Any other Mums refusing to take the kids out trick or treating?

[Theboulderhascaughtupwithme]

Just wondering if I totally mean/unreasonable. We do a lot for/ with the kids, clubs, weekend days out, doing stuff at home etc etc but I just cannot muster any enthusiasm for taking me out trick or treating. I find the whole concept of trawling round the houses letting them beg for sweets cringe worthy.

Strangely I have no problem with other kids coming to ors and always have some sweet etc ready for them which makes me feel I am being a bit unreasonable.

Also I don't want to fork out on costumes and I am totally not able or into making them.

So I guess I am giving myself permission to just not do even tho my eldest particularly has been keen and asking to go.

What's other people's stance?

We went out last night for the first time (DCs are 5 and 3), in our teeny little village where everyone knows each other. We knocked on a few doors where people were obviously in the spirit as they had lights, pumpkins etc. The local school had issued signs for people to put on their doors if they didn't want to be disturbed. We took our sweets with us and distributed them to the other kids who were out as well (there were loads, despite the rain).

Then we went to a friend's and had a mini party for the kids.

Oh and mine were dressed as zombie Buzz Lightyear and a zombie princess. They looked horrific and they loved it. Plus we had a zombie pumpkin.

I don't really care what other people do or think elsewhere; my village is a lovely, considerate place and there was no tricking anywhere. The older kids who were out were as lovely as the younger ones and everything was quiet by 8.30pm. Absolutely agree with vicki that it's not about the sweets but about showing off your costume.

Feralgirl, we live in a village like that too, we pretty much know everyone we trick-and-treat.

But for my DC it really also definitely IS about the sweets.

Boo Humbug!

And am also up for homeless soup day.

I really don't understand the high level of grumpiness about Halloween. Personally I think it's good fun, but if it's not your thing, just don't put a pumpkin out and don't answer your door! There are better things to do than moan and groan about it.

Don't have kids but wouldn't take them if I did. It's just another commercial money earner...

I don't mind it, but my youngest DC has never participated. Though I'm still in shock at how big an event it is nowadays when compared to my own childhood, and money rather than sweets used to be collected/expected.

at the begging comments. How silly. If they were approaching strangers for sweets, at random, on other days of the year that would be begging.

Borrowed from a famous carol, though a pity we no longer see door-to-door carolers (I haven't anyway, not for many many years):

We are not daily beggars
That beg from door to door;
But we are neighbours' children,
Whom you have seen before.

I love Halloween, it's my second favourite holiday after Christmas and no I'm not American, very British indeed . But even I'm not keen on trick or treating.

I only recall doing it once with my Dad as a child and he only drove me to various extended family members houses that knew I was coming... And I did it with my mates at about 14. We got a lot of grief for being too old, an elderly couple ranting at us about how evil halloween is and we should know better at our age... But one lovely man did give us £20 to share between the four of us because we were too old for sweets, we were chuffed .

I don't view it as being begging but I just couldn't be arsed traipsing about in the dark and cold with small DC, getting faced with a lot of people not answering the door etc. And it'd make me feel awkward. So we have an annual Halloween feast instead. Dress DC up, watch Halloween movies and eat a lot of Halloween themed food. It does the trick just fine.

Its my son's birthday on Halloween so we make a bit of a big deal of it. Decorate outside buy loads of sweets to give out and cupcakes. We live in a close knit community and most people know that our house gives out cake!! I don't see it as begging as we hand out loads of sweets also.

We only go to those houses that are clearly decorated for Halloween and mostly are houses of children that my children go to school with.

If you don't like it don't go but maybe allow your older child to go with friends instead.

Italian watermelons are not an autumn fruit. Maybe in Australia?

:)

Love it !!!

I'm 45 and grew up in Edinburgh. Kids went guising at Halloween! Unless you were living in a tiny Morningside bubble of orthodox Christians and being home-schooled, you did Halloween!

I have no religious beliefs and I always took my Dc guising. It was fun sorting out costumes and make-up and then we went to houses which looked lit up and welcoming. We rang the bell once and went away if nobody answered. Plenty of people did and the DC would come home with a carrier bag of sweets and a few quid. It was fun and to my knowledge, neither of my DC have gone on to become serial killers or devil-worshippers (although my son's room does smell like something died in it!)

drspouse I had not thought of seasons! I didn't even know they grew in England! they just taste nice and are easy to cut!

I dress up and go play at the Real Halloween event run by a kids conservation charity, fairylandtrust.org

We leave out treats (seeds /nuts etc) for the birds and wild animals to help them fatten up for winter and to stop the fairy folk from playing tricks on us if we don't. Far nicer and informative too!

I disagree that you don't have to participate. We live in a trick or treating hotspot and we would look really bad if we didn't as we have young dc. The number of visitors we get is crazy, dh gave out 4 boxes of sweets one at a time in half an hour . People were hammering on our door from 5 as we were trying to eat tea, no pumpkins out. I hate it but dd wanted to go out and its really hard work it on that scale.

What annoys me is people come from miles around, park up and walk round our streets. It's bloody cheeky not least because some have moved away to posher areas but we are ok for free sweets

We don't tend to get any after 8 though which is at least something.

I mean it's hard to say no when they can see the crowds outside.

Pfft !
Hard to say no ?
Er no - stand by your principles.
I put a sign on the door - no hammering, just a nice quiet evening.
Crowds ????
Where on earth do you live !

Late to this i know but....I'm pro anything that gets communities out and interacting with each other,
costumes don't have to be gory, costumes can be anything and don't need to be Halloween themed ( completely normal in the usa to be anything from a crayon to a sunflower) I have great fun decorating the front door with kid friendly decorations and really look forward to the bell ringing and seeing the children having fun. When out with my own DS we just visit houses with decorations and everyone is pleased to see us.

Just saw your post, Ilovenicesoap - we get crowds too - over 300 came to our door between 5 and 8 pm. Maybe tobysmum lives on my street .