This March 23rd, millions of children around the world will wake to find colorful baskets of teeth-rotting confections by their beds. Chocolate eggs, peeps, lollipops, pecan nougat, jellybeans even Smucker’s puckers are just a few Easter favorites.

Parents, educators, doctors and dentists generally agree that sugary candies are anything but good for the growing child. Cavities, hyperactivity (as blood glucose levels fall, a compensatory release of adrenaline occurs) and childhood obesity are just a few of the problems associated with sugar. Plus, as mentioned in the blog above, the majority of cheap children’s chocolate comes from environmentally destructive cocoa farms.

This Easter, of course shower your children with lots of lovely (and hopefully organic and fair trade) candy, but don’t give the kids a lifetime supply. Too much could make them unbearably hyper Easter morning—and who needs that? Worse, you may hurt their little snappers. Rather than loading up on candy, fill the basket with a plush bunny stuffed animal (I like from Under the Nile). Then sprinkle smaller sweets around the bunny. This way you’ll avoid your child’s toothache and your headache!

Posted on February 24th, 2008 by Olivia Zaleski