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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to not answer door to any more trick or treaters?

109 replies

Celeriacacaca · 31/10/2015 18:25

First knock on the door tonight and there were 22, yes 22, children with a group of adults. Who does this? Are there coach loads of people trick and treating these days? Surely you split up into little groups. I'd stocked up on loads of sweets (two tubs of Celebrations, multibags of Haribos and three bags of toffees) but cannot believe it that they took handfuls each and cleaned us out completely. May as well have just given them the bowl too. Not one word of thanks from the kids or parents. Fuckers.

OP posts:

ReginaBlitz · 31/10/2015 19:42

Should have used this...

to not answer door to any more trick or treaters?

pinotblush · 31/10/2015 19:46

Ive just taken my pumpkin in. 7.30 is cut off time for me.

Jakadaal · 31/10/2015 19:52

Like others I had some early little darlings who grabbed handfuls! I made an emergency dash to corner shop to buy a tub of Heroes and have since handed them out 2 at a time. I was surprised at the numbers calling at once. Dcs have been out trick or treating and know only to call at decorated houses. Pumpkins were brought in at 7 and have heard a few voices approaching but have gone away again thank goodness - Strictly is on do am far to busy to answer the door!!

SamVJ888 · 31/10/2015 19:54

Same here op. Think they're being ferried in this year, it needs to rain!! I've also run out of sweets, just called my mum to tell her (she never gets anyone as lives in the middle of nowhere) and she said to give them cash!! I don't bloody think so, I'm off to do a rain dance and flood the bastards home

StarkyTheDirewolf · 31/10/2015 19:56

Jeeez my hearts in my mouth! Just had two knock on so loud I thought they were going to come through the door! Didn't help that I was walking past the door at the time, in the dark! Opened the door they'd already heard me whoop loudly when i jumped, didn't see the point in pretending not to be in and said "sorry, lovies, I've got no sweeties" to what was clearly two 15 year old boys...I'm going to get egged later aren't I?

CalebHadToSplit · 31/10/2015 20:01

KinkyDorito - are you me? Or do you live on my road?

I live on a main road and expected more ToTers tonight due to fireworks, but only had one lot call despite a big lit display in my window.

I took my LO out at 5pm and found about 5 decorated houses nearby. It just isn't really done much here.

tryingtocatchthewind · 31/10/2015 20:10

Yep I got a huge group of 20 kids without an adult, I think it was a whole class. Thankfully they only took one each and said thanks

I had to take the decorations at 6:30 as I'd had 74 (took a pack of sweets out of the tub for me!) of the little darlings at my door. I've never known it this crazy and I didn't recognise any of them. Serves me right living on a 'nice' estate. No one has knocked since though

sykadelic · 31/10/2015 20:17

The rule here in "the Americas" is that you only knock on doors with an outside light on. If the light is off, you don't knock because they're not home/doing it. There is also a time frame. Here in my town it's actual Halloween day from 6pm - 8pm. Other towns it's the day before, or from 5 -7pm.

That's the problem with "importing" a tradition from somewhere else, you aren't aware of the "rules".

Also, I hand out the candy. Sticky/dirty little hands do not go in a bowl full of candy that then gets handed out to other people. That's how everyone in town will end up sick!

Headofthehive55 · 31/10/2015 20:23

Mine love "manning the door" we take turns to be on duty. It's that busy here we don't even go into the lounge but sit on the stairs. I have to close the door each time to allow the next lot to knock...there is often a queue! Good job I enjoy the atmosphere! Very middle class and polite here. Usually one parent goes out with the kids and one stays home to attend to trick or treaters. Sad for you all that it's not like that where you are.

CassieBearRawr · 31/10/2015 20:27

Skyadelic people buy bags of prewrapped sweets - Haribo, celebrations, fun size chocolate bars etc. Looks like you don't know our rules either

Headofthehive55 · 31/10/2015 20:30

i know everyone thinks it's an American import but in Yorkshire where I grew up it had long been the custom to go around on cake night - October 31st - cake - ing. There was a little rhyme and people would give you sweets or cake. There is special cake to eat - Parkin.

Headofthehive55 · 31/10/2015 20:31

My grandad went caking in about 1910 and would talk to us about it.

GrinAndTonic · 31/10/2015 20:33

Our little town sets up a FB page where you register your address. A map is made with different route options you can take to visit the participating houses. It was a great idea as we were left alone and didn't have to disappoint anyone.

