Boo Baskets for Halloween

[PeasOff]

Is anyone planning on making these for their kid(s)?

If so, what are you putting in them?

Goodness that really is a broad-brush, sweeping statement against the UK. Frankly in this day and age I’d be singing pretty quietly if I were American.

Yikes. 🙄
Stones and glass houses come to mind.

It doesn’t add up to 40k.

The average household on an average salary has 250 to spare after all their needs are taken care of. It would take 13 years of looking after those “pennies” to save the 40k needed for the average deposit for the average house.

Your granny bought her house for pennies on 2.5 times the household salary, young people today need at least 6 times their salary to get on the housing ladder.

I came across an awful video of Michael Barrymore going to b&m to buy items to make a boo basket. First time I’d heard of one. So you could check that out for ideas

To be honest I wouldn't have thought the average American mum would be bothered about such a thing. It is definitely a social media "influencer" thing.

American Housewife TV show was the first time I heard of them and that was very much a demographic of rich housewives trying to outdo each other.

You’re all saying it’s American but I’ve lived in the US for 20 years and have only British friends/ relatives do these. Yes, Halloween is massive over here but Boo Baskets seem to be British.

Edited to add that as I know both countries very well, the US may have invented consumerism but the UK has taken it and ran and outdone America at its own game on that one. By some distance as well.

I live in the US and not a single parent I know indulges in this nonsense. Maybe the people I know just don’t follow TikTok over consumption nonsense. I guess I’m just lucky.

For many, many years children have enjoyed Halloween without a boo basket. Fancy dress, candy, Halloween parties with friends. You do you, Boo, but it seems quite excessive to me. Consider watching a YouTube channel called Social Symone
and look for the episode about “boo baskets” and also the one about “Halloween Hauls”.

I think it’s a cute idea but my child is an adult now - mind you, I reckon they might still like this.
There’s that much misery currently that this just seems like a tiny bit of joy that would be nice to do and give.
All the posters saying it’s not needed and mocking the idea - have you never once bought something just because you like/want it when you haven’t needed it?

No. Never heard of them. Yet another invention to get people to spend more money on tat?

Mother of three here and never heard of a boo basket. I hate the term already.
What wrong with carving a pumpkin, dressing up and going trick or treating? That’s what we do and always have done.

Oh bless you OP, things like this always get such a lot of hate. It’s the same people that pile on when people mention decorating for Easter or do a Christmas Eve box.
I've heard of Boo baskets, my teen daughter and boyfriend did one for each other last year. I think that sometimes it’s just a nice way of presenting something you’d buy/make anyway. Or an excuse to treat a loved one if you don’t usually.
If it’s not something you do, then that’s ok too.
Mumsnet always dives on these threads feigning consumerism but really sometimes it’s just an excuse to be mean, clutch pearls and be snobby.

My kids are too old for trick or treating but love the season.
Would it be the end of the world if I treated DD to a nice autumn candle from Homesense and some chocolate? I might even put a ribbon around it… though I’d better not call it a Boo Basket!

I’ve never heard of them but they sound lovely if done well.
We don’t do trick or treating here, my DH refuses to let out children go out and “beg for sweets from strangers” and it’s not a battle I ever think it’s worth fightiibg because I can kind if see where he’s coming from.
I might do an autumn/boo basket with some of the inspiration on here for our boys to share, dig out our (reusable!) basket and pop some sweets, hot chocolates, gloves etc in.
I think they sound lovely!

I don't think it's pearl-clutching or snobby to refuse to be sucked in by some new-fangled consumerist hype. If you want to celebrate Halloween or autumn or Christmas or anything, you're free to do it your own way without joining in yet another spend-fest fad.

That's more than my kid gets for Christmas 😂

Yes. As well as December 1st boxes, a d Christmas Eve boxes, and expensive toy advent calendars, and the growing trend Easter basket, decorating trees, Easter presents...and decorating for Autumn, which is becoming more of a thing.

Spend, spend, spend... And then call others miserable cunts for not being suckered into it all, because obviously you're a miserable cow if you don't buy stuffed pumpkins, skincare sets, teddies, crafts, and novelty pyjamas for your kids. People pretend it's stuff they'd buy anyway just to feel better about falling for the consumerist lifestyle being peddled by social media influencers ... who are paid to promote this crap and normalise it, making you feel like you're missing out or doing your children a disservice if you don't buy in.

I think the pearl clutching I’m referring to is the way people dive on to the OP.
If you don’t like it you can say it in a much nicer way than some of the PPs.

I totally understand the consumerism, but nobody is making you do anything and I don’t chose to do it myself. But I do chose to be polite.

Halloween is my favourite day of the year. I absolutely love dressing up with the kids, bobbing apples, games, trick or treating etc. we decorate the whole house, we watch kid friendly Halloween movies throughout the month but by god I will never being doing a boo basket. The world has gone mad

You are definitely being unreasonable.

How do you know they don't? I did one last year but didn't post it on social media. I doubt I told anybody either because it's not particularly interesting conversation

Absolutely not. A relative of mine bought my kids “boo bags” last year full of plastic tat from Temu that broke apart within about 2 minutes. I was polite and thanked her but in the back of my mind I was pissed off to have more tat that will be kicking around my house.

I think this wins the internet today

It is stuff I'd buy anyway. I'm not pretending.

They need warmer pj's for winter anyway so they can have halloween and then xmas ones. They will also wear them until they grow out of them.

They'd probably end up with some art and craft stuff for xmas anyway, they've just had them a bit earlier this year. As well as stickers.

halloween books are also reused in the boxes. Just like xmas books also are.

If someone doesn't want to do it, I don't think it makes them a miserable cunt. I do think its odd though when someone doesn't do it, they seem to insist that they know how other people do them which often turns out to be incorrect.

Everything in boo box/xmas box will be used and things such as books will be reused.

It's entirely the tweeness of the name that I object to.

Giving young kids little bits and bobs (that likely they would have got anyway) and crafting things geared towards the season - I'm absolutely fine with that. A bit of autumnal-themed decor, a candle, some sweets - I would be overjoyed if someone gave me those!

But calling it a 'boo box' makes me feel as though all my teeth are about to fall out.

That’s what I’m saying really. There isn’t endless space in homes for blankets, mugs, ghost cushions, inflatables, plush pumpkins and so on in the loft. Especially if every holiday you are getting a new blanket, cushion and mug and pumpkin in your boo basket.