5 Tricks to Distract Yourself from the Treats

by Debra Ross

The candy is calling. Can you hear it? Their sultry voices beckon, singing oh so sweetly, "Debbbb... we're so close.... you know you want us..."

Of course, the Hershey bars in your cabinet probably don't call you "Deb." That would be creepy. But I know it's the same with many of you: When it's there in such large quantities, it's tempting to tell yourself that no one will notice if half the bag is missing by 6pm when the goblins appear at the door with their seasonal demands.

But take it from me: It's better, MUCH better, to be the grownup in the house. It's tough, I know. So here are some ideas for getting through the day and the weekend:

1. Listen to music you love: Get lost on YouTube pulling up songs from the '80s about persistence, like Corey Hart's Never Surrender or Journey's Don't Stop Believin' or Bruce Springsteen's No Surrender or Peter Gabriel's Don't Give Up or Wilson Phillips' Hold On. (Yes, that was technically 1990. Hush.)

2. Take a walk around the block and notice things in your neighborhood. Okay, who am I kidding... maybe taking a walk is not quite as pleasurable as downing a pack of Twizzlers. But it's nice enough of an experience and at the end, you'll feel much better about yourself for having done so, especially if you're pushing a stroller. Even better, take a jog. (Well, you take a jog. I'll take the walk.)

3. Rake the leaves, or tidy up the yard if you have no leaves. If my neighbors saw anything odd this weekend about a 44-year-old scattering her neat front-yard pile with a kamikaze jump, they kept that opinion to themselves. I totally forgot about the Junior Mints on the first shelf. So did Ella, who at first thought that 12 might be a tad too old to jump, but was soon persuaded otherwise. And then after every leaf was blown to the curb, I had a nice neat front yard. Everyone wins. Even the neighbors.

4. Call your best friend, your mom, or an elderly relative just to say hello. It's true, Facebook friends can bring a lot of connectivity to life that wasn't possible before. But we risk losing those more profound connections if we don't do it the good old-fashioned way once in a while. And chatting on the phone will drown out the candy song sure as anything.

5. Increase the net joy in the universe by consulting... YOUR KIDS! Blow a raspberry on the baby's belly, tickle a toddler, chase a preschooler, share a joke with a 6-year-old, paint your 'tween's fingernails, ask your teen what his favorite song is nowadays. CONNECT.

Debra Ross is publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com.