Sucrose vs. Bedtime

Here's an interesting Halloween experiment:

1. Give a two-year-old a bucket of candy and tell him to have just one or two pieces.
   
2. Of course you give in and let him have three or four pieces.
3. Now try to keep him from just eating the entire pile. See if you can hide a piece or two in between temper tantrums.
4. Observe as toddler bounces off walls and speaks in gibberish (more than usual).
   
5. Watch clock as bedtime comes and goes. Toddler has probably invented new games consisting of constant jumping and limb-waving, and possibly banging head against wall.
   
6. Mention bedtime.
7. Hide (or insert earplugs to save hearing).
8. Instructions at this point vary with your particular situation, but somehow transfer flailing toddler to crib and hope for the best.
   
9. Once toddler is in bed, destroy all evidence of Halloween and in the morning pretend you don't know the meaning of the word "candy".