The Major Mom Method (Illustrated With Candy)

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This October 31, watch your kids as they instinctively use the S.T.E.P.S of the Major Mom Method™ to organize their Halloween treats. Take note of their organizing styles - do they use color, size, type- and incorporate into other organizing projects.

The Major Mom Method™ uses five simple steps to complete any organizing project. S.T.E.P.S. is an acronym that stands for Sort, Treasure, Establish Homes/Systems, Plan Your Containers, and Start New Habits.

SORT Into Categories

How does your child sort their Halloween haul? By type - chocolate, sugary, salty?  By size - fun size vs. full size? Or maybe by color - all the red packages together, all the blue wrappers together?

TREASURE What Counts

Kids instinctively use treasuring when ranking their candy stashes. Treasured treats are immediately pulled out and set aside. Second and third favorites follow, and finally, kids are left with their pile for trading (aka discards or donates). 

ESTABLlSH Homes For Items

The decision of where to keep Halloween candy is an important one. Children have to consider things like: How tall are my siblings? How high can they climb? What do I need to keep away from the dog? Make sure your child also keeps any melty candy away from heat vents or sunny windows, or else you’ll be dealing with another type of meltdown.

Parents also have decisions to make - Where are you going to keep your child’s candy for controlling post-Halloween snacks, as well as where the parents-only stash of Reese’s should go.

PLAN Your Container Strategy

How will you store holiday treats? Maybe you keep all your candy in the plastic jack o’ lantern, or  portion it out into grab and go snack bags for lunches. Small baskets or  bins keep snacks contained and less likely to get lost in the back of the pantry or spilled on the floor (Skittles can travel an amazing distance!). We keep our leftover candy in a Tupperware container and let the kids shop for treats when going to the movies.

START New Habits

Halloween habits are quickly established, and kids have no trouble remembering them. Somehow the habit of “2 pieces of candy go in my lunch bag” is easier to remember than “Socks go in the laundry basket” in our house. Other new habits could involve creating your own post-holiday tradition, such as trading treats with the Switch Witch. Also important is to set a deadline for tossing uneaten candy. A good rule of thumb is, if it’s not eaten by the next holiday, it’s gone.