ChairRider4 · 31/10/2015 20:34

At 8pm I stopped .Funny enough no older teens not dressed up since I have gob shite dog who sounds really fierce at door bell so by time they made noise at next door he starts barking they avoid mine

Though had one group of youngsters could hear couple saying dog sounds to scary but heard across road saying nah he a softy really we should knock

HackerFucker22 · 31/10/2015 20:36

Thankfully no knocks here. We have a pumpkin but not on display.

I was watching out of the window earlier and saw a few small groups. Adults made sure kids only went onto houses with dec's or pumpkins and were reminding the kids to say thank you but I still find it fucking odd to take your wee kids out at 7pm and get them to effectively beg for sweets.

Headofthehive55 · 31/10/2015 20:40

hacker it only seems odd because perhaps you didn't do it? I remember taking part, my mum remembers it , so did my grandparents...it brings back fond memories. Kids love going out in the dark.

Plomino · 31/10/2015 20:42

We just got back from our village walk - massive turnout today ! About 50 kids and their parents arrived at the village hall , which was then stewarded down the road ( rural unlit nsl road ) by us volunteers ( I do the sheepdog herding at the back ) and we only do the prearranged or decorated houses . We visited in two groups of about 25 each , and every kid came back with about a carrier bag of sweets ! Hugely successful , everyone in the village gets in on the act , they get visited once , and then the evening is peaceful again . Even the teenagers join in , usually helping by keeping the little ones nearer the side of the road , and no one gets annoyed , or egged. Great fun.

Marynary · 31/10/2015 20:46

A group of 22 sounds very unreasonable especially if some of them grabbed a handful. We normally only have a few in the "cauldron" at anyone time so none can grab a handful. The majority of children only take one sweet/packet each if there aren't many there.

We live on an estate with a lot of children and I think at least 100 must have visited tonight. They only knock on doors with a pumpkin in the window or other halloween display. When we run out of sweets we quickly take everything down on there are no more knocks.

OldGreyCat · 31/10/2015 20:56

Just taken our pumpkins in.

Guising, in Scotland - you need to have a joke / rhyme / song.

We've had a few (on the edge of the village by a busy road so not expecting more).

We have monkey nuts, cupcakes, sweets and apples. They've all been nice.

All the teenagers have gone to the house in the Village that really does Hallow'een. There you knock on the door to find an animated Butler howling at you. Inside the host crouches under a trestle table with a hole in. Her head pokes up through onto a 'platter' surrounded by garnish. As you leave you are chased by a number of (people) bushes. The Teens love it.

SideOrderofChips · 31/10/2015 21:14

We had small groups. Biggest was nine. I got my girls to hand sweets out one per child. We had lovely well mannered childre a shock for this estate and compliments on our pumpkins

DH and I hate trick or treating but are debating taking the girls next year because they were gutted not to go this year

Greydog · 31/10/2015 21:21

Happily we don't tend to get them any more. I think they stopped coming when they got an apple each. And I turn off the lights as well

SouthWestmom · 31/10/2015 21:26

I had a party one year for most of the little kids we knew - everyone lives in the same estate and goes to the same school, so we had about twenty. We did trick or treating en masses but all the kids pretty much lived here so would have knocked anyway. We did supervise massively - one sweet only, put that back, you've had one, say thank you.

I didn't do another huge party funnily enough!

jevoudrais · 31/10/2015 21:28

Gosh that's mad..! Might look out the window before I open the door to them in future just in case...

We only had four lots. 2 x teens who obviously know how to do it and took a nice sized handful each but very polite. Then lots of littlies who only took one sweet so we said oh you can have some more if you like etc. Parents equally as lovely, only just moved here so quite pleased it was so tame.

MrsHathaway · 31/10/2015 21:55

Much like Noeuf - we start at one house (hotdogs, crisps, cake, wine etc) then go round in a gaggle. I guess we were a dozen or so children plus a similar number of adults. Children 8w-7y. It was a lovely atmosphere tonight, everyone in a cheerful mood.

I don't know - I like big groups because they're all excited and squeaky. I wouldn't be so keen with twenty teenagers, admittedly!

strawberrypenguin · 31/10/2015 22:04

Aww mine were all lovely and polite. Little ones in ones or twos with an adult. They all said thank you and only took one sweet each.

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