Policy Point Wednesday: What to do with Halloween Candy

My son Sparky is actually much better about his sweet tooth than I am about mine.  I've mentioned before that he will put down a half-eaten cookie if he feels full - something I'm entirely unable to do.  However, he is just about the most industrious kid Halloween has ever seen - he and his Dad hit the neighborhood for four hours straight, and he brought home a truly frightening amount of candy.

Of course, in every haul there are duds - every person has their own take on what a "dud" is.  Following a suggestion I read on the excellent blog It's Not About Nutrition, I had Sparky sort out all but the candy he likes best (I have to say, he still has a surprisingly large stash!)  I told him we'd be sending it to soldiers, who will either appreciate having a treat, or who will hand it out as a goodwill gesture to kids who might otherwise never see American candy.  (We had a momentary hiccup when Sparky wasn't sure that the "fruit snacks" were enough like candy to go to soldiers.)  He thought about it, and added some packets of M&Ms and a few of his candy chocolate bars - his favorites, but the cause was important to him.

We packed the candy carefully in a grocery bag, printed out forms from Operation Buyback and headed to the post office, where we dumped the entire thing in a prepaid envelope.  We then double-checked the weight, bought postage, and off the candy went, out of my house to somewhere it could do some good.