Can anyone talk me through Trick or Treat etiquette?

[Mybobowler]

Sorry if this has been done before! I need some guidance.

I wasn't allowed to go Trick or Treating as a child and up until now, I've only ever lived in flats where I could easily ignore the doorbell. I now live in a terraced house in an area full of families, so there's no escaping it this year! Problem is, I have a very light-sleeping 9 month old, and I can't promise not to pelt eggs at anyone who wakes her up.

So - what to do? Can I leave a sign on my door, asking them not to ring the bell? Should I leave a bucket of sweets on the step and accept that the whole lot will disappear immediately? I already feel like this is too much like hard work...

In my village people are pretty well-behaved, and as it's a small community and people who are happy to be called on go to a lot of trouble to decorate their houses, in some cases including decorated spooky paths with sound effects down the side of the house to the back door even the pub tends to dress up skeletons and the shop staff wear costumes people don't knock if there's no indication people are playing.

Also, the local shop gives out 'No trick or treating here' signs for you to put on your door or window. We live down a little lane so we usually put a bowl of sweets and some lighted pumpkins leading away from the road while we're out with DS and his friends, and in general, haven't had any issues with older kids swiping the lot.

Around here it's only if there are Halloween decorations up. Though some people do knock on doors where the porch / front lights are on.
Most people understand that if it's dark and no decorations - don't knock.

I've left sweets on the step previously and they all got taken. Then people knocked to say the sweet bucket was empty, even with lights out! Don't assume anyone will read your sign, it's young kids high on sugar 😂

Also it's usually finished by 7 / 7.30pm

We only go to houses that have decorations or a pumpkin.

I put some candles out.
I never know what to say to the children though.

Used signs from my then-local police saying not to trick or treat and it was ignored. Signs on a barricade maybe.

I’m not a fan of trick or treating.

I turn off all the lights, close the curtains and let the dog bark his head off when anyone knocks. They get the message and leave usually.

The one year I decided to buy some sweets and keep the lights on etc, no bugger knocked!

Just unplug the doorbell

Halloween is a huge thing on the estate where we live. Local fire brigade drive through handing out sweets, several houses do events for charity, the scout hut usually does a haunted hut to raise funds.

It’s a very definite rule that if a house is not decorated, you don’t call. There are plenty of houses all decorated for kids to go and call at for sweets. As far as I’m aware people do stick to it.

Just don’t decorate and shut the curtains. That usually works.. besides for the absolute cf families who still send their kids to every door.. the only thing that might keep them out is a bike chain round the gate but even then I’m almost sure they’d get their dp’s to lift them over the gate.

On a side note our doorbells inside chime has a switch on it.. don’t ask the make 😂 But there’s bound to be a way to turn it off.

I know that the gang of lads who terrorise the neighbourhood will make off with the whole lot in an instant.

That’s a shame. Could you perhaps put out limited sweets at a time as presumably you can still quietly open your front door a few times over the evening to top up the bowl without disturbing your DC?

Close the curtains, turn off the lights and disable the doorbell.

Having said that, last year I did all of the above and some kid with an adult came knocking at the door, banging harder and harder, and when I ignored them the bloke shouted through the letterbox that I was obviously a miserable fucking cunt. delightful way to bring up a child that. .

In my area, people only knock if you have decorations/pumpkin/lights up outside or in the window. Only about 10 houses out of 100+ on my street decorate and as far as I've seen, other houses are not disturbed. I'd say it's best not to put any kind of a sign up so you don't draw attention to your house. Just draw the curtains and don't leave lights on in the hallway...

People here just knock on any door and every door. They come from streets away too.

My ds is a teenager now so I don't do trick or treating. I don't decorate, I close the curtains, switch off the lights at the front of the house and switch off the doorbell but I still get people banging on the door.

The rules here are simple, if there's no pumpkin you don't go up to the door

I was never allowed to TorT either though also remember the hardcore 90s.

Only one year when we were living on an airbase compound abroad. About 50 houses all in a circle which were mostly expat families with postings there. Many were American so TorT was massive with every house decorated and all the kids moving round them all.

Great for the kids but now I think about each house must have had the doorbell go about 20 times that night I feel suddenly a bit guilty.!