Recruiting “The Switch Witch” in Fairlawn OH

I’ll be the first to admit—I’m not above a good bribe.

As a mom of three kids (ages 11 to 17), I’m usually bribing someone to smile nicely for a family photo. Occasionally, I’m bribing reluctant teenagers to babysit their younger siblings. And yes, I’m also that mom who shows up to teacher conferences with homemade treats and gifts bottles of wine to teachers during the holidays.

My kids love to tease me about my “bribing ways,” but honestly, a little friendly, respectful tit-for-tat goes a long way. Which brings me to my biggest bribe of the year: swapping Halloween high fructose corn syrup for toys in Fairlawn OH.

Now, I don’t usually allow HFCS candy in our house—it’s known to increase inflammation, mess with hormones that regulate energy, and contribute to things like diabetes and high blood pressure. It can even weaken immune function.* Instead, we stick with homemade treats made from natural sweeteners or chocolate with low sugar content and brands that use real sugar instead of corn syrup.

But Halloween? That’s a whole different story. I mean, what other time of year is it socially acceptable to wander around in the dark wearing masks, knocking on strangers’ doors, and asking for candy? For the sake of fun—and because one of my kids was literally born on Halloween and believes the world throws him a birthday party every year—I’ve learned to go with the flow… mostly.

My compromise? Recruiting “The Switch Witch.”

She’s like the Tooth Fairy’s autumnal cousin—a fall-time friend who visits our house every November 1st to swap candy for toys (or as I like to call them, “bribes”). It’s a win-win. The Switch Witch automatically takes anything we don’t eat—candy with gluten, milk, or other off-limits ingredients. From the rest, the kids get to choose one favorite treat per day for a week. The remaining stash? Off it goes to the Witch, who sneaks in during the night and trades toys for candy.

Where all that candy ends up, we’ll never know. Rumor has it she donates it to care packages for deployed troops or to homeless shelters for a little sweet pick-me-up where it’s needed most.

Swapping out Halloween Candy In Fairlawn OH

I’ll admit—it was an easier sell when they were younger. Back then, a $7 toy had the same magic as a five-pound bag of candy. Some of our favorite swaps over the years have been Lego Creator sets (the kind that make three builds from one box), or mystery surprise toys like Cats vs Pickles and Rainbocorn Surprise Eggs.

Now that they’re older, it takes a little more convincing. They see friends hoarding piles of neon-colored sugar, and they know their “granola health-nut mom” is making them do Halloween differently. But after years of this tradition, we’ve set a precedent—no bags of candy lingering around to fuel hormone chaos for the next three to six months. And these days? Cold hard cash tends to work just fine for the trade.

So if you’re a mom like me, trying to keep the fun of Halloween without the sugar crashes and candy-fueled chaos—know you’re not alone. To help you start your own Healthier Halloween tradition, here’s one of the letters the Switch Witch left for our crew one year. Feel free to use or adapt it for your own trickery and fun:

Hello my pretties, my darlings, my dears,

The sounds of a party are what drew me near.

Halloween PLUS a birthday mean candy to spare

And the smells of sweet sugar make a witchy-witch snare.

So I’ll make you a deal that’s too good to be true,

I’ll switch out your candy and leave presents for you!

I know you might think it’s hard to trade sweets,

But the sugar is bad for your body and teeth.

This trade is a good one, my three little dears,

Be good for your parents.  I’ll see you next year!

So here’s to the Switch Witch—and to all the moms out there reinventing the “way it’s always been done.” You’re doing great.

Happy Halloween,
Dr. Deanna Freedman

Research Articles:

• *https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-is-high-fructose-corn-syrup
• *https://hartfordhospital.org/about-hh/news-center/news-detail?articleId=27851&publicid=46#:~:text=Weight%20gain%20abetted%20by%20high,drinking%20regular%20soda%20is%20beneficial
• *https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6549781/#:~:text=Ingestion%20of%20fructose%20chronically%20has,induced%20chronic%20liver%20metabolic%20diseases