How Halloween candy can help your child succeed in school (and life)

My social media feed has been filled with discussions about how to approach the Halloween candy dilemma. Do we let our children gorge themselves until they feel sick, or do we draw a hard line with a limit like "one piece a day?"

Many nutritionists recommend unrestricted access to candy so that children learn to regulate their intake and don't develop an unhealthy obsession with "forbidden" food. While I agree that this approach will help children develop a healthy approach to eating, I would also argue that this opportunity for self-regulation will have a positive impact that extends far beyond nutrition. If we constantly tell our children what and how much to eat, we can expect them to struggle to make those choices when they are no longer under our roof. The same goes for the many other choices our children have to make. If we tell them what to do with every minute of their day and give detailed instructions for every task, then we are depriving them of the opportunity to learn and grow from making their own choices. Sometimes they might make choices we don't agree with (hello, entire bag of Snickers!), but making mistakes is how we learn, and what better time to do that than now when the stakes are relatively low.

Think about how many choices your child is responsible for making during the week. Are there any additional areas where you can give them opportunities to practice making choices?

• When and where to do school work

• How to study

• What assignments to work on

• When to take breaks

• What to do with free time