl and take a handful. Yuck!
Other Facebook friends reported on loose jelly beans being handed out. The only thing that could get better with loose candy is if it gets sneezed on first.
Do these people not watch tv or read the paper? The media has a done a real number on the public and has most of the parents with young kids in mass hysterics over the Swine Flu epidemic. The story has been building and gaining speed for months on how hard it is to find the H1N1 vaccine. And the few places that do get a supply in, have crazy long lines of people waiting hours on end until they run out.
Not to mention, we see endless stories on talk shows, news conferences and the evening news on what you can do to prevent the spreading of germs. Sneeze or cough into your arm, do not shake hands with anyone and wash your hands frequently to name a few things you can do. Handing out loose candy should be such a no-brainer it doesn't even deserve to be part of the list of precautions.
And even if they are in the dark about the threat of the cold & flu season, do they not remember the 80's when parents were in fear of something tainting the candy and all WRAPPED pieces needed to be inspected very closely?
Fortunately Ian is only interested in the bags of m&ms. Everything else he gets in his bucket is open for grabs for Jeff and me to eat. And Sam is still too young to know that some (or all) of her candy will go missing as soon as she turns her head.
But I would really like for these people who hand out loose candy or let kids grab a handful for themselves to explain to me what they are thinking. And, to the person who handed out packets of jelly (yes, the kind you get at a restaurant) and a CVS coupon for $1.00 off Head and Shoulders shampoo - what were you thinking!?!?!?
I am so happy that Halloween only comes but once a year.
Ha, at my house, I wouldn't even let the kids reach into our bowl to grab the (appropriately) wrapped candy. Two reasons:
ReplyDelete1. I don't like "grabby" kids. Tends to be the older kids, but when they TAKE the candy (as opposed to me handing it out), they take several pieces or sort through the bowl to get their favorites. Harumph (says the old hag of the neighborhood).
2. Even though it's wrapped (as opposed to loose stuff), kids still can spread germs by reaching hand after hand into a common bowl. I'd like to think that I helped stop the spread of at elast a few germs!