Mindful Parenting: The Switch Witch
My family LOVES the Switch Witch.
Does yours?
Hooray!!!! (Or, "Weehoo!!" as my wee girl says!) The Switch Witch came!!
Those are some of my favorite words to hear hollered from my doorstep!
Running out, wand in hand to see what magic was left on our doorstep!
For those of you who don't know about this, let me first say, I did not create this. The second I heard of it years ago, I knew we would be adopting it into our annual Halloween tradition as a family. More and more I'm learning that many naturally inclined parents haven't heard of this and are at a loss when it comes to trick or treating. They want their kids to have fun, but they don't want to overwhelm their healthy bodies with the ick that's typically given out on Halloween. So I'm sharing how it works here.
But first, let's be clear: All of this is easiest when we are yogically grounded, mindful parents who model and promote a natural lifestyle all year long. Not pushing ideas on our kids. Not making a big deal out of food. Rather, just eating great, natural foods and being ready with simple, clear, consistent answers regarding food choices and how they effect our minds and bodies.
Having to explain over and over again to kids on an annual basis why they can't partake in Halloween fun stinks. If you simply live a certain lifestyle all the time, you avoid this altogether. I also feel we must allow kids to make some food choices on their own, even occasionally ones we don't agree with. They are here on their own journeys and it's empowering for them when we can step back and let them be independent thinkers. More often than not, they're going to try that hot dog or way-too-sugary-sweet piece of cake and realize it's not all it's cracked up to be. Being a little less attached and a lot more balanced about it all will bring a sense of ease to the whole situation, and probably less rebellion on the part of our kids.
I digress ....
We LOVE Halloween. We especially love the idea of merry making in our community by trick or treating and dressing up in creative costumes with friends and family! It would be such a bummer to have to either skip the trick or treating merriment or frustrate the kiddos by taking their hard-won, collected loot away.
Enter: The Switch Witch!
Every year we trick or treat with the best of 'em and when we're done, we go through our loot to see what of our stash is keep-able and what isn't.
(Keep-able: anything made with no chemicals, nasty preservatives, artificial ingredients, or artificial food dyes. There actually are some things people give out that aren't things I'd buy, but we deem keep-able. In the case of Halloween every treat doesn't have to be organic, they just have to be free of additive crap that hinders our health.)
Before bed, the "ick" stash is left outside on our doorstep for the Switch Witch who wanders the land after dark in search of goodies needed for the magic brew which powers her broom. If a child chooses to leave her something, she gratefully switches it out for a longer lasting toy and/or more healthful, festive treats. Easy peasy. Plus! It extends Halloween into November 1!! (In our house, it is how we kickoff Day of the Dead. We get to start by celebrating our excitement for our lives and then we spend some time honoring those who've passed.)
Something like this works and is even fun for parents who choose not to partake in the holiday "magic" of make-believe. You can openly do the swapping! Simply tell your child that you get to be their personal Switch Witch and surprise them with a swap-treat every year.
Reading her special note from the Switch Witch!
If you're taking the more "magical" route with holidays, transitioning with older kids can be difficult.
Because I've never heard how anyone with older kids transitions from the Switch Witch tradition smoothly, with joy and choice at the heart of the change, this next part is all my creation. The "end" of an era doesn't have to be traumatizing or negative. In fact, it can continue to be a lovely, bonding tradition full of happy memories throughout a kid's life:
Parenting requires intention, mindful attention, and the ability to intuitively dance lightly through the in-between stages, guiding kids while letting them show you the way--their way. The year it becomes noticeable that perhaps some belief in magic is waning, or whenever your intuition is clearly whispering, "It's time", the Switch Witch simply leaves a note with her switch-treats explaining how now that they're getting bigger it's up to them (and their family) to keep the magic alive. When this happens will vary from child to child. Pictured in this post, my daughter was 6 years old, but now at age 11 she's just as invested in the idea of magic and delighted by this tradition as she ever was. She'll receive a note sometime in the next two years I'm sure, but I'll let her lead the way. (This is easy for us because we are a hOMeschooling family so there's less peer pressure to "not be a baby" and my husband and I are grateful to be in a position that grants us the choice to allow her childhood to unfold as gently as possible.)
What I like about this is that instead of being reactive, it's proactive and energetically responsive parenting. The unsolicited note just arrives as a gentle inquiry or soft nudge to help the child along their growing path.
Like every child the note will be unique, but in every note the Switch Witch asks the parents if they'd be willing to take her duties over, giving her more time to bring magic to the wee-est kiddos of the land. She could leave special instructions letting the grownups know what kinds of surprises would be expected in return for their child continuing to make the healthier choice to swap out their collected junk. She might explain that there comes a day when all kids decide they're not interested in trick-or-treating anymore, but that doesn't mean they don't still get a treat. It's a fun challenge to see if the parents could possibly do as a good a job as the Switch Witch. Of course the kids will never think it's possible. My parents? Magical? HA!
The Switch Witch might even instruct the family that from this point forward they become responsible for helping spread some Halloween magic in their community -- the perfect excuse for BOO-ing the neighbors! (Dropping anonymous treats on doorsteps.)
Another option could be that the child gets to choose something in particular ahead of time that they'd like to receive -or do- next Halloween instead of a bucket of goodies. Maybe they want a guaranteed day at the pumpkin patch amusement park or a haunted house. Maybe they want to host a halloween-themed movie/game night for friends. Or, perhaps there's a game they've had their eye on that they'd be willing to forgo junky treats for.
It's okay if they don't want things to change yet, too. The Switch Witch will continue to come and switch out their loot with surprises for as long as they want. They can make the choice to transition when they're ready. When they do, they can leave a grateful note for all the years of festive fun.
Every switched bucket comes with a sweet note.
My wee girl plopped down just inside the front door exploring her loot.
It's a good day when your kiddo literally jumps for joy at the sight of new airplane pajamas!! 😍 My daughter receives things like yummy, healthier, organic festive treats, new pj's, coins, small toys, craft kits, games, puzzles, books, coloring books -- limitless possibilities. This fun, these memories...these will last way longer than icky candy would!
The switched-loot!
Fun & Festive! Now you know (if you didn't already).
Happy haunting!!
NamastYAY!
Maggie
**This post was originally written for my blog in October 2016 and updated for October 2020.
