How strict should parents be about eating candy on Halloween?

Don’t be fooled – give them a treat.

Parents who think they are doing a good job limiting your children’s consumption of Halloween candy An expert warns that it can cause much more harm than the usual stomach ache from too much chocolate.

Psychologist Dr. Cheryl Ziegler warned that nutrition-conscious moms and dads who micromanage—e.g. so-called “almond mommies” who obsess over every child’s calorie can actually be harmful to their child’s mental health.

“In today’s times, we need to be very careful not to put pressure on ourselves because you want to be thin, or you want to look a certain way, or you want to fit a certain image,” she told 9News.

“It can make them anxious. This can make them self-conscious and have low self-esteem.”

According to Ziegler, children are now the subject of many unhealthy programs regarding their well-being.

“It’s like taking health and health and fitness and making it so extreme that now you have kids who actually develop eating disorders,” she said.

On top of that, in situations where children go to other homes with a softer approach to snacks – or perhaps even an unsupervised trick-or-treating session – “these kids want to fill up.”

Instead, Ziegler suggests taking a pragmatic, middle-of-the-road approach so that you “focus on health” rather than image.

When it comes to food, parents should think like this: “How are you feeling? Can you play the sport you want to play? Are you able to think as clearly and quickly as you want in class?” she said.

“This is really important.”

She also supports the idea of ​​letting children know that trick-or-treating is okay on special occasions, such as Halloween or birthdays, and in the right dosage, rather than abruptly cutting off with no choice of high-calorie treats.

“You want to create the feeling that nothing is off limits,” Ziegler said.

“Everything should be done in moderation. “