Effing teenagers this Halloween

[GoodForTheSoul]

We've lived in this house for quite a few years now, do Halloween every time. We do a mixture of opening the door and leaving a bowl in our decorated porch. Most of our neighbours do the same and there's never been any issues. Until this year.

After beig cleared out a couple of times pretty early in, I did some watching from the upstairs windows. And I've noticed gangs of teenagers (easily about 16) go through the street both knocking on doors and emptying any bowls they came across... Then running off and returning a few minutes later, trying to sweep through any refills

There's realy no point to this thread other than me having a rant. As I've said above, this has never been an issue so it made me wander if anyone had a similar experience this year? Are teenagers these days really so bored/badly mannered to spend an evening doing this?

Us and next door took all our sweets in and only opened the door to genuine trick or treaters for the rest of the night. It would be a shame for the little ones to miss out (walking around in this hideous weather too) because others are so selfish.

Rant over

My 14-year-old and his friends wanted to dress up and go out one last time, because they didn't get to go last year, but they realised for themselves that they were a bit too old to be looming at people's doors so they walked round the area giving sweets out to the younger kids (until there was a power cut and the street lights went out, at which point they got scared and retreated to someone's house to watch a film instead).

It should stop at the end of primary school.
If parents of these wonderfully behaved teenagers are worried about them missing out, host a party at home for them and their friends. It can be intimidating when groups of tall older kids are roaming around knocking on doors (it’s not cute!) Its like Father Christmas, it has a shelf life.

When my DC were young and tick or treating they were always really sweet and only took one sweet each from a proffered bowl.

What I really hated was the very rare occasional arse who'd say in a snotty superior voice 'make sure you only take one sweet'.

I would just think oh eff off you twat if you just shut up for a moment you'd see how polite the little kids generally are and you've just completely ruined the experience for them so why even bother to give out sweets, weirdo

@GoingForAWalk

When my DC were young and tick or treating they were always really sweet and only took one sweet each from a proffered bowl.

What I really hated was the very rare occasional arse who'd say in a snotty superior voice 'make sure you only take one sweet'.

I would just think oh eff off you twat if you just shut up for a moment you'd see how polite the little kids generally are and you've just completely ruined the experience for them so why even bother to give out sweets, weirdo

Well, you sound pretty unpleasant. I ask the kids to just take one and make sure there's some for everyone.

Not all of them are polite and actually parents can't quite see what their kids are doing. One last night, parent behind saying "just take one", kid repeating "just take one", from my vantage point holding the bowl I could see he had at least three. So I think me saying "please only take one so there are some for others kids*" is reasonable.

*And later "you've got more than me, next time someone knocks on my door I'm going to ask them to give sweets to me!"

Open the door. Shout trick. And egg the little buggers.

No, don’t do that.

My kids and their friends were told by a woman last night that they are too old for trick or treat, they are 10-12 but all very tall for their age. People make assumptions without knowing. My ten year old would be devastated to not go she is a young ten, still loves her unicorns, even dressed as one last night. I had it drilled into them to say thank you and be polite but the children they were with have very bad manners, one of the boys walked right inside someone’s house I was mortified

Last year a group of ferallocal kids knocked on our door and grabbed all the sweets out of the bowl my younger DD answered the door holding.
This year we looked out of the window before answering.
Bloody awful greedy pigs.

I had a car drive long the road and stop when it saw our decorated house. Three teenage girls, in designer type clothes and high heels, got out and knocked on our door. They then got back in the car and drive off !
How lazy is that !

I’ve just walked the dog and seen a lot of those little silver canisters in gutters. Looks like trick or treating isn’t all that they were doing.

When I ran out of sweets we took the decorations down, closed the curtains and turned off the lights. And I have to say that we got no more knocks, so that was good.
This was our last year of doing it. The constant knocking drove the dog mad.

What a shame, there's always someone who has to ruin it for others. We haven't lived here long so didn't know what to expect but all kids big and small were well mannered. I had put a few sweets in little bags so we just handed one out to each kid though.

