Avoid Scary Halloween Kid’s Behavior

One doesn’t need tea leaves to reveal that “sugar highs” can bring out some pretty low behavior in kids. — “Too many too-sweet treats can turn some usually agreeable children into monsters at home and in school,” says Dr. Jerome Vogel, medical director of the New York Institute for Child Development.

A 2nd Debut article from 2023

NEW YORK (AP) Halloween, among the most profitable holidays in the year for candy sales, can be a nightmare for parents and teachers of certain children, says the medical director of an institute for children with learning problems. “Too many too-sweet treats can turn some usually agreeable children into monsters at home and in school,” says Dr. Jerome Vogel, medical director of the New York Institute for Child Development.

“Many children simply cannot handle the over-large doses of sugar in Halloween candy,” explains Vogel. “Too much sugar can cause irritability, disruptive behavior, decreased attention span and loss of concentration. Headaches and stomach aches are also very common to children the day after Halloween. Parents and teachers have told us they dread this post-Halloween period; there are arguments and fights at home, and classes the next day are virtually unmanageable, with children agitated and restless,” he adds.

The institute, founded in 1968, is a non-profit, diagnostic and treatment facility that focuses on the physical factors that can interfere with learning and affect behavior. In dealing with over 3,000 children with learning problems, the institute has found that nutrition can play a major role in many learning and behavioral problems. Vogel suggests offering less “tricky” treats such as high protein, low-carbohydrate snacks like raisins, cashews, almonds, popcorn, assorted cheeses, apple juice, or apples, which are in peak season at Halloween-time.— Santa Cruz Sentinel, 1982

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