What sorcery is this? A Utah couple sparked an online debate after introducing the “Switch Witch” concept to their followers.
“Trick-or-treating is fun, but kids don’t really need all that candy, so here’s what we do instead,” health coach Levi Jensen began an Instagram video that has been seen more than 10 million times.
At the end of the night, Levi’s 2-year-old daughter, Aria, chooses five pieces of Halloween candy to keep. She then places the remaining treats in a bucket and leaves it on the porch. While Aria is sleeping, the “Switch Witch” takes the sweets and deposits a toy in its place.
"You can get fun with it and give your witch a name," Levi captioned his post, in part. "The witch who stops by our house is Wilda."
“When we posted the video, we had no idea the comments would be so heated,” Emily Jensen, Aria’s mom, tells TODAY.com.
Indeed, the feedback that the Jensens received after sharing their tradition, isn’t exactly sugarcoated.
“This is a great way to create a child with fear of certain food and start them on a life of disordered eating habits!” one person wrote.
Added another, “Why not just teach moderation? Like it’s a great idea but it’s not really teaching her anything.”
Other comments included, “Horrible parents,” “Dude it’s once a year,” and “Let that baby have some damn candy.”
Emily, a labor and delivery nurse, says she heard about the “Switch Witch” a few years ago, and put the idea in her back pocket for when she became a mother.
“I remember thinking, ‘What a great way for kids to enjoy the festivities of Halloween without eating excessive amounts of candy,” she explains. "The 'Switch Witch' isn't for everyone, but it works for us."
Emily notes that she and Levi aren't trying to zap the fun out of Halloween — they simply want to limit the amount of sugar that Aria consumes.
“Some people were commenting ‘Oh, it’s just one night a year,’ — but it’s not just one night a year. You get candy at birthday parties, and at parades, and during the holidays,” Emily says.
"We do our best not to classify food as either 'good' or 'bad,'" Levi tells TODAY.com. "We just want her to understand that foods can be more nutritious or less nutritious, and to prioritize foods with more nutrients. The last thing we want is for her to feel fear or guilt from eating a treat."
According to Dr. Deborah Giboa, a parenting and youth development expert, the Jensens are teaching their child moderation.
"There's nothing wrong with what they're doing," Gilboa tells TODAY.com. "It's a really creative way to let your kids enjoy the holiday without having a total overload of stale candy for the next four months."
But Gilboa encourages parents to "take a beat" before creating a fictional character.
"They're going to have to eventually own up to the 'Switch Witch' not being real," she says. "What I would say to parents is, 'You're an expert in your kids. If you think your kid might feel betrayed or hurt, I'd caution against it."
Though the Jensens were inundated with criticism, they also received plenty of support.
“We’ve also heard from people saying their child has diabetes or food allergies and they want to try the ‘Switch Witch,’” Emily says.
“This is a great idea to modify for my tube-fed toddler!” one person wrote.
Added another, "We do this with our kids! They pick their fav 5 pieces and then sell the rest to us for $5/kid. They can spend it and it’s tons cheaper for us then paying for a filling at the dentist."