I put the remaining sweets out about 9pm on a platter. Didn’t expect to find the platter gone as well as the sweets - luckily it was a disposable one. But why would anyone want it?

Ah my son had a rifle, just to see if there was anything not chocolate as he's allergic. He's not being rude, promise!

A couple of years ago a whole tub (including the tub) of celebrations were nicked. I’d just put them out and then went to put DD to bed so had to stop and bring pumpkins in as the door kept going.

Last night DD and I went out and DP and DS (12) stayed home to answer the door, which worked fine. Next year DP will probably be in work and I’m not keen on DS answering the door to trick or treaters (especially if they’re getting more bolshy) so I think I’ll make a sign for the door saying no sweets and then take a bag of sweets out with DD and I and offer them up to the kids that are about.

We put sweets in a bowl a few years ago because we were all going out to a party a few streets up, and someone took the bowl as well as the sweets. Still annoys me, it was a nice mixing bowl and part of a set! (it was DH put it out, I would have used something less nice).

I had the opposite, lovely polite teenagers & rude parents of smaller children.

I had 1 woman taking photos of me & my house, it felt very intrusive & a bit scary as she was using a bright flash, that's never happened before & has really put me off doing it next year.

Last night I was Billy no mates! Hardly had anyone coming.

In years gone by we've had teenagers. Not intimidating in any way, but definitely the odd cheeky one (sorry, but it was always groups of teenaged boys - the girls have all been ridiculously polite. I am sure this isn't always the case,).

It never bothered me that much and it was bloody depressing to see nobody round our street last night. We are a little cul de sac, so think we just got overlooked. Here I was with my wee pumpkin and bucket of sweets but nobody wanted them . Found a good home for them though ate them

We normally don’t have trick or treaters in my street. Not many children here. But for whatever reason there were loads out last night! But I have to say, they were all pretty respectful. Some took one sweet, some took a handful, but nobody cleared us out and they all said thank you. Was actually really nice to see

My DD is 12 and her and her friend who is 11 went out Trick or Treating last night. I stayed at home answering the door to the little ones. First year ever she had gone out on her own, and she called me and asked me to walk round with her. 12 is still pretty little, they were polite without prompting, only knocked on doors that were decorated. I don’t see why she shouldn’t be allowed?

I love the little ones coming round and seeing them all dressed up, but equally seeing teens making an effort and asking nicely are very welcome. I even gave sweets to the parents who were traipsing round the streets in the cold and rain. Share the love ❤️

We live in a fairly rough area too, but no trouble which is nice.

My favourite was definitely a pair of young children who were just so excited. Turned out my bowl had the boy's favourite sweets and he ran off down the path to his mum yelling about how happy he was 😂 and the girl wished me a happy Halloween. Such lovely children!

It was a parent at ours! Kids (about 5 and 7?) took some from the bowl and the Dad then picked up the whole bowl and poured it into their bags. All caught on our camera. Asshole.

Some people just can't help themselves can they? Both teenagers and greedy parents setting a horrible example to the small children they accompany. Can't imagine who really wants massive bags fulls if cheap sweets. I always thought it was more the idea of kids dressing up together and having fun. I wouldn't be surprised if they end to p throwing half the stuff away. Terrible greed.

We put a filled bowl out while we went to a party a couple of years ago and when we got back not only had the sweets gone but they'd taken the bowl! Don't bother anymore, if we're out, tough.

I've no problem with older children up to an including about age 13 maybe year 8 ish. Any older than that and I don't think they should go.

We've had loads of little ones and primary age children, and young secondary age, a real mix. Mostly polite. I do object to lumbering 16 year olds who're a foot taller than me crashing on my door asking for sweets i'm afraid, it's ridiculous.

It wasn't the children who were running around pelting eggs everywhere in the village and smashing the children's pumpkins at 10pm last night. It was the older teens.