When all the treats are treated and the tricks are tricked, and your little goblins are home again with their bags of booty, the really scary part of Halloween begins: Figuring out what to do with all that high-calorie, high-sugar, hyper-loading sweet stuff.

If your child's on a restricted diet, he may not be able to eat any of it, or will need it doled out in tiny portions. The same may be true if your child gets hopped up on sugar, or needs to avoid long sessions in the dentist's chair.

Rather than empty the bags into the trash when the kids aren't looking (or scarfing it all up yourself, as is my tendency), think about using those highly motivating but highly problematic goodies in a way that can make both you and your child happy. Here are five for starters:

1. Buy the candy from your child. Set a price list for different types of sweet, and have your child practice sorting, adding, and cashing in. Give actual money, if your child's saving up, or tokens good for iPod tunes or TV time.
2. Let your child use candy for barter. If your child balks at turning over all that candy, let her keep it -- but make it clear she can trade it in at any time, piece by piece, for skipped chores, special privileges, and other highly desirable items. You can even make up a poster listing exchange rates.
3. Add a sweet reward to your behavior program. Rather than taking candy away for bad behavior, consider giving sugary points for work done and goals met, to be cashed in for candy snacks. Or turn over a favorite treat spontaneously when you catch your kid being good.
4. Use the mighty morsels as homework motivators. Break open a little bag or box of small candies when your child sits down to work, and give one for each line completed or each problem solved. Provide a bonus for neat work or independent endeavor.
5. Play hide and go eat. Stash those little candy bars and make a game of it with your child, giving clues and stretching language skills as you get your little detective searching for sweets, playing Twenty Questions or doing physical challenges to get clues.

Use the candy wisely, and you should be rid of it by the time the Christmas candy comes in ... and the Valentine's candy ... and the Easter candy. Let's just say, it's a year-round strategy.

_{Photo by Terri Mauro}