To not want my children to take part in trick or treating?

[ValerieDavis]

Coming to that dreaded time of year again ... Halloween.

I've fairly strict with my children's diets and I really do not want to take them trick or treating this year. All those sugary sweets are no good for their teeth.

I've spoken with DH about this and he thinks that they've only young once and it's only for one night but the sweets tend to last a couple of weeks and I'm doing it for their own good.

I'm more than happy to buy them costumes and let them dress up and have fun on the day and will let them have a few sweets, just no trick or treating!

AIBU?

Yabu, it's just once a year.

". I spoke to a friend about it only recently and she said they had gotten all ready and were terribly disappointed when nobody knocked."

DH was so upset last year when we got no trick or treaters. He'd been waiting all night for callers, with his werewolf mask to hand, so that he could scare the kids when he answered the door. He looked so sad sitting there with his mask in his hand, no-one at the door :(

Why would you let them have a few sweets? Sweets are only involved if you are trick or treating!

Worra, I celebrate the genuine event not the stupid American take on it.

Bupcakes Can you put a lantern in the window or a few Happy Halloween signs on the door?

No-one really knocks at our house because when the blinds are shut, it looks like we're out.

My dds are a bit too old now to go out. That doesn't stop me decorating the house and looking out of the window hoping for callers!

PEOPLE GIVE OUT MONEY, Chops?

Bloody hell.

Do you know I wish I had let mine go when they wanted to.
They are too old now and all they remember is that I wouldn't let them go. Frankly, childhood is too short.

bureni that doesn't answer my question.

Why do you wish it would go back to the USA and stay there?

If other people having fun affects you, it's really best to put the signs on your door.

I've always got a pumpkin out the front, Worra. No-one on the street got any callers last year. Twas very sad :(

I still used to eat DS' sweets after he'd gone to bed, only allowing him a few. I also buy enough sweets to have a surplus for myself even after half the neighbourhood's been round in Asda monster masks.

Right then it's time to be proactive Bupcakes

Dress as a pumpkin and stand on the street, dragging the fuckers in

Worra, it is an American event and has nothing to do with the U.K, we have our own event here which is called Samhain which is preferable.

I wont get any trick or treaters this year and I'm quite disapointed. We have recently moved and we live down a long track with a big gate so no one will come to us. :(

i shall still be decorating the house for dc though.

I couldn't give a monkey's about the origins.

It's fun, people like it, it's harmless. Unless you live in a rough area where people perform unpleasant tricks I suppose.

I think I've said this every Halloween since I've been on MN. It's not particularly American.
In Scotland it's called guising, I did it as a child and I'm in my 50's.
We used to dress up and had to do a turn for sweeties or pennies,
They've have it in Ireland for years too AFAIK

bureni I know that

But it still doesn't explain why you want something to 'go back to the USA' because children find it fun and you don't.

I don't like baby showers but other people having them doesn't bother me.

love the way America makes a big thing out of halloween, the more fun you can have as a child the better I say. Absolutely! But this wont be the last thread that mentions the words "begging" regarding haloween I fear!

Its a bit of fun, my boys love it - and they love our hosue as we really go to town. Lay years addition was a smoke machine you can operate by remote control that I pushed every time someone came to the door. We have a graveyard and all sorts in the garden and our giant spooky butler inside the house. I make Halloween cupcakes for all the kids to.

shesariver I have a few neighbours like you and I can't explain how much the kids love the effort you go to

bureni, there are plenty of British traditions allied to trick or treating. It wasn't invented in the States.

Although like I said, I don't care. Plenty of American and otherwise forrin traditions have been adopted here for Christmas, for example. They're harmless.

Thing is they ignore the signs around here. I always have a sign saying we don't celebrate Halloween and every year without fail people knock, not a polite knock either! Last year someone was pounding on the door shouting "We know you are in, stop being f-ing cruel to our children! It is mean not to give sweets at Halloween!"

Isn't a pumpkin in the window a universal sign that you'd welcome trick or treaters? It is round here.

I live in America and Halloween is the best holiday. Most towns have strict times for trick or treating. It usually starts at 4pm for the little ones and ends at 8pm. If you don't want to hand out candy you leave your outside lights off. For mine the best bit is sorting their candy into "types" they then eat a few bits (and Halloween candy comes in really small sizes), give me the Almond Joys and the rest is then given to our local dentist who donates it and gives the children a toothbrush kit and water bottle in exchange.

Aw really worra ...sometimes I think we are mad!

We have these fantastic skeleton bones that look as if they are coming up from the ground that my DH puts "crime scene" tape around, and the Butler looks cool as we have a strobe light flashing on him at a window.