can't even say it

[Rollon2012]

I'm in 2 minds I'd like to take my 2yr old ds trick or treating this year.
However he can't really say it yet, :? which would be quite awkward

wibu to take him trick or treating??

[colken]

Well, trick or treat is just another American import and I've no time for it. If I were you, I would not take my small child round because (a) he would not understand what he's doing and (b) there would be people who feel the same as I do.

[Romilly70]

yanbu, just take him along for the fun!

[MrsLevinson]

Would he actually understand the concept? I'd wait a year or two until he can get the idea and actually enjoy it.

[PattySimcox]

Why would you want to take a 2yo trick or treating?
Isn't it one of those hideous things that a parent does only due to much child nagging?

[squeakyfreakytoy]

I would say leave it for a year or two.. he is too small to understand, and you really dont want him thinking that knocking on strangers doors asking for sweets is a good idea

[OatcakeCravings]

I took my ds last year when he was two and a half and he loved it. He can't wait to go again this year and spoke about Halloween on and off over the last 12 months. I would take him.

[Rollon2012]

whats with all the trick or treat hate :/

I went trick or treating like thousands of other kids/generations and I managed not to knock on strangers doors for sweets every other day of the year.

I perhaps will wait a few years, but other people like others have said its fun.

[Rollon2012]

could yours say trick or treat oatcakecravings???

[kingprawntikka]

When my children were this small I got together with a small group of our usual friends, and the children dressed up and had a little tea together, and then we mums took them trick or treating to their own houses, where their dads waited in with sweets. They got the fun of it but didn't door knock anyone.

[ImperialBlether]

Come to my house! I have pumpkins in the windows and a big Halloween bowl full of little treat sweets and no children here! I love it.

[Rollon2012]

my mums like you Imperial she loves whole trick or treating thing, put no one comes cos rest of street is miserable lol.

[staylucky]

If you have friends taking their kids it would be easier to tag along, but saying that if you went alone I bet people would be really lovely. My DD was 6 last year and refused to say anything when she had doors opened to her, grrrrr. Didn't stop her taking the sweets though.

I don't really enjoy trick or treating ( as in the having to trapse up and down noticing curtains drawing and lights going off!) but I LOVE handing sweets out to children when they call.

If you don't go let your little one answer your door with you and give sweets out by next year he'll have more idea what it's about.

[ImperialBlether]

Sorry, I should have said my children are at university/working away so I'm here on my own. I do get children here, though.

Unlike some I give double to the little mosher boys who come round here - love them and know nobody else gives them anything. (They remind me of my own children.)

[ImperialBlether]

But still - come round!

[chipmonkey]

colken it's not originally American, it's Irish and/or Scottish.
The "guising" has been around for hundreds of years.

The only thing I found when my boys were very small was that a lot of neighbours would be letting off fireworks and the boys were terrified of them when they were small. I was terrified too but can't admit to it cos I'm a grown-up--

[Rollon2012]

what fireworks to scare kids away??

[upatdawn]

At that age would it maybe be more fun to dress up and he can 'help' you to answer the door to trick or treaters?

[slavetofilofax]

You need to find some bigger children to take him. They will appreciate having a small cute one to distract people while they take more sweets. I wouldn't take him on his own, but I would dress him up to answer the door.

[RiffRaffeta]

Mine have always answered the door and we've had a little party for them at home with a Scooby Doo DVD, but this year we are going out t or ting with a group of friends. My youngest is 5.

[marriedinwhite]

Why don't you just do a pumpkin and get lots of little treats and let your ds open the door and hand over the treats. He'll be much more aware of it next year and it drags on for years - believe me. DS first went at 5 (12 years ago) and dd still wants to go this year (13)! Happy here to do the pumpkin though to let families know we have treats.

[chipmonkey]

Rollon in Ireland, we have bonfires and fireworks at Halloween.

[cheeseandmarmitesandwich]

Last year DD1 was 2.5, so we dressed her up as a witch and she had lots of fun answering the door to trick or treaters and giving sweets away and eating them

Now that she is 3.5 I thought she is old enough to go trick or treating, but I asked a couple of neighbours if they wanted to take the kids all together (all similar age)- one was aghast at the thought of her little darling possibly eating a Haribo, and the other couldn't possibly let her DD eat sweets from strangers' houses as "you never know how hygienic their house is"

I would feel a bit weird taking her on her own, so I guess we will just let her answer the door again!

[ModreB]

YANBU. Trick or Treat is an American import designed to create more profits for retailers in the disguise of a tradition that is about 10 years old.

[rhondajean]

Why dont you get him dressed up and take him to a few friends or relatives, thats what we did when ours were little, and they love seeing them all dressed up too?

[Jackstini]

ModreB - well I went T&Ting as a child 30 years ago in UK so much older than 10 years here.
It's not American anyway, it's a Scottish tradition going back to the 1890s!
Rollon - I did take ds, almost 2 last year as all the other neighbours children were going and he wanted to join in. He is also just as happy though being back home after and answering the door to callers [hsmile]