Candy, Kids and the 4th of July

Most 4th of July parades have outlawed candy. I had not given it much thought until I made the trip to my hometown to see a local parade.

Throwing out candy to the crowd is banned from most parades because it is a hazard. I witnessed this first hand. Unfortunately, kids ran out to catch the candy between floats. Not to mention the risk of being hit on the head with a piece of candy or two.

A boy (about six years old, I would guess) next to me collected more candy than most kids do on Halloween and ate seven lollipop (yes, I counted them).

Kudos to Little Tykes who handed out plastic baseballs to kids, Giant Eagle gave out mini pretzel bags and a local shop handed out Frisbees. I am sure all the parents appreciated your non sugar freebies.

It is difficult enough for parents to try to teach their kids to eat mindfully. We can all understand how difficult it is when faced with situations like this.