Magic worms

It seems appropriate that I am writing about candy today. Halloween is after all a week away and is topmost on most children's minds. Aurora is educating Sophia in the ways of Halloween "they all just give you candy!!" But all this just occurred to me now after I had already planned on writing about candy for entirely different reasons. I have long been weary of candy. After all it has no nutritional content, creates a dreaded (by parents) sugar rush, and ruins our pearly whites. On the other hand it is colorful, and shiny like jewels, with different textures and shapes, it makes you feel good, and it tastes good. And while I won't say it out loud in front of the children: it is magical. Pure Magic.

Like most children, our children think about candy often. They discuss it's wonderfulness. They list it as their favorite food. The best part of their birthdays is receiving a lollipop. The fact that they don't get it often just makes it all the more desirable. And so we have harnessed this passion in our favor. When we need them to do things uncomplainingly (like hike up mountains) or do things they detest (like long car rides on curvy roads) we dandle the candies on our hypothetical strings. Miraculously with a candy on the horizon mountains turn into molehills and nauseating roads worthwhile. Today candy worked its magic again.

Sophia took a fall while climbing a couple of days ago. It wasn't a huge deal as she was attached to ropes so didn't really have anywhere to fall. But she is a determined child who tries very hard and it was a blow to her ego. It was also a blow to her physically as she swung to fast and didn't manage to avoid coming crashing back into the wall. She howled up there in the air and she howled some more on the ground and she pretty much felt sorry for herself for the rest of the day. And worst of all she got scared and was hesitant to climb more. After much discussion and cheerleading and persuasion she agreed to go back to climb today but with less enthusiasm than usual. On a whim, in the hopes of helping her refind her pride and enthusiasm I told her that if she tried the same climb again and made it to the top I would get her a gummy worm. Jackpot. Aurora obviously wanted a candy too so I told her if she made it to the top of the rope (something she had been trying to do for the past three weeks) she could have a candy too. Well, we got to the gym and Aurora immediately climbed her way to the top of the rope and Sophia made it to the top of the difficult route beaming. Somehow with the promise of candy they get bursts of energy and superhuman strength and agility. This is better than the placebo effect. And it only cost 10 cents.

Big sisters are better than candy