One of my favorite Auntie indulgences is simple gift giving for the many children in my life! If you know kids, you know they like to unwrap or discover a lot of little cool things as opposed to one big item. Making a visit to the Target dollar section or a dollar store can provide an Auntie with all of the best materials to make a bag of treats for any occasion, holiday, or just because!

My guilty pleasure: including candy or treats. While this quenches my inner Savvy Auntie, I must be aware of certain health concerns or household rules of the children I seek to spoil! In recent years I’ve noticed some of my friends and relatives make certain health and lifestyle changes for themselves and their children.

April is Defeat Diabetes Month. Everywhere you look you see health cues for reducing sugar intake. As much as we love to spoil the children we love, we owe it to them to ensure their health, well-being, and to honor their parents’ wishes. Healthy now means healthy later!

Preparing a treat bag for your next Auntie visit? Here are a few cues to be aware of before clearing out the candy aisle, and some great candy substitutes for your favorite kids.

Be aware:

Take notes during visits. Are the kids you love being restricted to certain foods or habits? Are there any household rules or dietary needs that you need to be aware of?

Create a little reminder guide. A Savvy Auntie always has a good list. If you are like me and have a lot of kids in your life, keep a little list on the fridge of the household rules of all your favorite kids!

Check in with the parents. Even if there are some hard and fast rules, you never know when a little exception might be ok. Before venturing on your shopping trip, a quick text will do. For example, “Hi ______ I’m picking up a few goodies for the kids, would you prefer I exclude any candy, or is a small amount ok?”

Find alternatives:

Shop Smart! You’d be surprised what candy-like treats you can find out there! Check out these 12 ready for purchase treats from parenting magazine.

Get Creative! Maybe your favorite family is vegan or gluten free? Try making some sweet natural treats and wrapping them up with fun wrap and ribbon! Discover your inner Betty Crocker and get cooking with some healthy treat recipes here.

Stickers! I’m a child of the 80’s and I can tell you that stickers still work the same magic they did back when we were collecting “puffies” or “scratch-n-sniff.” Stickers offer the color, fun, and excitement of candy without the calorie or sugar factor!

Craft it up! Kids love to DO! Craft stores now have cute little mini “project in a bag” type items where you and your favorite kid can make a foam magnet or decoration. The color and play factor here is sure to make your treat bag a hit!

Temporary Tattoos! If there is one thing I see kids go nuts about as much as candy it’s branding themselves with rainbows or animals! Kids LOVE this. They will also love YOU for making them look super cool.

I know it’s hard to forgo the candy buttons or lollipops, but there is so much more you can give than sweets! Take a few extra minutes to plan out your next “just because” treat bag and put the Savvy in your Auntie!

Photo: Courtesy of Stephanie Licata
Published: April 30, 2014